Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate amends, then passes recodification of special‑education law to add parental‑consent requirement
Summary
Senators adopted an amendment to House Bill 29 requiring parental consent for evaluations involving child and family services before passing the special-education recodification. Sponsor Sen. Hilliard said the change corrects an omission the State Board of Education identified.
The Utah Senate amended and then passed House Bill 29 on Feb. 14, a recodification of special-education provisions. Senate sponsor Sen. Hilliard said the State Board of Education identified a missing parental-consent requirement that the amendment inserts.
“What the State Board found… is that when you do a special report with a child with disabilities… the local school district has to obtain the appropriate consent for evaluation which is from the parents themselves,” Hilliard told colleagues, explaining the floor amendment. “So that had been missed and that's what it inserts in here that when they do that they have to get the consent of the parents.”
The Senate adopted Amendment 1 on the floor and then voted to pass the first substitute of House Bill 29. The roll-call recorded in the transcript shows 24 yea votes, 0 nay votes and 5 absent.
Senators emphasized the change was technical but important to safeguard parental rights and ensure consistent practice across local school districts and state oversight. The bill will return to the House for further consideration as required for House-originated measures that the Senate has amended.
