Section 162.997 - Surrogates appointed, when - state board of education, duties - definitions1. The state board of education shall: (1) Establish and maintain procedures to appoint a person to act as a surrogate for the parent or guardian of a handicapped or severely handicapped child when: (a) The parents or guardian of the child are not known;(b) The parents or guardian of the child are unavailable; or(c) The child has been committed to the custody of a public agency or institution in accordance with section 211.181;(2) Establish and maintain procedures to recruit persons to act as surrogate parents for handicapped or severely handicapped children;(3) Establish and maintain a list of names of persons who will undertake appointments to act as surrogates for the parents or guardians of handicapped or severely handicapped children;(4) Provide the education and training necessary to ensure that a surrogate parent appointee has the knowledge and skills to act as an effective representative of a handicapped or severely handicapped child in all decisions relating to the child's education;(5) Establish standards and procedures by which a surrogate parent may be removed from his appointment if:(a) He is not effectively representing the child; or(b) The parents or guardian of a child subsequently become known or available.2. For purposes of sections 162.997 to 162.999, the following terms mean:(1)"Handicapped child" or "severely handicapped child", as defined in section 162.675;(2)"Parent", a biological parent, a guardian or a person acting as a parent of a child, including but not limited to a grandparent or stepparent with whom a child lives. The term does not include the state if the child is a ward of the state. The term does not include a person whose parental rights have been terminated;(3)"Unavailable", a person is unavailable if his whereabouts are unknown after reasonable inquiry.L. 1988 H.B. 1237 § 1, A.L. 1992 H.B. 1151