Brief Description: Providing for early intervention services for children with disabilities.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Dickerson, Talcott, Linville, Tom, Priest, Darneille, Pettigrew, Shabro, Jarrett, McCoy, Roberts, Kagi, Clements, Dunn, Hunter, Quall, Haler, Hinkle, Cody, Walsh, Ormsby, Kilmer, Simpson, Kessler, Morrell, Williams, O'Brien, Chase, Hunt, Schual-Berke, Conway, Santos, Haigh, Upthegrove and B. Sullivan).

House Committee on Children & Family Services
House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education
Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Early intervention services to Washington's children with disabilities who are between the ages of birth and three years are available though the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and through some school districts in the state. The DSHS early intervention services are administered under the Infant and Toddler Early Intervention Program (ITEIP). School district early intervention programs are typically provided as part of a continuum of special education services to children with disabilities. School districts may work in partnership with the ITEIP and provide services directly or through contracts with local birth-to-three agencies and providers.

The DSHS is the lead state agency responsible for providing early intervention services to children with disabilities between birth and three years of age and is the payer of last resort for these services. School districts are required to provide special education services to eligible children with disabilities between the ages of three and 21 years. There is, however, no requirement for districts to provide early intervention services to children with disabilities between birth and three years of age.

If a school district chooses to serve pre-school age children with disabilities, it must do so in the birth-to-three age group according to state regulations implementing Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). School districts opting to provide these early intervention services are entitled to regular apportionments from state and county school funds and allocations from state excess cost funds available for special services to children with disabilities.

Approximately 60 percent of school districts now provide birth-to-three early intervention services. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the DSHS estimate these districts are serving about 83 percent of eligible children in the birth-to-three age group statewide.

Summary:

By September 1, 2009, each school district must provide or contract for early intervention services to all eligible children with disabilities from birth to three years of age. Eligibility must be determined according to Part C of the IDEA and as specified in state regulation.

School districts must provide or contract for early intervention services in partnership with local birth-to-three agencies and providers. The services must not supplant other services or funding currently provided for birth-to-three early interventions. Birth-to-three early intervention services are declared to be not part of basic education under Article IX of the State Constitution.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   98   0
Senate   46   0   (Senate amended)
House   95   0   (House concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006
    September 1, 2009 (Section 3)