LRB-4485/1
PG&MJL:kaf&kmg:jf
1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE
December 23, 1997 - Introduced by Committee on Education, by request of State
Superintendent of Public Instruction John Benson. Referred to Committee on
Education.
AB674,2,12 1An Act to repeal 115.28 (19) (a), 118.51 (5) (a) 5. and 121.54 (4) (b); to renumber
2115.28 (19) (b) and 121.54 (4) (a); to amend 15.377 (1), 20.255 (1) (d), 20.255 (2)
3(b) (title), 20.255 (2) (bh), 20.255 (2) (br), 20.866 (2) (zh), 36.25 (19), 46.21 (1) (d),
446.23 (2) (a), 46.56 (1) (m), 46.56 (3) (a) 6., 46.56 (3) (d) 1. d., 46.56 (5) (a), 46.56
5(8) (a), 46.56 (8) (g), 46.56 (15) (d), 48.14 (7), 48.345 (intro.), 48.345 (12) (d),
648.428 (3) (e), 48.60 (4), 51.05 (5), 51.06 (2), 51.42 (3) (ar) 7., 51.437 (4m) (g),
770.11 (10m), 70.11 (22), 79.03 (3) (b) 4. a., 79.10 (1) (e), chapter 115 (title), 115.28
8(3), 115.28 (7) (c), 115.28 (11), 115.28 (13), 115.29 (5), 115.362 (4) (a), 115.37,
9subchapter III of chapter 115 (title) [precedes 115.51], 115.51 (1), 115.52 (1),
10115.52 (5), 115.52 (7), 115.53 (2), 115.55, 115.74 (1) (a) 3., 116.08 (4), 118.15 (1)
11(dm), 118.15 (3) (a), 118.15 (3) (b), 118.22 (1) (a), 118.255 (2) (a), 118.255 (2) (b),
12118.255 (2) (c), 118.255 (3), 118.255 (4), 118.29 (2) (a) (intro.), 118.29 (2) (b),
13118.29 (3), 118.29 (4), 118.295, 118.31 (1), 118.33 (2) (m), 118.51 (1) (a), 118.51
14(5) (a) 4., 118.51 (5) (a) 6., 118.51 (12), 118.51 (13m), 118.51 (14) (a) 2., 118.51

1(17), 118.52 (6) (a), 118.55 (7r) (am), 118.55 (7r) (dm), 119.18 (20), 119.28 (1),
2119.72 (2) (d), 120.13 (26m), 121.004 (10), 121.05 (1) (a) 1., 121.05 (1) (a) 2.,
3121.05 (1) (a) 6., 121.135 (title), 121.135 (1), 121.135 (2) (a) 1., 121.135 (2) (a)
42., 121.135 (2) (c), 121.135 (3), 121.14 (1), 121.14 (2) (b), 121.14 (3), 121.41 (1),
5121.54 (3), 121.55 (3), 121.57 (1) (b), 121.58 (3), 121.76 (1) (a), 121.76 (1) (b),
6121.77 (1) (b), 121.78 (3) (a), 121.83 (1) (a) 3. (intro.) and b., 121.83 (1) (c),
7121.905 (3) (a), 121.905 (3) (b), 121.91 (4) (a) 3., 253.02 (1) (a), 253.12 (1) (g),
8254.162 (1) (d), 340.01 (56) (a) 4., 346.475, 448.56 (1), 814.04 (intro.), 904.085
9(2) (a), 938.34 (7d) (d) and 938.345 (1) (e); to repeal and recreate 15.377 (4),
10subchapter V of chapter 115 [precedes 115.758], 118.15 (4m) and 118.30 (2) (b)
111.; and to create 115.001 (15) of the statutes; relating to: special education
12programs for children with disabilities and granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill reconciles the reauthorization of the federal special education law (the
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act amendments of 1997) and Wisconsin's
special education law, as embodied in the statutes and the administrative code.
Current law requires each school board to ensure that appropriate special
education services and related services are available to children with exceptional
educational needs (EEN) who have attained the age of 3, who have not graduated
from high school and who reside in the school district or in a state or county
residential facility located in the school district. Each school board must ensure that,
to the maximum extent appropriate, a child with EEN is educated with children who
are not children with EEN and that a continuum of alternative placements is
available to meet the needs of children with EEN. In addition, a county board of
supervisors may establish a handicapped children's education board to create and
administer special education programs in the county.
This bill renames a child with EEN a child with a disability and changes the
name of the county handicapped children's education board to the county children
with disabilities education board (CWDEB). The bill requires each child with a
disability to be provided a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) by the local
educational agency (LEA), which is defined as the school district in which the child
with a disability resides, or the department of health and family services or the

department of corrections, if the department is responsible for FAPE. In addition,
the LEA must do all of the following:
1. Identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities who need special
education and related services, including children who are not yet 3 years of age.
2. Include children with disabilities in statewide and LEA-wide assessments,
or in alternative assessments for those children who cannot participate in statewide
or LEA-wide assessments.
3. Ensure that children participating in early intervention programs who will
participate in special education, preschool programs, move smoothly into those
programs and ensure that, by the time the children reach the age of 3, an
individualized education program (IEP) has been developed and implemented for
them.
4. Ensure, to the extent consistent with the number and location of children
with disabilities residing in the LEA who are enrolled in private schools, that the
children receive special education and related services and that the amounts
expended for those services are equal to a proportionate amount of federal, special
education funds.
5. Make available to the public, upon request, all documents relating to the
LEA's eligibility for special education funds and regularly publicize information
regarding the special education procedures and services of the LEA.
6. Ensure that children with disabilities who are enrolled in private schools and
facilities are provided free special education and related services, in accordance with
an IEP, if an LEA places or refers the children to private schools or facilities.
7. Develop a plan, including a program narrative, for the provision of special
education and related services.
8. Annually provide a special education performance report to all parents of
children enrolled in the LEA.
9. Serve children with disabilities who are attending a charter school under
contract with the LEA in the same manner as it serves children with disabilities
attending schools of the LEA and provide special education funds to the charter
schools in the same manner as it provides those funds to schools of the LEA.
10. Comply with federal law concerning alternative educational placement.
Current law requires the division for learning support, equity and advocacy
(the division) in the department of public instruction (DPI) to, among other things,
coordinate the development of special education programs in the state, approve
special education programs, develop a training program for special education
personnel and make available to the public information about special education
programs in the state. This bill requires the division to assume the additional
responsibility of determining whether significant discrepancies are occurring among
LEAs in the rate of long-term suspension and expulsions of children with disabilities
compared to rates for nondisabled children.
Current law requires a parent or a physician, nurse or teacher at a state or
county residential facility or a psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social
agency who has reasonable cause to believe that a child has EEN to report the name
of the child and any other information required to the school board for the district,

the governing body of the state or county residential facility in which the child resides
or to the division. In addition, each school board is responsible for screening each
child who resides in the school district and has not graduated from high school to
determine if there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is a child with EEN.
The school board must appoint a multidisciplinary team (M-team) to evaluate the
child. If the M-team reports that the child is a child with EEN and the report is
approved by the director of the M-team, the M-team must recommend the child to
the school board for special education. In addition, if a child who is placed in a child
caring institution is suspected of being disabled, the M-team must evaluate the
child.
Once a child has been recommended to the school board for special education,
the school board must appoint staff to develop an IEP for the child. After the IEP has
been completed, the director of special education in the school district develops a
placement offer for the child that is based upon and designed to carry out the child's
IEP. The placement offer must specify the way in which and the level at which special
education and related services are to be delivered and the location at which services
will be provided. The school board must send a copy of the child's placement offer to
the parent within 90 days of the date on which the school board received a referral
for an evaluation or initiated a reevaluation for the child. The school board may ask
the parent to agree in writing to a specific extension of time beyond the 90-day period
or, if the parent refuses, ask the division for an extension if the school board
demonstrates that it has acted in good faith and that there is good cause to grant the
extension. The director of special education must then place the child in an
appropriate placement as near as possible to the place where the child resides.
Under this bill, the LEA must appoint an IEP team that is responsible for
evaluating a child with a disability to determine the child's eligibility or continued
eligibility for special education and related services, to develop the IEP for the child
and to determine the educational placement for the child. The IEP team is also
required to evaluate a child in a child caring institution who is suspected of being
disabled. If the parents of the child or the LEA determines at any point during the
evaluation, development of the IEP or placement of the child that additional time is
needed for meaningful parental participation, the LEA must provide it. The bill does
not affect the required parental notification of placement within the 90-day period.
This bill also provides that, if the parents of a child with a disability who
previously received special education and related services under the authority of a
LEA enroll the child in a private elementary or secondary school without the consent
of or referral by the LEA, a court or a hearing officer may require the LEA to
reimburse the parents for the cost of that enrollment if the court or hearing officer
finds that the LEA had not made FAPE available to the child in a timely manner
before the enrollment. The cost of this reimbursement, however, may be reduced or
denied if any of the following applies: 1) at the most recent IEP meeting that the
parents attended before removal of the child from the LEA, the parents did not
inform the IEP team of their concerns, their rejection of the placement proposed by
the LEA to provide FAPE to their child and their intent to enroll the child in a private
school at public expense; 2) at least 10 business days before the removal of the child

from the LEA, the parents did not give written notice to the LEA of their concerns,
their rejection of the placement and their intent to enroll the child in a private school
at public expense; 3) before the parents' removal of the child from the LEA, the LEA
notified the parents of its intent to evaluate the child, but the parents did not make
the child available for the evaluation; or 4) a court finds that the parents' actions are
unreasonable. The reimbursement may not be reduced, however, if the parent is
illiterate and cannot write in English, if doing so would likely result in physical or
serious emotional harm to the child, if the LEA prevented the parent from providing
notice or if the parents had not received notice of their responsibility to notify the
LEA of their intentions.
Under current law, a parent of a child with EEN may file a written request with
DPI whenever the school board proposes or refuses to initiate or change the child's
M-team evaluation, IEP or educational placement or to contest the payment of an
independent evaluation. The school board may also file a written request to override
a parent's refusal to or revocation of consent for a M-team evaluation, IEP or
educational placement or to contest payment of an independent evaluation. Upon
receipt of the written request for a hearing, DPI must appoint an impartial hearing
officer to conduct the hearing. Within 45 days after the decision of the hearing officer,
either party may appeal the decision to the circuit court for the county in which the
child resides.
Under this bill, the parent or an attorney representing the child may file a
written request for a hearing with the division. At least five business days before the
hearing, each party must disclose to all other parties all evaluations completed by
that date and recommendations based on the offering party's evaluations that the
party intends to use at the hearing. Within 45 days after the decision of the hearing
officer, either party may appeal the decision in the circuit court for the county in
which the child resides or in a U.S. district court. With some exceptions, a circuit
court may award reasonable attorney fees and actual costs to the parent of a child
with a disability who is the prevailing party.
The parties may also request a qualified mediator to resolve a dispute
concerning the proposal or refusal to initiate or change the evaluation, IEP, or
educational placement of a child with a disability, or the provision of FAPE. Once
engaged in mediation, either party may withdraw at any time, and no adverse
inference may be drawn from the fact that a party did not consent to mediation, that
a party withdrew from mediation or that mediation did not result in settlement of
the dispute. If, however, the parties resolve the dispute through mediation, the
resolution is legally binding.
The bill also requires the LEA to establish and maintain procedures to ensure:
1) that the parents of a child may examine all records relating to the child and may
participate in meetings about the identification, evaluation and educational
placement of the child, and the provision of FAPE to the child, and may obtain an
independent educational evaluation of the child; 2) that the rights of the child are
protected by the assignment of an individual, who may not be an employe of DPI, the
LEA or any other agency that is involved in the education or care of the child, to act
as a surrogate for the parents whenever the parents of the child are not known, the

LEA cannot, after reasonable efforts, locate the parents, or the child is a ward of the
state; 3) that the parents of the child receive written notice whenever the LEA
proposes to initiate or change, or refuses to initiate or change, the identification,
evaluation or educational placement of the child, or the provision of FAPE to the
child; and 4) that the parents are offered an opportunity to use mediation to resolve
disputes concerning the evaluation, IEP or placement of the child.
This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to resolve
interagency disputes concerning the placement of a child in a nonresidential
educational program or in a child caring institution. Finally, the bill provides that
a school board, cooperative education service agency (CESA) and a CWDEB may
enter into an agreement with a county administrative service agency to allow
employes of the school board, CESA or CWDEB to evaluate a child to determine
eligibility for early intervention services and to develop a written plan for providing
early intervention services to an eligible child and the child's family.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB674, s. 1 1Section 1. 15.377 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is
2amended to read:
AB674,6,133 15.377 (1) Council on the education of the blind. There is created in the
4department of public instruction a council on the education of the blind consisting
5of 3 members, who shall be visually handicapped have a visual impairment and shall
6have a recognized interest in and a demonstrated knowledge of the problems of the
7visually handicapped
children who have visual impairments, appointed by the state
8superintendent of public instruction for staggered 6-year terms. "Visually
9handicapped"
"Visual impairment" means having a) a visual acuity equal to or less
10than 20/70 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or b) a visual acuity greater than
1120/70 in the better eye with correcting lenses, but accompanied by a limitation in the
12field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no
13greater than 20 degrees.
AB674, s. 2
1Section 2. 15.377 (4) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is
2repealed and recreated to read:
AB674,7,183 15.377 (4) Council on special education. There is created in the department
4of public instruction a council on special education to advise the state superintendent
5of public instruction about the unmet educational needs of children with disabilities,
6in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the federal department of
7education, in developing plans to address findings identified in federal monitoring
8reports, in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of
9services for children with disabilities and on any other matters upon which the state
10superintendent wishes the council's opinion; and to comment publicly on any rules
11proposed by the department of public instruction regarding the education of children
12with disabilities. The state superintendent of public instruction shall appoint the
13members of the council for 3-year terms, and shall ensure that a majority of the
14members are individuals with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities and
15that the council is representative of the state population, as determined by the state
16superintendent. The council shall be composed of individuals who are involved in,
17or concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including all of the
18following:
AB674,7,1919 (a) Teachers of regular education and teachers of special education.
AB674,7,2120 (b) Representatives of institutions of higher education that train special
21education and related services personnel.
AB674,7,2222 (c) State and local education officials.
AB674,7,2323 (d) Administrators of programs for children with disabilities.
AB674,7,2524 (e) Representatives of agencies other than the department of public instruction
25involved in the financing or delivery of related services to children with disabilities.
AB674,8,1
1(f) Representatives of private schools and charter schools.
AB674,8,32 (g) At least one representative of a vocational, community or business
3organization that provides transition services for children with disabilities.
AB674,8,44 (h) Representatives from the department of corrections.
AB674,8,55 (i) Parents of children with disabilities.
AB674,8,66 (j) Individuals with disabilities.
AB674, s. 3 7Section 3. 20.255 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB674,8,138 20.255 (1) (d) Principal repayment and interest. A sum sufficient to reimburse
9s. 20.866 (1) (u) for the payment of principal and interest costs incurred in financing
10the acquisition, construction, development, enlargement or improvement of
11institutional facilities for the individuals with hearing impaired impairments and
12visually handicapped visual impairments under s. 115.52 and reference and loan
13library facilities under s. 43.05 (11).
AB674, s. 4 14Section 4. 20.255 (2) (b) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
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