BRYCE'S LAW: This act creates "Bryce's Law." The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a master list of resources available to the parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. The Department must also actively seek financial resources in the form of grants and donations that may be devoted to scholarship funds or clinical trials for behavioral interventions that may be undertaken. This act allows organizations to be classified as scholarship granting organizations, as described in the act, that may distribute scholarships to eligible children or students to attend a qualified school. Eligible children include children ages zero to five with an individualized family services program under First Steps. Eligible students include elementary or secondary students who have attended public school, as described in the act, who have an individualized education program based on a special needs condition or a medical diagnosis of a special needs condition.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must establish procedures to identify and classify scholarship granting organizations and must also make an annual determination of the number of Missouri students with an individualized education program, including students with certain conditions, as described in the act. The Department must use a formula to determine the number of scholarships that may be distributed. The Department must actively seek financial resources in the form of grants and donations that may be donated to scholarship funds. Scholarship granting organizations may seek donations to distribute as scholarships. Scholarships will be distributed in the form of checks to the student's or child's parent.
The Department must conduct a study of the program with funds other than state funds. The department must provide the general assembly with a copy of the study's final report by December 31, 2016. The program will sunset in six years. (Section 135.1220)
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