dLCV continues to monitor legislation that seeks to allow equity in public and private school education for children and youth with disabilities. We support efforts to allow Children’s Services Act (CSA) funds to be utilized across a variety of school settings and placements. Currently, CSA money can only be used in private school settings. dLCV and other stakeholder organizations believe that these funds should be utilized also in public school settings. This would provide a continuum of services across school placements, would allow for children and youth to receive services in the least restrictive setting, and would afford public schools the opportunities to build more services and resources for their localities.
The legislation proposals around CSA comes from a study conducted by Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) in November of 2020. You can find that study here: http://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/reports/Rpt541.pdf
We’ve seen an influx of bills this session concerning CSA, to include SB 1099, SB 1114, SB 1133, SB 1313, HB 762, HB 2117, HB 2212, and HB 2289. All the CSA bills seek to provide CSA money in schools; however, some include a cap of 12 months for funding in public schools. Some ask for pilot programs and some ask for increased data and workgroup creation. As these bills pass through the House and Senate, where will we land? Stay tuned!
This post is a continuation from dLCV’s post January 20, 2021, found here: https://www.dlcv.org/our-view-of-the-legislature-csa
Please continue to check back here for updates as the session proceeds, and let us know of any legislative proposals or budget issues that you think we should be following. Contact us at info@dlcv.org or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 804-225-2042.