HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 48

(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and
Delegates
Spencer, Staton, Manuel, Mezzatesta, Douglas,
Faircloth, Miller, Trump and Pino)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to make a study of the effectiveness of programs and services that are available to students at risk with disabilities attending public institutions of higher education.

Whereas, The West Virginia Department of Education, Office of Special Education, has identified more than fifty thousand students in grades K-12 who have disabilities; and
Whereas, More than one thousand five hundred students with disabilities have been identified as attending postsecondary schools and institutions of higher education in West Virginia, and there are in excess of 19,000 students so identified in all of public education, while there are less than two percent of students in colleges in West Virginia who have been identified with disabilities as compared to 12 to 14 percent nationwide and our purpose is to do all that is possible to assist these students; and
Whereas, The State of West Virginia desires to do all that it can to further the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and other laws, including state statutes relating to students with disabilities; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to appoint a special committee composed of members from the House and Senate Committees on Education, Finance and the Judiciary, together with one college and one university student with disabilities, who are currently enrolled in good standing in a college in the college system and in a university in the university system of West Virginia to: (1) Review, examine and study the effectiveness of programs and services available to students with disabilities in public institutions of higher education; (2) determine the extent to which those programs and services are influenced by applicable state and federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and other applicable statutes, including state statutes and rules; (3) review the formula for funding recruitment retention initiatives and support services; and (4) report its findings and recommendations to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates regarding the same by the tenth day of the regular session of the Legislature, two thousand; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this study shall identify at least: (1) Exemplary leaders in the areas of programmatic access, as well as the removal of architectural/physical barriers; and (2) community resources that colleges and universities can draw upon to serve this area and make recommendations for a reimbursement formula; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this study shall also develop a faculty/staff training program relating to students with disabilities for public institutions of higher education; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the evaluation shall include on-site visits to the colleges and universities to meet with the department and the individuals responsible for providing services to students with disabilities; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, two thousand, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report, and to draft any necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.