A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to require north carolina community colleges and the CONSTITUENT institutions of the university of north carolina to offer a disabilities services program and individual Higher education plans to students with disabilities.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115D‑5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(v)	The State Board of Community Colleges shall direct each community college to implement a disability services program to support individuals with disabilities, in accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12141, et seq., who are applying for admission or are enrolled at the community college. The purpose of the disability services program is to assist students with disabilities in the completion of the academic programs offered by the community college and to offer individualized higher education plans (IHEP) for students who request assistance. To achieve this purpose, the disability services program shall include at least the following:
(1)	The opportunity for a student to disclose the student's disability before or during the application process to obtain assistance with the application process, if necessary.
(2)	The opportunity for a student to disclose the student's disability upon admission to the community college, or at any time while enrolled at the college, so that the student may work with a disability services coordinator to develop an IHEP to ensure the student has access to the support and any accommodations required for the student to complete the academic program in which the student is enrolled. The IHEP shall include at least the following components:
a.	Testing or assessments requested by the student for initial and ongoing evaluation of the student's needs.
b.	Determination of any potential accommodations, adaptive devices, and assistive services to assist the student with the completion of assignments, testing, and coursework.
c.	Academic expectations for the academic program in which the student is enrolled and a plan to enable successful completion of required coursework or examinations, especially in the case of extended absences, by utilizing available accommodations offered by the program.
d.	Any communications requested by the student between the disability services coordinator and the student's instructors to advise the instructors of the student's needs and ensure that they make the appropriate accommodations.
(3)	The opportunity for students to request a variety of accommodations, to the extent practicable, to address their needs related to their disabilities for participation in and completion of community college programs, such as interpreters, notetakers, scribes, textbooks on tape, readers, preferential seating, testing modifications, online resources, and the opportunity for supervised make‑up examinations or completion of projects.
The State Board of Community Colleges shall report by February 1 each year to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee regarding the number of students on each campus who used the services provided by the disability services program, the types of accommodations utilized by students, the number of students with an IHEP who successfully completed the academic program selected by the student, and any other information regarding the disability services programs that may be relevant."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 116‑11 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(3b)	The Board of Governors shall direct each constituent institution to implement a disability services program to support individuals with disabilities, in accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12141, et seq., who are applying for admission or are enrolled at the constituent institution. The purpose of the disability services program is to assist students with disabilities in the completion of the academic programs offered by the constituent institution and to offer individualized higher education plans (IHEP) for students who request assistance. To achieve this purpose, the disability services program shall include at least the following:
a.	The opportunity for a student to disclose the student's disability before or during the application process to obtain assistance with the application process, if necessary.
b.	The opportunity for a student to disclose the student's disability upon admission to the constituent institution, or at any time while enrolled at the institution, so that the student may work with a disability services coordinator to develop an IHEP to ensure the student has access to the support and any accommodations required for the student to complete the academic program in which the student is enrolled. The IHEP shall include at least the following components:
1.	Testing or assessments requested by the student for initial and ongoing evaluation of the student's needs.
2.	Determination of any potential accommodations, adaptive devices, and assistive services to assist the student with the completion of assignments, testing, and coursework.
3.	Academic expectations for the academic program in which the student is enrolled and a plan to enable successful completion of required coursework or examinations, especially in the case of extended absences, by utilizing available accommodations offered by the program.
4.	Any communications requested by the student between the disability services coordinator and the student's instructors to advise the instructors of the student's needs and ensure that they make the appropriate accommodations. 
c.	The opportunity for students to request a variety of accommodations, to the extent practicable, to address their needs related to their disabilities for participation in and completion of the student's course of study, such as interpreters, notetakers, scribes, textbooks on tape, readers, preferential seating, testing modifications, online resources, and the opportunity for supervised make‑up examinations or completion of projects.
The Board of Governors shall report by February 1 each year to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee regarding the number of students on each campus who used the services provided by the disability services program, the types of accommodations utilized by students, the number of students with an IHEP who successfully completed the academic program selected by the student, and any other information regarding the disability services programs that may be relevant."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2013‑2014 school year.