RICHMOND — A bill to help out-of-state families place their troubled children in specialized Virginia schools was approved Tuesday in a House of Delegates subcommittee.
The bill’s sponsor, Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell County, said Virginia’s regulations could delay the admission of a student who was having an emotional crisis or learning problem if they live in another state.
Fariss’ HB 744 was backed by the Discovery School of Virginia at Dillwyn in Buckingham County, which serves teenage boys and girls who are experiencing emotional, behavioral and learning problems.
”In my district we have run up against regulation issues while trying to do the right thing to help some out-of-state families with troubled children,” Fariss told the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions.
The problem occurs when families wish to send a child to the school at their own expense and need to do so quickly, the bill’s proponents said. Virginia residents can obtain swift admission.
Residents of other states, however, must be approved through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, which requires approval and paperwork from their home state.
Fariss’ bill would allow the child to enter the school and then obtain the approvals later.
The committee approved a minor amendment and recommended the bill on a 19-1 vote.
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