Bill Text: IA HF176 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act providing for the establishment of a twice exceptional student task force and making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-17 - Subcommittee, Highfill, Gaines, and Hanusa. H.J. 342. [HF176 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF176-Introduced.html
House File 176 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY WESSEL=KROESCHELL A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for the establishment of a twice exceptional 2 student task force and making an appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2006YH (2) 86 je/nh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. TWICE EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT TASK FORCE AND 1 2 REPORTS. 1 3 1. For purposes of this section, "twice exceptional 1 4 student" means a student who is a gifted and talented child, 1 5 as defined in section 257.44, and who also has a physical, 1 6 intellectual, learning, or other disability, including but 1 7 not limited to a behavioral, emotional, or autism spectrum 1 8 disorder. 1 9 2. The department of education shall establish a twice 1 10 exceptional student task force to identify best practices for 1 11 the education of twice exceptional middle and high school 1 12 students and to promote such practices in Iowa schools. The 1 13 department may employ consultants to carry out the duties of 1 14 the task force. 1 15 3. a. Members of the task force shall be appointed by 1 16 the director of the department of education and shall include 1 17 school administrators, school board members, middle and high 1 18 school teachers, area education agency personnel, parents 1 19 of twice exceptional middle and high school students, and a 1 20 representative from a teacher preparation program approved 1 21 by the state board of education pursuant to section 256.7, 1 22 subsection 3. 1 23 b. The task force shall also include two ex officio members 1 24 of each house of the general assembly. One member each shall 1 25 be selected by the majority leader of the senate and by the 1 26 minority leader of the senate, and one member each shall be 1 27 selected by the speaker of the house of representatives and by 1 28 the minority leader of the house of representatives. Members 1 29 of the general assembly shall be entitled to receive per diem 1 30 and necessary travel and actual expenses pursuant to section 1 31 2.10, subsection 5, while carrying out their official duties 1 32 as members of the task force. 1 33 4. The task force shall submit a report on its findings to 1 34 the general assembly by January 30, 2016. The task force shall 1 35 submit a report on recommended best practices for the education 2 1 of twice exceptional middle and high school students to the 2 2 director of the department of education by March 1, 2016. The 2 3 director shall provide the report electronically to all middle 2 4 and high schools and area education agencies in this state and 2 5 shall post the report on the department's internet site. 2 6 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 2 7 general fund of the state to the department of education for 2 8 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2 9 2016, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, 2 10 to be used for the purposes designated: 2 11 For the twice exceptional student task force to be 2 12 established pursuant to this Act: 2 13 .................................................. $ 200,000 2 14 EXPLANATION 2 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 16 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 17 This bill requires the department to establish a twice 2 18 exceptional student task force to identify best practices for 2 19 the education of twice exceptional middle and high school 2 20 students and to promote such practices in Iowa schools. 2 21 The bill defines "twice exceptional student" as a student 2 22 who is a gifted and talented child, as defined in Code section 2 23 257.44, and who also has a physical, intellectual, learning, or 2 24 other disability, including but not limited to a behavioral, 2 25 emotional, or autism spectrum disorder. 2 26 The bill provides for the membership of the task force, 2 27 which shall be appointed by the director of the department 2 28 of education. The task force shall also include ex officio 2 29 legislative members. 2 30 The task force must submit a report on its findings to the 2 31 general assembly by January 30, 2016. The task force must 2 32 submit a report on recommended best practices for the education 2 33 of twice exceptional middle and high school students to the 2 34 director of the department of education by March 1, 2016. The 2 35 director must provide the report to all Iowa middle and high 3 1 schools and area education agencies and post the report on the 3 2 department's internet site. 3 3 The bill appropriates $200,000 to the department in fiscal 3 4 year 2015=2016 for the task force. LSB 2006YH (2) 86 je/nh
