Connecticut 2024 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00153 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/18/2024

                     
 
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General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 153  
February Session, 2024 
 
 
 
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 
TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND CAREER SYSTEM.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 10-95i of the general statutes is 1 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2 
2024): 3 
(b) During the five-year period beginning January 1, 2020, and during 4 
each five-year period thereafter, the board shall evaluate each existing 5 
technical education and career school trade program in accordance with 6 
a schedule which the board shall establish. A trade program may be 7 
reauthorized for a period of not more than five years following each 8 
evaluation on the basis of: The projected employment demand for 9 
students enrolled in the trade program, including consideration of the 10 
employment of graduates of the program during the preceding five 11 
years; anticipated technological changes; the availability of qualified 12 
instructors; the existence of similar programs at other educational 13 
institutions; and student interest in the trade program. As part of the 14 
evaluation, the board shall consider geographic differences that may 15 
make a trade program feasible at one school and not another and 16 
whether certain combinations of program offerings shall be required. 17 
Prior to any final decision on the reauthorization of a trade program, the 18 
board shall consult with the [craft] program advisory committees for the 19 
trade program being evaluated. 20  Substitute Bill No. 153 
 
 
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Sec. 2. Section 10-95j of the general statutes is repealed and the 21 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 22 
The Technical Education and Career System board shall include in 23 
the report required pursuant to section 10-95k, a summary of the 24 
following: 25 
(1) Admissions policies for the Technical Education and Career 26 
System; 27 
(2) Recruitment and retention of faculty; 28 
(3) Efforts to strengthen consideration of the needs of and to develop 29 
greater public awareness of the Technical Education and Career System; 30 
and 31 
(4) Efforts to strengthen the role of [career and technical education] 32 
program advisory committees and increase employer participation. 33 
Sec. 3. Section 10-96c of the general statutes is repealed and the 34 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 35 
The executive director of the Technical Education and Career System 36 
may indemnify and hold harmless any person, as defined in section 1-37 
79, who makes a gift of tangible property or properties with a fair 38 
market value in excess of one thousand dollars to the Technical 39 
Education and Career System for instructional purposes. Any 40 
indemnification under this section shall be solely for any damages 41 
caused as a result of the use of such tangible property, provided there 42 
shall be no indemnification for any liability resulting from (1) 43 
intentional or wilful misconduct by the person providing such tangible 44 
property to [the department or] the Technical Education and Career 45 
System, or (2) hidden defects in such tangible property that are known 46 
to and not disclosed by the person providing such tangible property to 47 
[the department or] the Technical Education and Career System at the 48 
time the gift is made. 49 
Sec. 4. Section 10-95 of the general statutes is repealed and the 50  Substitute Bill No. 153 
 
 
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 51 
There is established a state-wide system of technical education and 52 
career schools to be known as the Technical Education and Career 53 
System. The Technical Education and Career System shall offer (1) full-54 
time comprehensive secondary education at technical high schools 55 
located throughout the state, and [may offer] (2) part-time, [and] 56 
evening [,] and extracurricular programs in vocational, technical, 57 
technological and postsecondary education and training. 58 
Sec. 5. Section 10-95p of the general statutes is repealed and the 59 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 60 
(a) There is established a division of postsecondary educational 61 
programs within the Technical Education and Career System. The 62 
division shall administer any postsecondary educational program that 63 
(1) was offered at a technical education and career school during the 64 
school year commencing July 1, 2016, or (2) is approved by the Technical 65 
Education and Career System board. [on or after July 5, 2017.] 66 
(b) Any student admitted for enrollment in a postsecondary 67 
educational program administered by the division shall have a high 68 
school diploma or its equivalent, or [be twenty-one years of age or older] 69 
have completed the school year in which such student reaches twenty-70 
two years of age. 71 
Sec. 6. Section 10-76q of the general statutes is repealed and the 72 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 73 
(a) The Technical Education and Career System, established pursuant 74 
to section 10-95, as amended by this act, shall: (1) Provide the 75 
professional services necessary to identify, in accordance with section 76 
10-76a, children requiring special education who are enrolled at a 77 
technical education and career school; (2) identify each such child; (3) 78 
determine the appropriateness of the technical education and career 79 
school for the educational needs of each such child; (4) provide an 80 
appropriate educational program for each such child, including, but not 81  Substitute Bill No. 153 
 
 
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limited to, transition programs, as defined in section 10-74o; (5) 82 
maintain a record thereof; and (6) annually evaluate the progress and 83 
accomplishments of special education programs provided by the 84 
Technical Education and Career System. 85 
(b) Where it is deemed appropriate that a child enrolled in a technical 86 
education and career school receive special education, the parents or 87 
guardian of such child shall have a right to the hearing and appeal 88 
process as provided for in section 10-76h. 89 
(c) Prior to a student's enrollment in a technical education and career 90 
school, the local or regional board of education for the town in which 91 
such student resides shall convene a planning and placement team 92 
meeting, except the planning and placement team meeting for a student 93 
who has been educated in a home shall be convened by the Technical 94 
Education and Career System. The purpose of such meeting shall be to 95 
address such student's transition to such technical education and career 96 
school and ensure that such student's individualized education 97 
program reflects the current supports and services that such student 98 
requires in order to access a free and appropriate public education in the 99 
least restrictive environment. A representative from such technical 100 
education and career school shall be invited to such meeting. 101 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 July 1, 2024 10-95i(b) 
Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 10-95j 
Sec. 3 July 1, 2024 10-96c 
Sec. 4 from passage 10-95 
Sec. 5 from passage 10-95p 
Sec. 6 July 1, 2024 10-76q 
 
ED  Joint Favorable Subst. C/R 	APP 
APP Joint Favorable Subst.