HOUSE BILL No. 5531


     March 21, 2000, Introduced by Reps. Bob Brown, Schermesser, Sheltrown, Bovin, Basham, Bogardus, Richardville, Switalski,
Spade, Jacobs, Thomas, Scott and Hale and referred to the Committee on Education.


        A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

   "The revised school code,"

   by amending section 4 (MCL 380.4) and by adding sections 1295,

   1531d, and 1705.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1
           Sec. 4.  (1) "Educational media center" means a program

 2
      operated by an intermediate school district and approved by the

 3
      state board  , which  THAT provides services to local school dis-

 4
      tricts or constituent districts under section 671.

 5
           (2) "Handicapped person" shall be defined by rules promul-

 6
      gated by the state board.  Handicaps include, but are not limited

 7
      to, mental, physical, emotional, behavioral, sensory, and speech

 8
      handicaps AND READING DISORDERS OR DISABILITIES.

 9
           (3) "Intermediate school board" means the board of an

10
      intermediate school district.


   00583'99                                                 TAV
                                              2

 1
           (4) "Intermediate school district" means a corporate body

 2
      established under part 7.

 3
           (5) "Intermediate school district election" means an elec-

 4
      tion called by an intermediate school board and held on the date

 5
      of the annual school elections of constituent districts or on a

 6
      date determined by the intermediate school board under sections

 7
      661 and 662.

 8
           (6) "Intermediate school elector" means a person who is a

 9
      school elector of a constituent district and who is registered in

10
      the city or township in which the person resides.

11
           (7) "Intermediate superintendent" means the superintendent

12
      of an intermediate school district.

13
           SEC. 1295.  THE BOARD OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR BOARD OF

14
      DIRECTORS OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL ACADEMY SHALL ENSURE THAT, NOT LATER

15
      THAN 30 DAYS AFTER THE PUPIL BEGINS GRADE 1, EACH PUPIL UNDERGOES

16
      SCREENING FOR POTENTIAL READING PROBLEMS.  THE SCREENING SHALL

17
      INCLUDE TESTING FOR AND DIAGNOSIS OF READING DISORDERS AND

18
      DISABILITIES.  IF A PUPIL IS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A READING DISOR-

19
      DER OR DISABILITY THAT MAKES THE PUPIL ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDU-

20
      CATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES UNDER ARTICLE 3, SCHOOL OFFICIALS

21
      SHALL NOTIFY THE PUPIL'S PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF THE DIAGNO-

22
      SIS AND OF THE AVAILABILITY AND NATURE OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND

23
      SERVICES.

24
           SEC. 1531D.  IN ITS CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR

25
      MAINTAINING AN ELEMENTARY LEVEL TEACHING CERTIFICATE, THE STATE

26
      BOARD SHALL INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLETION OF A COURSE OR

27
      COMPARABLE TRAINING IN READING DISORDERS AND DISABILITIES.



   00583'99
                                   3

 1
           SEC. 1705.  (1) THE STATE BOARD'S REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL

 2
      EDUCATION PUPILS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A READING DIS-

 3
      ORDER OR DISABILITY SHALL INCLUDE BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

 4
           (A) A REQUIREMENT THAT THE PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCA-

 5
      TIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE MUST INCLUDE AN INDEPENDENT READING

 6
      ADVOCATE WHO IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN READING DISORDERS AND DISABILI-

 7
      TIES AND IN READING INSTRUCTION METHODS.

 8
           (B) A REQUIREMENT THAT THE INDEPENDENT READING ADVOCATE'S

 9
      RECOMMENDATIONS MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN DEVELOPING THE

10
      PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM.

11
           (2) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION

12
      PROGRAM" AND "INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE" MEAN

13
      THOSE TERMS AS DEFINED IN R 340.1701A OF THE MICHIGAN ADMINISTRA-

14
      TIVE CODE.





























   00583'99          Final page.                            TAV