Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06228 Compare Versions

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7	7		General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6228
8	8		January Session, 2021
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14	14		AN ACT PROHIBITING INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
15	15		FROM INQUIRING ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE STUDE NT'S CRIMINAL
16	16		HISTORY DURING THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS A ND ESTABLISHING
17	17		A PRISON EDUCATION P ROGRAM OFFICE.
18	18		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
19	19		Assembly convened:
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21	21		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) Unless otherwise required by 1
22	22		an applicable state or federal law, no institution of higher education in 2
23	23		the state shall (1) inquire about a prospective student's prior arrests, 3
24	24		criminal charges or convictions (A) on an application for admission to 4
25	25		such institution, or (B) for enrollment in any program of study offered 5
26	26		by such institution, or (2) consider a student's prior arrests, criminal 6
27	27		charges or convictions in (A) the admissions process for such student, 7
28	28		or (B) determining the eligibility of such student for any form of 8
29	29		financial aid, grant or scholarship program, including, but not limited 9
30	30		to, institutional financial aid. 10
31	31		Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section, "prison 11
32	32		education program" means a program of study offered by institutions 12
33	33		of higher education that provides course credit to students incarcerated 13
34	34		in correctional facilities. 14
35	35		(b) There is established a Postsecondary Prison Education Program 15
36	36		Office within the Department of Correction which shall report directly 16 Substitute Bill No. 6228
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43	43		to the Commissioner of Correction. The duties and responsibilities of 17
44	44		the office shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) on or before July 18
45	45		1, 2023, approving institutions of higher education to operate prison 19
46	46		education programs at correctional facilities in the state, (2) 20
47	47		coordinating with approved institutions of higher education in the 21
48	48		implementation of prison education programs, and (3) providing 22
49	49		equitable access to resources necessary for the successful completion of 23
50	50		prison education programs, including, but not limited to, classrooms, 24
51	51		study areas and any necessary electronic devices. 25
52	52		(c) The Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office shall 26
53	53		approve an institution of higher education to operate a prison education 27
54	54		program if the office determines that such institution operates such 28
55	55		programs in the best interest of students. Such determination shall be 29
56	56		based on (1) the factors for making such determination set forth in the 30
57	57		FAFSA Simplification Act, P.L. 116-260, Sec. 702(n)(1)(A)(iv), as 31
58	58		amended from time to time, (2) the institution establishing an academic 32
59	59		and student service plan for the implementation of a prison education 33
60	60		program, (3) the institution providing trained financial aid and 34
61	61		academic advisors to advise students in correctional facilities, including, 35
62	62		but not limited to, advising on the completion of the Free Application 36
63	63		for Federal Student Aid, (4) the institution providing educational 37
64	64		accommodations to students with disabilities who enroll in a prison 38
65	65		education program, (5) the institution providing reentry counseling for 39
66	66		a student, including, but not limited to, guidance on (A) continued 40
67	67		enrollment in such institution for the completion of any program of 41
68	68		study initiated in a prison education program, and (B) transferring 42
69	69		credits to another institution of higher education after release from a 43
70	70		correctional facility, and (6) the institution providing a process for 44
71	71		students enrolled in a prison education program to register a complaint 45
72	72		or grievance against the program, an advisor or the institution and 46
73	73		notifying students of such process upon enrollment. 47
74	74		(d) The Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office shall 48
75	75		prioritize the approval of institutions of higher education in the state 49 Substitute Bill No. 6228
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82	82		that (1) have experience operating prison education programs, (2) 50
83	83		participate in the federal Pell Grant Program pursuant to 34 CFR 690.7 51
84	84		or provide prison education programs at no cost to students, and (3) can 52
85	85		provide in-person prison education programs. The office may not 53
86	86		approve any institutions operating an asynchronous prison education 54
87	87		program, unless such program is necessary and cannot be provided in-55
88	88		person for any reason. 56
89	89		(e) The Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office shall 57
90	90		establish a process for addressing complaints by (1) students enrolled in 58
91	91		a prison education program regarding (A) the institution of higher 59
92	92		education operating such program, (B) any Department of Correction 60
93	93		policies or employees impeding such student's access to resources 61
94	94		necessary for the completion of such program, or (C) the failure of an 62
95	95		institution of higher education or the department to provide necessary 63
96	96		accommodations to such student for a disability, and (2) institutions of 64
97	97		higher education operating prison education programs regarding any 65
98	98		problems in the implementation of a prison education program that 66
99	99		may be resolved by the office or the department. 67
100	100		(f) The Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office shall not 68
101	101		interfere with an approved institution of higher education in the 69
102	102		selection of curricula or materials used in prison education programs, 70
103	103		unless such materials present a clear physical threat to the safety and 71
104	104		security of the correctional facility as determined by the Commissioner 72
105	105		of Correction. 73
106	106		(g) Each institution of higher education operating a prison education 74
107	107		program shall provide uniform financial aid information to every 75
108	108		prospective student who has been accepted for enrollment in such 76
109	109		program. Each institution shall provide such information prior to such 77
110	110		institution's prison education program enrollment deadline for the 78
111	111		purpose of providing each prospective student with sufficient time to 79
112	112		make an informed decision about enrollment. Each institution shall use 80
113	113		the college financing plan template developed by the United States 81
114	114		Department of Education pursuant to the Higher Education 82 Substitute Bill No. 6228
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121	121		Opportunity Act, P.L. 110-315, to provide such information. 83
122	122		(h) If the Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office or any 84
123	123		institution of higher education operating a prison education program 85
124	124		engages in an assessment or evaluation of such prison education 86
125	125		program, one or more students enrolled in such program shall 87
126	126		participate in such assessment or evaluation. 88
127	127		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
128	128		sections:
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130	130		Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
131	131		Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 New section
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	133	+	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
	134	+	In Section 2, Subsec. (d) was divided into two sentences and "(1) have
	135	+	experience operating prison education programs, (2) participate in the
	136	+	federal Pell Grant Program pursuant to 34 CFR 690.7 or provide prison
	137	+	education programs at no cost to students, and (3)" was added for clarity
	138	+	and conciseness, and in Subsec. (c) the last sentence was deleted to
	139	+	conform with the changes being made in Subsec. (d) and "Consolidated
	140	+	Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260, Sec. 701(n)(1)(A)(iv)" was
	141	+	changed to "FAFSA Simplification Act, P.L. 116 -260, Sec.
	142	+	702(n)(1)(A)(iv)" for accuracy.
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134	144		HED Joint Favorable Subst.
135		-	JUD Joint Favorable
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