BILL REQ. #:  S-3839.1 

Read first time 01/16/12.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to improving access to higher education for students with disabilities; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that postsecondary education helps individuals to become productive and contributing members of society, and that individuals with disabilities are equally benefited by gaining postsecondary education. The legislature also finds that students with disabilities face a disproportionate number of challenges when transitioning to postsecondary education, and that people who have disabilities are less than half as likely to have a baccalaureate degree compared to people that do not have a disability. The legislature finds it is incumbent upon the state to address those challenges in order to provide all students in Washington state with an equal opportunity to pursue a successful future.
     In calling together a diverse group of experts from throughout the state, the legislature intends to develop recommendations that will directly increase the success rate for students with disabilities who are transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A legislative task force on improving access to higher education for students with disabilities is established. The task force shall collaborate to carry out the following goals:
     (a) Make the transition from K-12 to higher education more seamless and successful. When making the recommendations the task force shall consider:
     (i) How to ensure students' interests, goals, and strengths guide the transition planning process;
     (ii) How to enable collaboration and communication between and among schools, institutions of higher education, and relevant state agencies to provide an effective transition;
     (iii) How assessment and disability documentation that is acceptable to postsecondary institutions should best be determined and obtained;
     (iv) How to identify the types of supports and accommodations that students will need in postsecondary environments; and
     (v) How students can plan their high school coursework to sufficiently prepare for the higher education environment;
     (b) Select a statewide method of sharing best practices between and among K-12 and higher education institutions;
     (c) Develop a statewide minimum standard for documentation of a disability at institutions of higher education and recommendations for how school districts, in collaboration with students and their families, can meet that standard before a student's high school graduation. When making its recommendations the task force shall consider:
     (i) What should constitute a proper and complete documentation of a disability;
     (ii) How recently the documentation must have been completed; and
     (iii) Which testing information, if any, must be included in the documentation; and
     (d) Create a plan for how school districts and institutions of higher education can improve outreach to students and their families regarding available options in higher education.
     (2) The taskforce shall consist of not more than twenty-seven members and must include the following members:
     (a) Six members appointed by the governor as follows:
     (i) Three private citizens with experience advocating and providing services for students with disabilities, at least one of whom must have been a parent of a student with a disability, and at least one of whom must have experience advocating for veterans with disabilities; and
     (ii) Three representatives from nonprofit organizations focused on advocating for citizens with disabilities and/or providing services for citizens with disabilities;
     (b) Eight members appointed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as follows:
     (i) Two representatives from the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (ii) Two representatives from educational service districts; and
     (iii) Four representatives from local school districts that have high concentrations of students with disabilities enrolled in the district;
     (c) Four members appointed by the state board for community and technical colleges as follows:
     (i) One representative from the state board for community and technical colleges; and
     (ii) Three representatives from community and/or technical colleges;
     (d) Four members appointed by the council of presidents, including one representative from the council and three representatives from a regional university as defined in RCW 28B.10.016;
     (e) One member appointed by the superintendent of the state school for the blind, from the state school for the blind;
     (f) One member appointed by the secretary of the department of social and health services, from the department of social and health services;
     (g) One member appointed by the executive secretary of the governor's committee on disability issues and employment, from the governor's committee on disability issues and employment;
     (h) One member appointed by the chair of the developmental disabilities council, from the developmental disabilities council; and
     (i) One member appointed by the superintendent of the state school for the deaf, from the state school for the deaf.
     (3) The purpose of the task force is to make recommendations to the legislature and to coordinate and implement the goals in subsection (1) of this section.
     (4) The task force shall report its recommendations for each goal to the legislature by December 1, 2013.
     (5) The task force shall use legislative facilities, and staff support shall be provided by the office of program research in the house of representatives and senate committee services. The task force is encouraged to use technology to expand access and limit costs.
     (6) This section expires July 1, 2014.