Advocacy Action Alert | HB 144 – Special Education COVID-19 Recovery Act!

Pass HB 144 – Special Education COVID-19 Recovery Act!

Updated 5/10/21 | Updated 4/16/21: Contact Chair of Public Education. Rep. Harold Dutton, Jr. | Posted: 4/8/21

Issue:

Due to COVID-19 and it’s disruption to schooling, many students with disabilities have experienced a loss or change in services and support due to online learning and other factors, as many services were interrupted, reduced, delayed, suspended, or discontinued.

HB 144 requires the addition of a written supplement to a student’s individualized education plan (IEP) which must detail whether the student’s full evaluation was completed in the 2019-2020 school year or the 2020-2021 school year. The supplement must also include whether or not the services available to the student were interrupted, reduced, delayed, suspended, or discontinued. 

As proposed, HB 144 amends current law relating to supplemental information required for inclusion with a written statement of an individualized education program developed for certain public school students who received special education services during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year.

The supplement will not cost any extra money or time as it will be added during the annual IEP process and many districts have already gone through this process.

Bill:

HB 144 -Rep. Mary Gonzalez.  (Companion SB 89 by Senator Jose Mendendez)

Full bill text can be found here:

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=87R&Bill=HB144

Specific Action Needed:

UPDATED 5/10/21: Call your own Texas Representative and the Speaker of the House, Rep. Dade Phelan. Tell them, “Support HB-144! Kids receiving Special Education services need to ensure their needs are met after the pandemic.”

Complete. 4/16/21: Please contact Chair- Representative Harold Dutton Jr. Ask “Bring HB-144 up for a vote! Kids receiving Special Education services need to ensure their needs are met after the pandemic.”

4/8/21: Ask: “Please vote favorably and have the House Public Education Committee send HB-144 to House Calendars. This bill will help students with autism receiving special ed. services.”

Who to Call/Email:

UPDATED 5/10/21: Contact the Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan: (512) 463-0706 dade.phelan@house.texas.gov. Also contact your own Texas Representative- find them here: https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Complete- 4/16/21: Please contact House Public Education Chair-Rep. Harold Dutton, Jr: (512) 463-0510 or  harold.dutton@house.texas.gov

4/8/21: Please call members of the House Public Education Committee. (Chair – Rep. Dutton & Vice Chair – Rep. Lozano) are top priority for phone calls.

Now take action on the Companion Bill, SB 89 here: http://www.texasautismsociety.org/sb89-spedcovidrecoveryact

Let us know if you were successful or if AST Advocacy staff need to do any follow-ups at 512-479-4199 Ext. 10 or advocacy@texasautismsociety.org.