AB943: Bill Text

LRB-3791/1

TKK:kjf&emw

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Assembly BILL 943

February 23, 2016 - Introduced by Representatives Shankland, Kulp, Pope, Mursau, Berceau, Billings, Brostoff, Hesselbein, Johnson, Kahl, Kolste, Ohnstad, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Subeck, C. Taylor, Wachs and Zepnick, cosponsored by Senators Harris Dodd, Lassa, C. Larson, Miller, L. Taylor and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB943,1,3 An Act to create 20.255 (2) (bg) and 115.815 of the statutes; relating to: pilot program for school districts to employ special education job development specialists and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a pilot program in the 2016-17 school year to pay for the employment of special education job development specialists in a school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational service agency ("school district"). The special education job development specialists will be responsible for identifying and developing paid jobs for children with disabilities in the school district who have transition planning and transition services in place. DPI must give preference in awarding funding to a school district that has demonstrated below-average postsecondary employment outcomes for children with disabilities in the preceding five school years.

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:

AB943,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB943,2 Section 2. 20.255 (2) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:

AB943,2,4 20.255 (2) (bg) Aid for special education job development specialist grants. The amounts in the schedule for the special education job development specialist pilot program under s. 115.815.

AB943,3 Section 3. 115.815 of the statutes is created to read:

AB943,2,13 115.815 Special education job development specialist pilot program. (1) The department shall establish for the 2016-17 school year a pilot program under which a school district, a consortia of school districts, or a cooperative educational service agency that is selected to participate in the program will receive funding from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bg) to improve employment outcomes of children with disabilities in the school district, consortia of school districts, or in school districts within the cooperative educational service agency who have transition planning and transition services in place.

AB943,3,2 (2) The department shall select for participation in the pilot program school districts and cooperative educational service agencies from urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout the state in accordance with application procedures and criteria established by the department. The department shall give preference to a school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational service agency that, in the preceding 5 school years, has performed below average on transition services indicators established under 20 USC 1416 (a) (3) (B).

AB943,3,5 (3) A school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational service agency that receives grant funding under this section shall do all of the following:

AB943,3,15 (a) Apply the funding towards the salary, benefits, travel expenses, equipment, supplies, and, if necessary, training of one or more special education job development specialists who shall be responsible for identifying or developing paid jobs for children with disabilities who have transition planning and transition services in place and who, at the time of their enrollment in a school in the school district, consortia of school districts, or in a school district within the cooperative educational service agency, had an individualized education program in effect. The school district shall ensure that each job opportunity made available through the pilot program pays minimum wage or greater to pupils employed in an integrated setting through the program.

AB943,3,24 (b) Give preference in hiring as a special education job development specialist to an individual who possesses education, skills, or training in both meeting the work force needs of the business community and working with people with disabilities to secure employment. If no such candidate applies for the special education job development specialist position, the school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational service agency may provide appropriate training to an individual who possesses education, skills, or training in either meeting the work force needs of the business community or working with people with disabilities to secure employment.

AB943,3,25 (4) The department shall do all of the following:

AB943,4,6 (a) Monitor the administration of the pilot program in a school district, consortia of school districts, and in the school districts within a cooperative educational service agency that receives funding under this section to evaluate the effectiveness of and make adjustments to the program and to identify best practices for application in other school districts or cooperative educational service agencies in subsequent school years.

AB943,4,11 (b) At the end of the 2016-17 school year, submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) on the impact of the pilot program on pupils employed under the program; participating school districts, consortia of school districts, and cooperative educational service areas; and participating workplaces and businesses.

AB943,4,12 (End)