Autism Tuition Assistance Grant Program; established. (SB956)

Introduced By

Sen. Walter Stosch (R-Glen Allen) with support from co-patrons Del. Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), Del. John O'Bannon (R-Richmond), and Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Autism Tuition Assistance Grant Program; established. Establishes a tuition assistance grant program for students with autism. The program provides grants of no more than $20,000 a year per student to a Virginia nonsectarian private school of choice for students identified as autistic and for whom individual education plans have been written.

The bill requires that in order to receive the grant the following conditions be satisfied: (i) the student has attended a public school in the Commonwealth and has received special education services for at least one year prior to the receipt of the grant; (ii) the parent has obtained acceptance for admission of the student to an eligible private school; (iii) the parent has executed and submitted to the division superintendent a written statement acknowledging that the public school has implemented an individualized educational program that is reasonably calculated to provide educational benefit; and (iv) the parent has requested the grant of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and notified the division superintendent of that request.

The Board of Education is required to promulgate regulations to administer the Grant Program within 280 days of enactment. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/09/2009Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/14/09 092815332
01/09/2009Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/15/2009Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/28/2009Impact statement from DPB (SB956)
01/29/2009Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (10-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: HB1985.

Comments

Marsha Maines writes:

I support this bill because it is IN THE CHILDS BEST INTEREST - and only a Parent should determine, based on their own research and concerns for their own child what services are required for their child. "The State" does not operate in the best interest of the individual citizenry, but rather the best interest of 'the state'...and often at the cost of our children..

Wendy Turner writes:

I support this bill because the American Academy of Pediatrics and the NIH's #1 recommended treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders costs $40k-$60k per year and is presently not covered by health insurance in Virginia. Often this treatment is considered an "educational intervention" and therefore takes place in a school setting. The public school system cannot provide this treatment so parents are forced to seek private school placement to get this therapy, but the cost is often prohibitive. Tuition Assistance would enable families to finally obtain the recommended treatment for their children.

frank fontan writes:

This bill should have passed. What a disappointment. Please donate to www.autismgrant.org to help these children.