HBA-MPM C.S.H.B. 1275 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1275 By: Luna, Vilma Public Education 4/19/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Federal law requires every student with disabilities who is eligible for special education services to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which is developed by the student's parent or parents, teachers, principal, a diagnostician, and relevant others, including administrators. The IEP is the primary agreement between the school and the parent or parents on what special education and related services the school will provide to the student and when and where those services will be provided. It also outlines what is expected of the student academically, how the student's progress will be measured, and whether the student will take the TAAS test. Federal law requires that the letter notifying the parent or parents of a meeting to develop, revise, or review the student's IEP be translated into the parents' native language, however, there is no federal or state law requiring the actual IEP to be translated. C.S.H.B. 1275 requires the school district to provide parents with a copy of the student's IEP in the parents' native language via a written report or audiotaped translation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 29.005, Education Code, by adding Subsection (d), as follows: (d) Requires a school district to provide a parent with a copy of a child's individualized education program (IEP) translated into the parent's native language, if the child's parent is unable to read English. Authorizes the district to provide the parent with an audiotaped translation of the IEP made during the course of the admission, review and dismissal(ARD) meeting if the district provides documentation of a good faith effort to provide the parent with a written translation of the child's IEP and documentation that a written translation is not feasible. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. differs from the original bill in SECTION 1, by modifying proposed Section 29.005(d), Education Code, to authorize a school district to provide a parent with an audiotaped translation of a child's individualized education program (IEP) made during the course of an ARD meeting, if the district provides documentation of a good faith effort to provide the parent with a written translation of the IEP and documentation that a written translation is not feasible.