HF 1793

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing a task force to compare federal and state
special education requirements; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin TASK FORCE TO COMPARE FEDERAL AND STATE SPECIAL
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; duties. new text end

new text begin A task force is established to recommend
which state laws and rules that exceed or expand upon minimum federal special education
requirements for providing special education programs and services to eligible students
should be amended to conform with minimum federal requirements. The commissioner
of the bureau of mediation services under Minnesota Statutes, section 179.02, after
consulting with interested stakeholders, shall appoint a ten-member task force composed
of equal numbers of providers, advocates, regulators, consumers of special education
services, lawyers who practice in the field of special education and represent either parents
or school districts, special education teachers, and school officials. The commissioner
must convene the task force by June 1, 2007, which shall meet regularly and shall review
the January 25, 2006, report prepared by the Minnesota Department of Education Office
of Compliance and Assistance and the January 15, 2007, New IDEA Regulations report
prepared by the Ratwick Roszak law firm. The terms and compensation of task force
members are governed by Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 6.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The task force must submit to the education policy and finance
committees of the legislature by February 15, 2008, a report that identifies and clearly
and concisely explains each provision in state law or rule that exceeds or expands upon
a minimum federal requirement contained in law or regulation for providing special
education programs and services to eligible students. The report also must recommend
which state provisions that exceed or expand upon a minimum federal requirement may
be amended to conform with minimum federal requirements. The task force expires
when it submits its report to the legislature.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; TASK FORCE TO COMPARE FEDERAL AND
STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS.
new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2008 to the commissioner
of the Bureau of Mediation Services for costs related to the work of the task force to
compare federal and state special education requirements under section 1.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2008.
new text end