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Senate moves bill to test reimbursements for 504 accommodations in schools
Summary
Senate Bill 61 would create a reimbursement mechanism for services provided to students covered by Section 504 who do not qualify for an IEP; sponsor said the proposal is an initial experiment and a new fiscal note was requested.
Senator Davis presented Senate Bill 61 on the floor as a step toward funding accommodations for students covered by Section 504 who are not eligible for an individualized education program (IEP).
Davis said the state has historically not funded 504-related services and that local districts have carried those costs. The sponsor described SB 61 as an experiment to reimburse providers—districts, charters or 501(c)(3) organizations—that already incur eligible costs, and he asked the Senate to request a new fiscal note so the appropriation can be properly evaluated.
On the floor, Senator Stevenson and others asked whether the bill applies to services provided through private providers or scholarship programs; Davis responded that reimbursement would be available where costs were incurred and subsequently submitted to the state board and fiscal analysts would clarify the calculation.
Senators pressed questions about funding sources and whether the public-education appropriations process should handle a new appropriation; Davis said funding would be addressed through the state's education funds and that the public-education committee would likely evaluate the fiscal note and appropriation. The sponsor moved the bill toward third reading; the Senate discussion emphasized the need for a clarified fiscal estimate before the bill leaves the body.
