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Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 1 to 3 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1418-D, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. F, §13, is amended to read:
 
2. Department of Education input; school administrative units.  The division shall ensure that the Department of Education has input into any contract to provide educational services and delivery of those services to blind or visually impaired children from birth to 20 years of age. Educational services for blind or visually impaired children from birth to 20 years of age are an entitlement mandated by federal law and, as such, children will receive priority for all services provided by the division. Nothing in this section relieves school administrative units from fulfilling their responsibilities under Title 20-A, Part 4, subpart 1.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the committee amendment and directs the Department of Labor, Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Department of Education to work together to develop contracts to provide educational services and clarifies that educational services for blind and visually impaired children from birth to 20 years of age are an entitlement mandated by federal law and, as such, children will receive priority for all services provided by the division.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)