AB 2189: Statewide Special Education Parent Advocacy Collaborative.

Existing law establishes the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to, among other things, serve as the state planning council responsible for developing the California Developmental Disabilities State Plan and monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the plan. Existing law requires the council to conduct activities related to meeting the objectives of the state plan. Existing law requires these activities to include, among other things, supporting and conducting technical assistance activities to assist public and private entities to contribute to the objectives of the state plan, and authorizes the activities to include, among other things, supporting and conducting activities to assist neighborhoods and communities to respond positively to individuals with disabilities and their families.

This bill would require the council to establish and administer a Statewide Special Education Parent Advocacy Collaborative to build statewide capacity for parent and pupil engagement in special education advocacy, systems change, and policy development. The bill would require the council to conduct a competitive grant process to award $800,000 annually for 3 fiscal years to a statewide advocacy organization. The bill would appropriate those funds from the General Fund to the council for that purpose for the 202728, 202829, and 202930 fiscal years. The bill would require the selected grantee to conduct outreach and training through meetings or forums to provide information on statewide special education advocacy, as specified. The bill would also require the grantee to, among other things, (1) identify key challenges and opportunities in state policy relating to improving outcomes for pupils with disabilities, (2) establish and facilitate a statewide collaborative of parents, pupils, and stakeholders to build advocacy and leadership skills for state-level advocacy, and (3) establish measurable outcomes aligned with statewide accountability systems, as provided. The bill would require the grantee to submit an annual report to the council and would require the council to submit a report, on or before December 31, 2030, to the Legislature and the Governor that includes the outcomes achieved, as provided. The bill would make these provisions contingent upon an appropriation for these purposes.