This policy brief reports on an analysis of the legislation establishing charter schools in the 19 states that had such legislation as of December 1995. It identifies provisions in the state legislation which specify anti-discrimination policies and clauses, the inclusion of students at risk or students with disabilities, fiscal provisions, personnel requirements, and transportation needs. It identifies three issues for policymakers to consider when reviewing or adopting charter school legislation: (1) whether the rights of students with disabilities are protected under the charter school legislation; (2) whether the charter school legislation has the "effect" of discriminating against students with disabilities; and (3) whether the programmatic needs of students with disabilities are adequately considered. The policy brief distinguishes between strong charter legislation which provides the greatest autonomy for the charter school and weak legislation which limits the schools' flexibility and retains greater authority in the local school boards. It concludes that states with strong charter legislation (such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, and Texas) are more likely to have legislation which addresses the needs of students with disabilities in their legislation than states with weak charter school legislation (such as Alaska, Arkansas, and Georgia). A chart compares the legislation in the 19 states with reference to students with special needs. (DB)