Florida HB 321: Exceptional Student Education State Assessment Accommodation Task Force

Bill Text

HB 321  2019 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb0321-00 
Page 1 of 4 
F    L    OR    I    D    A         H    OU    S    E         OF         R    E    PR    E    S    E    N    TA    T    I    V    ES 
 
 
 
A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to the Exceptional Student Education 2 
State Assessment Accommodation Task Force; 3 
establishing the Exceptional Student Education State 4 
Assessment Accommodation Task Force within the 5 
Department of Education for the purpose of making 6 
recommendations on school accommodations for 7 
exceptional students; requiring the task force to 8 
convene by a specified date; providing for membership 9 
of the task force; requiring that members be appointed 10 
by a specified date; providing conditions of meetings 11 
of the task force; requiring the task force to post 12 
certain documents and recordings to the department's 13 
website; providing duties of the task force and the 14 
department; requiring the task force to submit 15 
recommendations to the State Board of Education by a 16 
specified date; requiring the board to submit a report 17 
to the Governor and the Legislature by a specified 18 
date; providing for the expiration of the task force;  19 
providing an effective date. 20 
 21 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 
 23 
 Section 1.  (1)  The Exceptional Student Education State 24 
Assessment Accommodation Task Force, a task force as defined in 25 

   
 
HB 321  2019 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb0321-00 
Page 2 of 4 
F    L    OR    I    D    A         H    OU    S    E         OF         R    E    PR    E    S    E    N    TA    T    I    V    ES 
 
 
 
s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is established within the Department 26 
of Education and, except as otherwise provided, is subject to s. 27 
20.052, Florida Statutes. The task force shall convene no later 28 
than July 1, 2019. The task force shall be composed of 16 29 
members. Five members shall be appointed by the Governor, five 30 
members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, five 31 
members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 32 
Representatives, and one member shall be the Commissioner of 33 
Education. 34 
 (a)  The Governor shall appoint five members to include one 35 
school district curriculum director, a current school district 36 
assessment director, a public school principal, a current 37 
teacher of exceptional education students, and a parent of a 38 
public school student with special needs. 39 
 (b)  The President of the Senate shall appoint five members 40 
to include one current district school superintendent, a current 41 
district assessment director, a public school principal, a 42 
current teacher of exceptional education students, and a parent 43 
of a public school student with special needs. 44 
 (c)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall 45 
appoint five members to include at least one school board 46 
member, a current teacher of exceptional education students, and 47 
a parent of a public school student with special needs. 48 
 (d)  Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the officer 49 
who appointed the member. Appointments must be made within 30 50 

   
 
HB 321  2019 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb0321-00 
Page 3 of 4 
F    L    OR    I    D    A         H    OU    S    E         OF         R    E    PR    E    S    E    N    TA    T    I    V    ES 
 
 
 
days after the effective date of this act. A vacancy on the task 51 
force shall be filled in the same manner as the original 52 
appointment. 53 
 (2)  The task force shall be chaired by the Commissioner of 54 
Education. 55 
 (3)  The task force shall meet as necessary, but at least 56 
six times, at the call of the chair and at the time and place he 57 
or she designates. The task force must conduct its meetings 58 
around the state, including rural and urban locations. 59 
 (4)  Public documents and recordings of meetings must be 60 
posted on the department's website, on an individual page for 61 
the task force. 62 
 (5)  The task force shall develop and provide 63 
recommendations to the State Board of Education for the 64 
improvement of accommodations for standardized assessments of 65 
exceptional students. The department shall provide staff to 66 
assist the task force in performing its duties. In developing 67 
its recommendations, the task force shall review: 68 
 (a)  The current approved list of accommodations provided 69 
to exceptional students; 70 
 (b)  Accommodations provided by other states to their 71 
exceptional students; and 72 
 (c)  Testimony by stakeholders, including: 73 
 1.  The chief of the Bureau of Exceptional Education and 74 
Student Services of the Department of Education; 75 

   
 
HB 321  2019 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additi