An eligible special education local plan area, which submits a local plan under the provisions of Section 56211, may request designation as a necessary small special education local plan area if its total reported units of average daily attendance in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, is less than 15,000, and if it includes all of the school districts located in the county or counties participating in the local plan, except those districts participating in a countywide special education local plan area located in an adjacent county that also meets the criteria of this section.
This section shall become operative on July 1, 1998.