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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7076
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5441
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT PROVIDING EDUCATION MANDATE RELIEF.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-15c of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age 3
and over who reach age five on or before the first day of September of 4
any school year, and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised 5
by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to 6
participate in the activities, programs and courses of study offered in 7
such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to 8
participate in such activities, programs and courses of study, without 9
discrimination on account of race, as defined in section 46a-51, color, 10
sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual 11
orientation or disability; provided a child who has not reached the age 12
of five on or before the first day of September of the school year may be 13
admitted if the local or regional board of education adopts an early 14
admission policy that permits such child to be admitted (1) upon a 15
written request by the parent or guardian of such child to the principal 16
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of the school in which such child would be enrolled, and (2) following 17
an assessment of such child, conducted by such principal and an 18
appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that 19
admitting such child is developmentally appropriate. 20
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend 21
other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula, 22
facilities or extracurricular activities. 23
Sec. 2. Subdivision (2) of section 10-76a of the general statutes is 24
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 25
2026): 26
(2) "Child" means any person twenty-two years of age or younger. 27
[or, for children requiring special education, until such child is 28
graduated from high school or at the end of the school year during 29
which such child reaches age twenty-two, whichever occurs first.] 30
Sec. 3. Subparagraph (C) of subdivision (9) of subsection (a) of section 31
10-76d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is 32
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 33
(C) Not later than the planning and placement team meeting that 34
occurs approximately two years prior to a child's anticipated graduation 35
from high school or the end of the school year in which a child will reach 36
[twenty-two] twenty-one years of age, whichever is expected to occur 37
first based on such child's individualized education program, the 38
planning and placement team shall (i) upon the approval of the parent 39
or guardian of such child, or a surrogate parent of such child appointed 40
pursuant to section 10-94g or such child if such child is an emancipated 41
minor or eighteen years of age or older, (I) notify any state agency that 42
provides a program for adults for which such child may be eligible 43
about the potential eligibility of such child, (II) invite a representative 44
from each such agency to attend the planning and placement team 45
meeting for the purpose of establishing contact with and counseling the 46
parent, guardian, surrogate parent or child on the process for the 47
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anticipated transfer of services upon such child graduating from high 48
school or upon [the end of the school year in which] such child [reaches] 49
reaching twenty-two years of age, whichever is sooner, and (III) permit 50
and facilitate contact and coordination between each such agency and 51
such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or child for the purpose of 52
easing the process for the transfer of services, (ii) provide such parent, 53
guardian, surrogate parent or child a listing of each program for adults 54
for which such child may be eligible that includes, but is not limited to, 55
(I) a plain language description of such program, (II) eligibility 56
requirements for such program, and (III) deadlines and instructions for 57
applications to such programs, and (iii) assist such parent, guardian, 58
surrogate parent or child in completing an application to any such 59
programs. 60
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 10-76d of the general statutes is 61
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 62
2026): 63
(b) In accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education, 64
each local and regional board of education shall: (1) Provide special 65
education for school-age children requiring special education who are 66
described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a. The 67
obligation of the school district under this subsection shall terminate 68
when such child is graduated from high school or [at the end of the 69
school year during which] upon such child [reaches] reaching age 70
twenty-two, whichever occurs first; and (2) provide special education 71
for children requiring special education who are described in 72
subparagraph (A) or (C) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a. The State 73
Board of Education shall define the criteria by which each local or 74
regional board of education shall determine whether a given child is 75
eligible for special education pursuant to this subdivision, and such 76
determination shall be made by the board of education when requested 77
by a parent or guardian, or upon referral by a physician, clinic or social 78
worker, provided the parent or guardian so permits. To meet its 79
obligations under this subdivision, each local or regional board of 80
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education may, with the approval of the State Board of Education, make 81
agreements with any private school, agency or institution to provide the 82
necessary preschool special education program, provided such private 83
facility has an existing program which adequately meets the special 84
education needs, according to standards established by the State Board 85
of Education, of the preschool children for whom such local or regional 86
board of education is required to provide such an education and 87
provided such district does not have such an existing program in its 88
public schools. Such private school, agency or institution may be a 89
facility which has not been approved by the Commissioner of Education 90
for special education, provided such private facility is approved by the 91
commissioner as an independent school or licensed by the Office of 92
Early Childhood as a child care center, group child care home or family 93
child care home, as described in section 19a-77, or be both approved and 94
licensed. The State Board of Education shall adopt or update 95
regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions 96
of this subsection. 97
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 10-76ll of the general statutes is 98
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 99
2026): 100
(b) On or before July 1, 2015, the State Board of Education shall draft 101
a written bill of rights for parents of children receiving special education 102
services to guarantee that the rights of such parents and children are 103
adequately safeguarded and protected during the provision of special 104
education and related services until such children have graduated from 105
high school or [at the end of the school year during which] upon such 106
children [reach] reaching age twenty-two, whichever occurs first, under 107
this chapter. Such bill of rights shall inform parents of: (1) The right to 108
request consideration of the provision of transition services for a child 109
receiving special education services who is eighteen years of age until 110
such child has graduated from high school or [at the end of the school 111
year during which] upon such child [reaches] reaching age twenty-two, 112
whichever occurs first, (2) the right to receive transition resources and 113
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materials from the department and the local or regional board of 114
education responsible for such child, (3) the requirement that the local 115
or regional board of education responsible for such child shall create a 116
student success plan for each student enrolled in a public school, 117
beginning in grade six, pursuant to subsection (k) of section 10-221a, 118
[and] (4) the right of such child to receive realistic and specific 119
postgraduation goals as part of such child's individualized education 120
program, and (5) the right to an opportunity to establish contact with 121
and receive information about and assistance with applying for 122
programs provided by any state agency that provides services in 123
attaining the postgraduation goals in a child's individualized education 124
program, pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (9) of subsection 125
(a) of section 10-76d, as amended by this act. 126
Sec. 6. Section 10-95p of the general statutes is repealed and the 127
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 128
(a) There is established a division of postsecondary educational 129
programs within the Technical Education and Career System. The 130
division shall administer any postsecondary educational program that 131
(1) was offered at a technical education and career school during the 132
school year commencing July 1, 2016, or (2) is approved by the Technical 133
Education and Career System board. 134
(b) Any student admitted for enrollment in a postsecondary 135
educational program administered by the division shall have a high 136
school diploma or its equivalent, or have [completed the school year in 137
which such student reaches] reached twenty-two years of age. 138
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 10-253 of the general statutes is 139
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 140
2026): 141
(a) Children placed out by the Commissioner of Children and 142
Families or by other agencies or persons, including offices of a 143
government of a federally recognized Native American tribe, private 144
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child-caring or child-placing agencies licensed by the Department of 145
Children and Families, and eligible residents of facilities operated by the 146
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services or by the 147
Department of Public Health who are eighteen to twenty-one years of 148
age or, for children requiring special education, when such child is 149
graduated from high school or [at the end of the school year during 150
which] upon such child [reaches] reaching age twenty-two, whichever 151
occurs first, shall be entitled to all free school privileges of the school 152
district where they then reside as a result of such placement, except as 153
provided in subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of section 10-76d. Except as 154
provided in subsection (d) of this section and subdivision (4) of 155
subsection (e) of section 10-76d, payment for such education shall be 156
made by the board of education of the school district under whose 157
jurisdiction such child would otherwise be attending school where such 158
a school district is identified. 159
Sec. 8. Subdivision (3) of subsection (h) of section 10-253 of the general 160
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 161
(Effective July 1, 2026): 162
(3) In each district, the liaison shall assist the school district, the Court 163
Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch and any relevant 164
educational service providers in ensuring that: 165
(A) All persons twenty-two years of age or younger in justice system 166
custody are promptly evaluated for eligibility for special education 167
services to be provided until such child is graduated from high school 168
or [at the end of the school year during which] upon such child [reaches] 169
reaching age twenty-two, whichever occurs first, pursuant to section 170
17a-65 and any other applicable law; 171
(B) Students in justice system custody and returning to the 172
community from justice system custody are promptly enrolled in school 173
pursuant to this section and section 10-186; 174
(C) Students in justice system custody and returning to the 175
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community from justice system custody receive appropriate credit for 176
school work completed in custody, pursuant to this section or section 177
10-220h; 178
(D) All relevant school records for students who enter justice system 179
custody and who return to the community from justice system custody 180
are promptly transferred to the appropriate school district or 181
educational service provider, pursuant to section 10-220h. 182
Sec. 9. Section 10-226b of the general statutes is repealed and the 183
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 184
(a) Whenever the State Board of Education finds that racial imbalance 185
exists in a public school, it shall notify in writing the board of education 186
having jurisdiction over said school that such finding has been made, 187
except the State Board of Education shall not notify a board of education 188
of such finding until July 1, [2025] 2029. 189
(b) As used in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, "racial 190
imbalance" means a condition wherein the proportion of pupils of racial 191
minorities in all of the grades of a public school of the secondary level 192
or below taken together substantially exceeds or falls substantially short 193
of the proportion of such public school pupils in all of the same grades 194
of the school district in which said school is situated taken together. 195
Sec. 10. Section 10-226c of the general statutes is repealed and the 196
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 197
(a) Any board of education receiving notification of the existence of 198
racial imbalance as specified in section 10-226b, as amended by this act, 199
shall forthwith prepare a plan to correct such imbalance and file a copy 200
of said plan with the State Board of Education, except such board of 201
education shall not be required to prepare and file said plan until July 202
1, [2025] 2029. Said plan may be limited to addressing the imbalance 203
existing at any school and need not result in a district-wide plan or 204
district-wide pupil reassignment. A school district may request an 205
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extension of time in cases in which the number of students causing said 206
imbalance is fewer than five students at a school. 207
(b) Any plan submitted by the board of education of any town under 208
sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, shall include any proposed 209
changes in existing school attendance districts, the location of proposed 210
school building sites as related to the problem, any proposed additions 211
to existing school buildings and all other means proposed for the 212
correction of said racial imbalance. The plan shall include projections of 213
the expected racial composition of all public schools in the district. The 214
plan may include provision for cooperation with other school districts 215
to assist in the correction of racial imbalance. 216
Sec. 11. Section 10-226d of the general statutes is repealed and the 217
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 218
Upon receipt of any plan required under the provisions of subsection 219
(b) of section 10-226c, the State Board of Education shall review said 220
plan. If it determines that the plan is satisfactory, it shall approve the 221
plan and shall provide to the board of education such assistance and 222
services as may be available. The board of education shall submit annual 223
reports on the implementation of the approved plan, as the State Board 224
of Education may require. The State Board of Education shall not take 225
action on any plan received on or after July 1, 2024, until July 1, [2025] 226
2029. 227
Sec. 12. Section 10-234gg of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 228
from passage) 229
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 10-15c
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 10-76a(2)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 10-76d(a)(9)(C)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 10-76d(b)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2026 10-76ll(b)
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Sec. 6 July 1, 2026 10-95p
Sec. 7 July 1, 2026 10-253(a)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2026 10-253(h)(3)
Sec. 9 July 1, 2025 10-226b
Sec. 10 July 1, 2025 10-226c
Sec. 11 July 1, 2025 10-226d
Sec. 12 from passage Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To provide local and regional boards of education relief from certain
education mandates.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]