MN HF964

Commissioner of Education must solicit a request for proposal for an independent analysis of economic and educational effects of conforming Minnesota's special education laws with minimum federal requirements, with report due to K-12 committees by February 15, 2016.

Department of Education must identify and provide written and online resources to help special education teachers comply with legal requirements, including individualized education program writing, and work with stakeholders like Education Minnesota and Minnesota Administrators of Special Education to address compliance obstacles.

Department of Education must collaborate with teachers and administrators to identify and evaluate strategies to reduce paperwork burden, determine cost-effectiveness, and electronically disseminate effective strategies to schools and districts statewide.

Commissioner must prepare a written report by February 1, 2016, recommending specific text revisions to amend state special education rules and repeal obsolete rules to align them with Minnesota special education statutes.

School districts may comply with special education paperwork and timeline requirements by meeting federal law standards only, to the extent state requirements exceed federal requirements, effective immediately upon enactment.