I support HB 509, a bill that would require public colleges to accept a diverse form of documentation, such as a 504 plan, an IEP, or record from a previous institution or private school, to establish eligibility for disability services. I was diagnosed with Autism when I was nine years old. Because being Autistic makes certain tasks like writing and time management hard for me, I received accommodations during elementary, middle, and high school in my IEP (accommodations statement). Despite this existing government document that shows my disability status, some universities require me to undergo costly new evaluations to prove that I am Autistic. This is a problem since my insurance refuses to pay for new evaluations since Autism is a lifelong diagnosis. Luckily, I chose George Mason University partly because it accepts high school documentation as sufficient to prove that I am disabled. Being registered with my university’s disability services helped connect me to join Delta Alpha Pi, an honors society for high-achieving disabled students, gain access to the Disability Services Newsletter, and made it possible for me to get accommodations in college. All this bill does is take a successful policy at my university and require public universities to adopt it. It will streamline and simplify the process of proving disability by making it clear which documents are accepted. This will be a good step in turning what is a bureaucratic nightmare for many students into one that doesn’t create unnecessary steps. Illinois and Arizona have already passed laws to this effect and have been successful without overburdening colleges. I ask you to please support this bill in the House Education Committee. Thanks, Adam Rizzoli

I have a son with various learning disabilities who went to my alma mater, Auburn University in Alabama in 2014. Auburn accepted his high school learning disability information and approved accommodations in short order without requiring any new testing or documentation. If they had made such a request, the burden of scheduling new testing, along with the expense, would have prohibited him from attending. The amended HB509 allows Virginia universities to be able to request "new" testing and documentation in order to receive educational accommodations. If Alabama allows current high school information to be sufficient for accommodations, why not Virginia? Is Virginia really going to be behind Alabama on something like this?

Please move to report a good bill for the disabled.

As a student at UVA I understand the importance of higher education for a person's future and that's why its so important that all students have equal access to that opportunity. However students with Autism are denied this opportunity because they are forced to undergo costly and time-consuming new evaluations by a psychologist, even if they already have some other form of documentation such as an IEP or 504 Plan. We shouldn't be punishing students with Autism and other disabilities by making them go through this process. That's why I hope all members of the committee will support HB 509.

As a student at James Madison University, I strongly support HB 509 to expand the documents students with previously documented disabilities may use in order to qualify for disability services. We know this can be done because many colleges in Virginia already do it with much success. Arizona and Illinois are already doing this. This is an important bill for college students that I hope you will support.

Please support HB509 to broaden the forms of documentation allowed to qualify for disability services. It is absurd that colleges are allowed to require us students to undergo new evaluations even when an IEP is completely sufficient. I am attending Northern Virginia Community College specifically over James Madison University because NVCC has a much better process of accommodating students with disabilities. Students deciding what colleges they want to attend should not have to worry about whether that college will accept their IEP.

Please support HB509. These disabilities are lifelong and students should not have to undergo new medical testing in order to prove they still have a disability. These new evaluations are medically unnecessary and cost thousands of dollars.

As a parent and grandparent of children with disabilities, I wholeheartedly support this bill. The disability world is full of complexity, obstacles and hoops to jump through. Streamlining the process will be good for the students, their parents and the university.

We supportHB509 that would allow special education plans from the last years of high school be used as proof of a disability so students with disabilities going to higher education didn't have to get brand new testing to prove a lifelong disability still exists. Disabilities do not go away when a student leaves home and high school for college. More often, we see an exacerbation of symptoms as needs increase while family caregivers are far away. For students to have to undergo new testing to prove they continue to have lifelong disabilities is nonsensical and a massive challenge to helping students with disabilities succeed in college. We'd love to have your support on this bill as a showing of your support of students with disabilities in higher education settings.

Please vote to pass HB 686 Meals for All. The children in Virginia need your help. Every child should be able to get a hot meal and not have to worry about being hungry. Parents are struggling and children are suffering. Please vote for free meals for children.

HB48 - It is not for the govt. to dictate communist ideals to our public institutions. HB509 - Move to report. HB700 - Move to report. HB827 - If you are in college, work.