Bill Text: IA HF2138 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act requiring each area education agency to employ a dyslexia specialist, subject to an appropriation by the general assembly.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-03 - Subcommittee, Highfill, T. Moore, and Staed. H.J. 160. [HF2138 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF2138-Introduced.html

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House File 2138 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  STAED, HANSON, HUNTER,
                                     ISENHART, GAINES,
                                     WOLFE, THEDE, MASCHER,
                                     KEARNS, OURTH,
                                     PRICHARD, ABDUL=SAMAD,
                                     T. TAYLOR, GASKILL,
                                     STUTSMAN, WINCKLER,
                                     LENSING, KELLEY,
                                     DUNKEL, DAWSON, and
                                     McCONKEY

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring each area education agency to employ a
  2    dyslexia specialist, subject to an appropriation by the
  3    general assembly.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5704HH (4) 86
    kh/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 273.3, Code 2016, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  25.  Beginning July 1, 2017, employ, subject
  1  4 to an appropriation of funds for such purpose by the general
  1  5 assembly, at least one dyslexia specialist to provide technical
  1  6 assistance for dyslexia and related disorders to school
  1  7 districts and accredited nonpublic schools pursuant to section
  1  8 273.2, subsection 3, or to school districts under section
  1  9 273.7, or to school districts and other area education agencies
  1 10 under section 273.7A.  For purposes of this subsection, a
  1 11 "dyslexia specialist" is a person who is trained and certified
  1 12 in a multisensory structured language program that meets the
  1 13 level II specialist criteria set forth in the knowledge and
  1 14 practice standards for teachers of reading published by the
  1 15 international dyslexia association, and who has a minimum of
  1 16 three years of field experience in screening, identifying,
  1 17 and treating dyslexia and related disorders utilizing best
  1 18 practices for interventions and services.
  1 19                           EXPLANATION
  1 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 21 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 22    This bill directs the board of directors of each area
  1 23 education agency (AEA), beginning July 1, 2017, to employ,
  1 24 subject to an appropriation of funds for such purpose by the
  1 25 general assembly, at least one dyslexia specialist to provide
  1 26 technical assistance for dyslexia and related disorders to
  1 27 school districts and accredited nonpublic schools as a special
  1 28 education service, or if requested by 60 percent of the
  1 29 number of local school boards located in the AEA or by school
  1 30 boards representing 60 percent of the enrollment of all school
  1 31 districts in the AEA, or under contract with a school district
  1 32 or other AEA.
  1 33    The bill provides that a "dyslexia specialist" is a person
  1 34 who is trained and certified in a multisensory structured
  1 35 language program that meets the level II specialist criteria
  2  1 set forth in the knowledge and practice standards for teachers
  2  2 of reading published by the international dyslexia association,
  2  3 and who has a minimum of three years of field experience in
  2  4 screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related
  2  5 disorders utilizing best practices for interventions and
  2  6 services.
       LSB 5704HH (4) 86
       kh/nh