Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00976 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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4	4	LCO No. 4301 1 of 5
5	5
6	6	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 976
7	7	January Session, 2021
8	8	LCO No. 4301
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10	10
11	11	Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
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13	13
14	14	Introduced by:
15	15	(ED)
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20	20	AN ACT CONCERNING SP ECIAL EDUCATION.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22	Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24	Section 1. Section 10-76q of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
25	25	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
26	26	(a) The State Board of Education, in accordance with regulations 3
27	27	adopted by said board, shall: (1) Provide the professional services 4
28	28	necessary to identify, in accordance with section 10-76a, children 5
29	29	requiring special education who are enrolled at a technical education 6
30	30	and career school; (2) identify each such child; (3) determine the 7
31	31	appropriateness of the technical education and career school for the 8
32	32	educational needs of each such child; (4) provide an appropriate 9
33	33	educational program for each such child; (5) maintain a record thereof; 10
34	34	and (6) annually evaluate the progress and accomplishments of special 11
35	35	education programs provided by the Technical Education and Career 12
36	36	System. 13
37	37	(b) Where it is deemed appropriate that a child enrolled in a technical 14
38	38	education and career school receive special education, the parents or 15 Raised Bill No. 976
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42	42	LCO No. 4301 2 of 5
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44	44	guardian of such child shall have a right to the hearing and appeal 16
45	45	process as provided for in section 10-76h. 17
46	46	(c) [If a planning and placement team determines that a student 18
47	47	requires special education services which preclude such student's 19
48	48	participation in the vocational education program offered by a technical 20
49	49	education and career school, the student shall be referred to the board 21
50	50	of education in the town in which the student resides for the 22
51	51	development of an individualized educational program and such board 23
52	52	of education shall be responsible for the implementation and financing 24
53	53	of such program.] Prior to a student's enrollment in a technical 25
54	54	education and career school, the local or regional board of education for 26
55	55	the town in which such student resides shall convene a planning and 27
56	56	placement team meeting. The purpose of such meeting shall be to 28
57	57	address such student's transition to such technical education and career 29
58	58	school and ensure that such student's individualized education 30
59	59	program reflects the current supports and services that such student 31
60	60	requires in order to access a free and appropriate public education in the 32
61	61	least restrictive environment. A representative from such technical 33
62	62	education and career school shall be invited to such meeting. 34
63	63	Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to 35
64	64	study issues relating to the provision and funding of special education 36
65	65	in the state. Such study shall examine (1) the provision of special 37
66	66	education and related services, including whether local and regional 38
67	67	boards of education are providing such services directly or partnering 39
68	68	with regional educational service centers, contracting with a private 40
69	69	provider of special education services, as defined in section 10-91g of 41
70	70	the general statutes, or as part of a cooperative arrangement pursuant 42
71	71	to section 10-158a of the general statutes, (2) the cost of providing special 43
72	72	education and related services, including the total aggregate amount per 44
73	73	school district per year, and the annual percentage increase or decrease 45
74	74	per school district of such cost, (3) the effect that the cost of special 46
75	75	education has on a board of education's minimum budget requirement, 47
76	76	and (4) the level of state reimbursement to boards of education for 48
77	77	special education, including the total amount for reimbursement 49 Raised Bill No. 976
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81	81	LCO No. 4301 3 of 5
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83	83	submitted by each school district per year and the total amount received 50
84	84	by such school district per year, and the percentage increase or decrease 51
85	85	per year of the difference of the total amount submitted and the total 52
86	86	amount received for each school district. 53
87	87	(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 54
88	88	(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 55
89	89	one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of 56
90	90	Boards of Education and one of whom is the parent or guardian of a 57
91	91	student who is enrolled in a public school and receiving special 58
92	92	education services; 59
93	93	(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 60
94	94	whom is a representative of the Connecticut Education Association and 61
95	95	one of whom is the parent or guardian of a student who is enrolled in a 62
96	96	public school and receiving special education services; 63
97	97	(3) Two appointed by the majority leader of the House of 64
98	98	Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the American 65
99	99	Federation of Teachers-Connecticut and one of whom is a representative 66
100	100	of the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center; 67
101	101	(4) Two appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom 68
102	102	is a representative of the Connecticut Council of Administrators of 69
103	103	Special Education and one of whom is a representative of the RESC 70
104	104	Alliance; 71
105	105	(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of 72
106	106	Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut 73
107	107	Association of School Administrators and one of whom is a 74
108	108	representative of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities; 75
109	109	(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom 76
110	110	is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Schools and one of 77
111	111	whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of School 78
112	112	Business Officials; 79 Raised Bill No. 976
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116	116	LCO No. 4301 4 of 5
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118	118	(7) The executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public 80
119	119	School Superintendents; and 81
120	120	(8) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee. 82
121	121	(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 83
122	122	(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 84
123	123	of the General Assembly. 85
124	124	(d) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than 86
125	125	thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be 87
126	126	filled by the appointing authority. 88
127	127	(e) The executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public 89
128	128	School Superintendents shall serve as the chairperson of the task force. 90
129	129	The chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which 91
130	130	shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this 92
131	131	section. 93
132	132	(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 94
133	133	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 95
134	134	shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 96
135	135	(g) Not later than January 1, 2020, the task force shall submit a report 97
136	136	on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of 98
137	137	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 99
138	138	education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 100
139	139	general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 101
140	140	submits such report or January 1, 2022, whichever is later. 102
141	141	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
142	142	sections:
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144	144	Section 1 July 1, 2021 10-76q
145	145	Sec. 2 from passage New section
146	146	Raised Bill No. 976
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150	150	LCO No. 4301 5 of 5
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152	152	Statement of Purpose:
153	153	To require the Technical Education and Career System to accept and
154	154	enroll students with individualized education programs, and to
155	155	establish a task force to study issues relating to the provision and
156	156	funding of special education in the state.
157	157	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
158	158	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
159	159	underlined.]
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