Hearing Officer (Funcionario de audiencia) – An impartial person appointed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in charge of a due process hearing. The hearing officer cannot be an employee of any agency involved in the education or care of the child who is the subject of the hearing and cannot have any personal or professional interest that would conflict with his or her objectivity in the hearing. The hearing officer must possess the necessary knowledge and skill necessary to serve as a hearing officer. The hearing officer issues a written decision based upon the evidence and witnesses presented at the hearing.
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) (La Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos) – HHSC is an agency of Texas Health and Human Services. HHSC services include:
- Medicaid for families and children
- Long-term care for people who are older or who have disabilities
- SNAP food benefits and TANF cash assistance for families
- Behavioral health services
- Services to help keep people who are older or who have disabilities in their homes and communities
- Services for women and other people with special health needs
The agency also oversees regulatory functions including:
- Licensing and credentialing long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living
- Licensing child care providers
- Managing the day-to-day operations of state supported living centers and state hospitals
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (La ley de 1996 de responsabilidad y portabilidad del seguro médico) – A federal law that provides national standards to protect an individual’s medical records and other personal health information.
Home School (La escolarización en casa) – In Texas, children may be home schooled in lieu of attending traditional public school. Under the Texas Education Code, home schools must be run in a “bona fide manner” with a written curriculum that covers the basics of math, reading, spelling, grammar, and good citizenship. The Texas Education Agency does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, or register the programs available to parents who choose to home school, nor does the state of Texas award diplomas to students that are home schooled. In the event a home-schooled student wishes to enter a public school, most districts have policies and procedures in place to assess the mastery level of courses that students in home schools have taken. The results of the assessment may be used for grade placement and/or award of credit. Click here for information from TEA on Home Schooling.
