Senate Bill 2750

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-23-145, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE ADVISORY PANEL ON SPECIAL EDUCATION AND PRESCRIBE ITS DUTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37-23-145, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-23-145. (1) The State Board of Education shall establish and maintain an advisory panel for the purpose of providing policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in the state.

(2) The advisory panel shall consist of members appointed by the State Superintendent of Education who are representative of the state's population and who are composed of individuals involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including:

(a) Parents of children with disabilities; parents appointed to the panel shall meet the definition of parents of children with disabilities as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, ages birth through twenty-six (26). The majority of parents of children with disabilities appointed to the advisory panel shall not be employed by a state or public agency;

(b) Individuals with disabilities;

(d) Representatives of institutions of higher education that prepare special education and related services personnel;

(e) State and local education officials;

(f) Administrators of programs for children with disabilities;

(g) Representatives of other state agencies involved in the financing or delivery of related services to children with disabilities;

(h) Representatives of private schools and public charter schools;

(i) At least one (1) representative of a vocational, community or business organization concerned with the provision of transition services to children with disabilities; * * *

(j) Representatives from the state juvenile and adult correction agencies;

(k) The Project Director of the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center; and

(l) A representative from the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges Division of Career and Technical Education.

(3) A majority of the members of the panel shall be individuals with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities. The term of appointment for each member shall be four (4) years. Members may be reappointed for one (1) term. The advisory panel shall establish a membership committee.

(4) The duties of the advisory panel shall include:

(a) Advise the State Department of Education of unmet needs within the state in the education of children with disabilities;

(b) Comment publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the State Department of Education regarding the education of children with disabilities;

(c) Advise the State Department of Education in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the secretary in accordance with the requirements under IDEA;

(d) Advise the State Department of Education in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities; * * *

(e) Advise the State Department of Education in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in federal monitoring reports under IDEA; and

(f) Make recommendations to the State Superintendent of Education for members to be appointed to the advisory panel, develop a membership application, and meet at least annually to review vacancies on the panel. An advisory panel membership application must be completed by an individual to be considered as a panel member. The membership application shall be accessible to the public on the Office of Special Education's Web site.

(5) The advisory panel shall be provided the opportunity to provide comments to the State Board of Education on rules or regulations proposed by the State Department of Education relating to the implementation of the IDEA 1997 Amendments.

(6) The approved minutes of the advisory panel meetings will be placed on the Office of Special Education's Web site.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2012.