ATLANTA—State Representative Wes Cantrell (R–Woodstock) commented today on Governor Nathan Deal signing into law House Bill 209, which revises scholarship provisions for special needs students. HB 209 was signed into law at a bill signing ceremony held Tuesday, May 12 at the State Capitol.
“I want to thank my colleagues in the House, our friends in the Senate, and Governor Deal for supporting this important legislation,” said Rep. Cantrell. “Access to a high quality education is something that every child should have, and with HB 209, parents with qualifying children will be notified in a clear timely manner of the great options we have in Georgia. I have met many parents of children with special needs and many of our fine educators who work with them. They expressed to me their concern that parents were not aware of their options, and this legislation is the direct result of concerns communicated to me by constituents.”
HB 209 requires parents of special needs children be presented with a written notice of all available scholarship options at their initial Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. The current law provides that a written notice be provided only at the beginning of each school year, not for each individual case.
“By requiring the additional information at the initial IEP, parents have a better understanding of their scholarship opportunities” said Rep. Cantrell. “This will ultimately give these children more time with better resources, and that has been the goal of the legislation from day 1.”
For more information on HB 209, click here.
Representative Wes Cantrell represents the citizens of District 22, which includes portions of Cherokee, Forsyth, and Fulton counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 and currently serves on the Education, Juvenile Justice, Small Business Development committees.
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