HB 2985 Text

Introduced Version House Bill 2985 History

DOWNLOAD wpd |

hb2985 intr H. B. 2985

(By Delegates Ennis, Spencer, Rowan, Pethtel,
Romine, Cann, Ferro, Michael, Smith, Williams and Paxton)
[Introduced March 9, 2009; referred to the
Committee on Education.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18-20-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing information on the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind to the guardian of a child with a visual or auditory impairment.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-20-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 20. EDUCATION OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN.

§18-20-2. Providing suitable educational facilities, equipment and services.

(a) Each county board shall provide suitable educational facilities, special equipment and special services that are necessary. Special services include provisions and procedures for finding and enumerating exceptional children of each type, diagnosis by appropriate specialists who will certify the child's need and eligibility for special education and make recommendations for treatment and prosthesis as may alleviate the disability, special teaching by qualified and specially trained teachers, transportation, lunches and remedial therapeutic services. Qualifications of teachers and therapists shall be in accordance with standards prescribed or approved by the state board.
(b) Each county board shall provide information pertaining to the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind to the parent or guardian of a child diagnosed with a visual or auditory impairment, as the academic curriculum may be a more suitable option for the child.
~~(b)~~ (c) A county board may provide for educating resident exceptional children by contracting with other counties or other educational agencies which maintain special education facilities. Fiscal matters shall follow policies approved by the state.
~~(c)~~ (d) The county board shall provide a four-clock-hour program of training for any teacher aide employed to assist teachers in providing services to exceptional children under this article prior to the assignment. The program shall consist of training in areas specifically related to the education of exceptional children, pursuant to rules of the state board. The training shall occur during normal working hours and an opportunity to be trained shall be provided to service person prior to filling a vacancy in accordance with the provisions of section eight-b, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code.
~~(d)~~ (e) The county board annually shall make available during normal working hours to all regularly employed teachers' aides twelve hours of training that satisfies the continuing education requirements for the aides regarding:
(1) Providing services to children who have displayed violent behavior or have demonstrated the potential for violent behavior; and
(2) Providing services to children diagnosed as autistic or with autism spectrum disorder. This training shall be structured to permit the employee to qualify as an autism mentor after a minimum of four years of training. The county board shall:
(A) Notify in writing all teachers' aides of the location, date and time when training will be offered for qualification as an autism mentor; and
(B) Reimburse any regularly employed or substitute teacher's aide who elects to attend this training for one half of the cost of the tuition.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide information on the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind to the guardian of a child with a visual or auditory impairment.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.