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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 380
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING SCHOOL DISCIPLINE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (g) of section 10-233c of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2024): 3
(g) On and after July 1, 2015, all suspensions pursuant to this section 4
shall be in-school suspensions, except a local or regional board of 5
education may authorize the administration of schools under its 6
direction to impose an out-of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) 7
grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to 8
subsection (a) of this section, (A) the administration determines that the 9
pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or 10
such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be 11
excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the 12
administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is 13
appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary 14
problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and 15
(ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems 16
through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, 17
including positive behavioral support strategies, or (2) grades preschool 18
to two, inclusive, if during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) 19 Substitute Bill No. 380
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of this section, the administration (A) determines that an out-of-school 20
suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence that such 21
pupil's conduct on school grounds is [of a violent or sexual nature that 22
endangers persons] behavior that causes serious physical harm, (B) 23
requires that such pupil receives services that are trauma-informed and 24
developmentally appropriate and align with any b ehavioral 25
intervention plan, individualized education program or plan pursuant 26
to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time 27
to time, for such pupil upon such pupil's return to school immediately 28
following the out-of-school suspension, and (C) considers whether to 29
convene a planning and placement team meeting for the purposes of 30
conducting an evaluation to determine whether such pupil may require 31
special education or related services. An out-of-school suspension 32
imposed under subdivision (2) of this subsection shall not exceed two 33
school days. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that 34
the pupil attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the 35
local or regional board of education, as determined by such board. 36
Nothing in this section shall limit a person's duty as a mandated 37
reporter pursuant to section 17-101a to report suspected child abuse or 38
neglect. 39
Sec. 2. Section 10-233h of the general statutes is repealed and the 40
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 41
(a) If any person who is at least [seven] ten years of age but less than 42
twenty-one years of age and an enrolled student is arrested for [a 43
violation of section 53-206c, a class A misdemeanor or a felony] 44
possession of a firearm, as defined in 18 USC 921, as amended from time 45
to time, on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity, the 46
municipal police department or Division of State Police within the 47
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection that made 48
such arrest shall, not later than the end of the weekday following such 49
arrest, orally notify the superintendent of schools of the school district 50
in which such person resides or attends school of the identity of such 51
person and the offense or offenses for which he was arrested and shall, 52
within seventy-two hours of such arrest, provide written notification of 53 Substitute Bill No. 380
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such arrest, containing a brief description of the incident, to such 54
superintendent. The superintendent shall maintain such written report 55
in a secure location and the information in such report shall be 56
maintained as confidential in accordance with section 46b-124. [The 57
superintendent may disclose such information only to the principal of 58
the school in which such person is a student or to the principal or 59
supervisory agent of any other school in which the superintendent 60
knows such person is a student. The principal or supervisory agent may 61
disclose such information only to special services staff or a consultant, 62
such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, for the purposes of 63
assessing the risk of danger posed by such person to himself, other 64
students, school employees or school property and effectuating an 65
appropriate modification of such person's educational plan or 66
placement, and for disciplinary purposes. If the arrest occurred during 67
the school year, such assessment shall be completed not later than the 68
end of the next school day. If an expulsion hearing is held pursuant to 69
section 10-233d, a representative of the municipal police department or 70
the Division of State Police, as appropriate, may testify and provide 71
reports and information on the arrest at such hearing, provided such 72
police participation is requested by any of the following: The local or 73
regional board of education, the impartial hearing board, the principal 74
of the school or the student or his parent or guardian. Such information 75
with respect to a child under eighteen years of age shall be confidential 76
in accordance with sections 46b-124 and 54-76l, and shall only be 77
disclosed as provided in this section and shall not be further disclosed.] 78
(b) If any person who is at least ten years of age but less than twenty-79
one years of age and an enrolled student is arrested for a violation of 80
section 53-206c, a class A misdemeanor or a felony, other than 81
possession of a firearm as described in subsection (a) of this section, the 82
Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch shall provide a 83
written report of such arrest to the superintendent of schools of the 84
school district in which such person resides or attends school upon the 85
presentation of such arrest to the court. Such written report shall 86
include, but need not be limited to, the identity of such person, the 87 Substitute Bill No. 380
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violation or violations for which such person has been arrested, a brief 88
description of the incident that is the basis for such violation and, if 89
applicable, the identity of the alleged victim if such alleged victim is 90
another enrolled student, and whether such person's arrest has been 91
diverted to the community-based diversion system, screened and found 92
to be eligible for nonjudicial handling or dismissed by the court. The 93
superintendent shall maintain such written report in a secure location 94
and the information in such report shall be maintained as confidential 95
in accordance with sections 46b-124 and 54-76l, and shall only be 96
disclosed as provided in this section and shall not be further disclosed. 97
(c) (1) The superintendent may disclose a written report described in 98
subsection (a) or (b) of this section only to the principal of the school in 99
which such person is a student or to the principal or supervisory agent 100
of any other school in which the superintendent knows such person is a 101
student. 102
(2) Upon receipt of such written report, the principal or supervisory 103
agent may disclose such report only to special services staff or a 104
consultant, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, for the 105
purposes of assessing the risk of danger posed by such person to such 106
person's self, other students, school employees or school property and 107
effectuating an appropriate modification of such person's educational 108
plan or placement, and for disciplinary purposes. Such person shall not 109
be prevented from attending class prior to the holding of an informal 110
hearing pursuant to section 10-233c, as amended by this act, or an 111
expulsion hearing pursuant to section 10-233d. 112
(3) An informal hearing pursuant to section 10-233c, as amended by 113
this act, or an expulsion hearing pursuant to section 10-233d shall not be 114
held for any person whose written report indicates that such person's 115
arrest has been diverted to the community-based diversion system, 116
screened and found to be eligible for nonjudicial handling or dismissed 117
by the court. 118
(d) If an expulsion hearing is held pursuant to section 10-233d, a 119 Substitute Bill No. 380
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representative of the municipal police department or the Division of 120
State Police, as appropriate, may testify and provide reports and 121
information on such violation at such hearing, provided such police 122
participation is requested by any of the following: The local or regional 123
board of education, the impartial hearing board, the principal of the 124
school or the student or his parent or guardian. Such information with 125
respect to a child under eighteen years of age shall be confidential in 126
accordance with sections 46b-124 and 54-76l, and shall only be disclosed 127
as provided in this section and shall not be further disclosed. 128
Sec. 3. Section 10-233p of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 129
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 130
1, 2024): 131
Each school resource officer, as defined in section 10-233m, shall 132
submit to the chief of police of such school resource officer's local law 133
enforcement agency a report for each investigation or behavioral 134
intervention of challenging behavior or conflict that escalates to violence 135
or constitutes a crime conducted by such school resource officer not later 136
than five school days after conducting such investigation or behavioral 137
intervention. The chief of police shall submit such report to the 138
superintendent of schools for the school district in which such 139
investigation or behavioral intervention occurred in accordance with 140
the provisions of the memorandum of understanding entered into 141
pursuant to section 10-233m, but shall be not less frequently than 142
monthly. If the chief of police of the school resource officer's local law 143
enforcement agency is not certified by the Police Officer Standards and 144
Training Council pursuant to section 7-294d, such school resource 145
officer shall submit such report directly to the superintendent of schools 146
for the school district in which such investigation or behavioral 147
intervention occurred in the same manner specified in this section for 148
the chief of police to submit such report. Such superintendent shall 149
submit such report to the local or regional board of education of the 150
school district. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) 151
the date, time and location of such investigation or behavioral 152
intervention, (2) the name and badge number of such school resource 153 Substitute Bill No. 380
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officer, (3) the race, ethnicity, gender, age and disability status for each 154
student involved in such investigation or behavioral intervention, (4) 155
the reason for and nature of such investigation or behavioral 156
intervention, (5) the disposition of such investigation or behavioral 157
intervention, and (6) whether any student involved in such 158
investigation or behavioral intervention was (A) searched, (B) apprised 159
of such student's constitutional rights, (C) issued a citation or a 160
summons, (D) arrested, or (E) detained, including the amount of time 161
such student was detained. For purposes of this section, "investigation 162
or behavioral intervention" means a circumstance in which a school 163
resource officer is conducting (i) a fact-finding inquiry concerning 164
student behavior or school safety, including, but not limited to, 165
emergency circumstances, or (ii) an intervention to resolve violent or 166
nonviolent student behavior or conflicts. 167
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 10-222q of the 2024 supplement to the 168
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 169
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 170
(a) There is established a social and emotional learning and school 171
climate advisory collaborative. The collaborative shall (1) collect 172
information concerning the school climate improvement efforts of local 173
and regional boards of education, (2) document any needs articulated 174
by local and regional boards of education for technical assistance and 175
training relating to fostering positive school climates, (3) identify best 176
practices for promoting positive school climates, (4) direct resources to 177
support state-wide and local initiatives on issues relating to fostering 178
and improving positive school climates and improving access to social 179
and emotional learning in schools, (5) develop an assessment for 180
screening students in grades three to twelve, inclusive, to determine 181
whether such students are at risk for suicide, (6) develop a biennial state-182
wide school climate survey, as described in subsection (c) of section 2 of 183
public act 19-166, (7) develop a model positive school climate policy, as 184
described in subsection (a) of section 2 of public act 19-166, (8) develop 185
a plain language explanation of the rights and remedies available under 186
sections 10-4a and 10-4b for distribution to parents and guardians 187 Substitute Bill No. 380
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pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-222d, and 188
provide such explanation to each local and regional board of education 189
not later than January 1, 2021, (9) develop school climate survey 190
standards, including, but not limited to, standards for the collection of 191
data on diversity, equity and inclusion and for the reduction in 192
disparities in data collection between school districts, (10) develop a 193
model school climate improvement plan, and [(9)] (11) perform other 194
functions concerning social and emotional learning and fostering 195
positive school climates. 196
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 10-222q of the 2024 supplement to the 197
general statutes, as amended by section 65 of public act 23-167, is 198
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 199
2025): 200
(a) There is established a social and emotional learning and school 201
climate advisory collaborative. The collaborative shall (1) collect 202
information concerning the school climate improvement efforts of local 203
and regional boards of education, (2) document any needs articulated 204
by local and regional boards of education for technical assistance and 205
training relating to fostering positive school climates, (3) identify best 206
practices for promoting positive school climates, (4) direct resources to 207
support state-wide and local initiatives on issues relating to fostering 208
and improving positive school climates and improving access to social 209
and emotional learning in schools, (5) develop an assessment for 210
screening students in grades three to twelve, inclusive, to determine 211
whether such students are at risk for suicide, (6) develop a biennial state-212
wide school climate survey, as described in subsection (c) of section 2 of 213
public act 19-166, (7) adopt a Connecticut school climate policy, as 214
defined in section 10-222aa, as amended by this act, (8) develop a plain 215
language explanation of the rights and remedies available under 216
sections 10-4a and 10-4b for distribution to parents and guardians, and 217
provide such explanation to each local and regional board of education 218
not later than January 1, 2021, (9) develop standards for a school climate 219
survey, including, but not limited to, standards for the collection of data 220
on diversity, equity and inclusion and for the reduction in disparities in 221 Substitute Bill No. 380
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data collection between school districts, (10) develop a model school 222
climate improvement plan, and [(9)] (11) perform other functions 223
concerning social and emotional learning and fostering positive school 224
climates. 225
Sec. 6. Subdivision (12) of section 10-222aa of the 2024 supplement to 226
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 227
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 228
(12) "School climate survey" means a research-based, validated and 229
developmentally appropriate survey administered to students, school 230
employees and families of students, in the predominant languages of 231
the members of the school community, that (A) measures and identifies 232
school climate needs and tracks progress through a school climate 233
improvement plan, and (B) (i) meets the school climate survey standards 234
developed by the social and emotional learning and school climate 235
advisory collaborative, established pursuant to section 10-222q, as 236
amended by this act, or (ii) is the state-wide school climate survey 237
developed by said collaborative. 238
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 10-222hh of the 2024 supplement to 239
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 240
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 241
(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year 242
thereafter, the school climate specialist, as described in section 10-222ee, 243
for each school, in collaboration with the school climate coordinator, as 244
described in section 10-222dd, shall develop, and update as necessary, a 245
school climate improvement plan. Such plan shall be based on the 246
results of the school climate survey, administered pursuant to section 247
10-222gg, any recommendations from the school climate committee, as 248
described in section 10-222ff, the protocols and supports, described in 249
subsection (b) of this section and any other data the school climate 250
specialist and school climate coordinator deemed relevant. Such plan 251
[shall be submitted] may incorporate the model school climate 252
improvement plan developed by the social and emotional learning and 253 Substitute Bill No. 380
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school climate advisory collaborative, established pursuant to section 254
10-222q, as amended by this act. The school climate specialist submit 255
such plan to the school climate coordinator for review and approval on 256
or before December thirty-first of each school year. Upon approval of 257
such plan, a written or electronic copy of such plan shall be made 258
available to members of the school community and such plan shall be 259
used in the prevention of, identification of and response to challenging 260
behavior. 261
Sec. 8. Subsection (b) of section 10-222h of the general statutes is 262
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 263
2024): 264
(b) On or before February 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the 265
department shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, 266
submit a report on the status of its efforts pursuant to this section 267
including, but not limited to, (1) the number of verified acts of bullying 268
in the state, including, but not limited to, the number of such acts 269
directed at a student based on actual or perceived membership in a 270
protected class, (2) an analysis of the responsive action taken by school 271
districts, (3) an analysis of student responses on the uniform grade-level 272
appropriate questions described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (4) 273
of subsection (a) of this section, and (4) any recommendations it may 274
have regarding additional activities or funding to prevent bullying in 275
schools and improve school climate to the joint standing committees of 276
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 277
education and children and to the speaker of the House of 278
Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the 279
majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the 280
Senate. 281
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) The Department of Education 282
shall appoint a director of school climate improvement to serve as the 283
state-wide social and emotional learning and school climate expert. The 284
director of school climate improvement shall (1) assist local and regional 285
boards of education with the implementation of (A) sections 10-222t to 286 Substitute Bill No. 380
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10-222v, inclusive, and sections 10-222aa to 10-222jj, inclusive, of the 287
general statutes, as amended by this act, and (B) the Connecticut school 288
climate policy, as defined in section 10-222aa of the general statutes, as 289
amended by this act, (2) assist the social and emotional learning and 290
school climate advisory collaborative, established pursuant to section 291
10-222q of the general statutes, as amended by this act, in the 292
development and implementation of tools and best practices related to 293
school climate and culture, including, but not limited to, the 294
development of a model school climate survey and a model school 295
climate improvement plan, (3) provide information and assistance to 296
local and regional boards of education, students and parents and 297
guardians of students on the uniform bullying complaint form created 298
pursuant to section 10-222bb of the general statutes, (4) not later than 299
January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, submit a report, in accordance 300
with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 301
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 302
matters relating to education on recommendations for best practices and 303
improvement of school climate improvement strategies in this state, (5) 304
assist school climate coordinators, appointed pursuant to section 10-305
222dd of the general statutes, in the development of a continuum of 306
strategies to prevent, identify and respond to challenging behavior, (6) 307
develop and provide technical assistance and recommendations, in 308
collaboration with the social and emotional learning and school climate 309
advisory collaborative, to local and regional boards of education on 310
trainings for school employees for the purposes of school climate 311
improvement, and (7) in collaboration with the social and emotional 312
learning and school climate advisory collaborative, develop strategies 313
to improve the delivery of services concerning social and emotional 314
learning, skills building and mental health supports. 315
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2024 10-233c(g)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 10-233h
Sec. 3 July 1, 2024 10-233p Substitute Bill No. 380
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Sec. 4 July 1, 2024 10-222q(a)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 10-222q(a)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2024 10-222aa(12)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2024 10-222hh(a)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2024 10-222h(b)
Sec. 9 July 1, 2024 New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 2(b), "its presentation to the court" was changed to "the
presentation of such arrest to the court" for clarity and "and 54-76l, and
shall only be disclosed as provided in this section and shall not be
further disclosed" was added for consistency.
ED Joint Favorable Subst.