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SB 548 - By July 1, 2016, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must employ a dyslexia therapist, licensed psychometrist, licensed speech-language pathologist, certified academic language therapist, or certified training specialist with a minimum of three years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia. This individual will serve as the Department's dyslexia specialist. The dyslexia specialist must be certified from a program approved by the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia. Duties of the dyslexia specialist are described in the act. This act creates the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia. The Task Force will advice and make recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and relevant state agencies. The Task Force will consist of seventeen members, as described in the act. Except for four legislative members and the Commissioner of Education, the members will be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The task force will make recommendations for a statewide system for identification, intervention, and delivery of supports for students with dyslexia, as described in the act. The Task Force will hire or contract for hire specialist services to support the work of the Task Force as necessary with appropriations or from other available funding. The Task Force will terminate on August 31, 2017 unless reauthorized. This act is identical to HB 921 (2015), provisions contained in CCS/SCS/HCS/HB 42 (2015) and in CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SB 172 (2015). MICHAEL RUFF
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