Texas Senate Bill SB 544

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 12/6/24

Caption

Relating to required individualized education program supplements for certain public school students placed in alternative special education settings.

Summary

SB 544 would add a new section to the Texas Education Code requiring school districts to include an additional, individualized supplement to a student’s individualized education program (IEP) when the student receives special education or related services in an “alternative special education setting.” The supplement must contain individualized, measurable academic and social-emotional/behavioral goals designed to support the student’s return to a general education setting. The student’s committee would also be required to meet at least once each semester to review progress and decide whether the student can be transitioned back to general education. The bill also applies these requirements to students who are at least 18 years old and receiving special education services in an alternative special education setting, directing the admission, review, and dismissal committee procedures to include individualized, measurable goals addressing the issues identified in existing law for older students. The bill would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year, with immediate effect only if it receives the constitutionally required two-thirds vote in each chamber.

Impact

SB 544 would amend Chapter 29 of the Education Code by creating a new statutory requirement for IEP supplements in certain highly specialized special education placements. It would affect school districts, ARD/IEP committees, and students placed in campuses or self-contained programs where 90 percent or more of students receive special education and related services. The bill adds a formal goal-setting and review process aimed at increasing movement from alternative special education settings back into general education, and it extends related planning requirements to adult students age 18 and older in those settings.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill’s structure and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a student-support and transition-focused special education policy rather than a controversial overhaul. Its emphasis on individualized goals, periodic review, and reintegration into general education suggests a generally reform-oriented intent.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, if raised in debate, would likely involve the administrative burden on districts and ARD committees, the feasibility of setting measurable return-to-general-education goals for students with significant needs, and how the new requirements would interact with existing special education placement and transition planning rules. The bill’s definition of “alternative special education setting” and the mandatory semester review schedule could also be points of implementation discussion.