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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7076
January Session, 2025
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 Section 10-15c of the general statutes is repealed and the 1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, 2026): 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
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 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 25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10-76d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is 32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
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 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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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
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 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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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
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 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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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 if such 138
student was receiving special education and related services and did not 139
graduate from high school. 140
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 10-253 of the general statutes is 141
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 142
2026): 143
(a) Children placed out by the Commissioner of Children and 144
Families or by other agencies or persons, including offices of a 145
government of a federally recognized Native American tribe, private 146
child-caring or child-placing agencies licensed by the Department of 147
Children and Families, and eligible residents of facilities operated by the 148
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services or by the 149
Department of Public Health who are eighteen to twenty-one years of 150
age or, for children requiring special education, when such child is 151 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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graduated from high school or [at the end of the school year during 152
which] upon such child [reaches] reaching age twenty-two, whichever 153
occurs first, shall be entitled to all free school privileges of the school 154
district where they then reside as a result of such placement, except as 155
provided in subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of section 10-76d. Except as 156
provided in subsection (d) of this section and subdivision (4) of 157
subsection (e) of section 10-76d, payment for such education shall be 158
made by the board of education of the school district under whose 159
jurisdiction such child would otherwise be attending school where such 160
a school district is identified. 161
Sec. 8. Subdivision (3) of subsection (h) of section 10-253 of the general 162
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 163
(Effective July 1, 2026): 164
(3) In each district, the liaison shall assist the school district, the Court 165
Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch and any relevant 166
educational service providers in ensuring that: 167
(A) All persons twenty-two years of age or younger in justice system 168
custody are promptly evaluated for eligibility for special education 169
services to be provided until such child is graduated from high school 170
or [at the end of the school year during which] upon such child [reaches] 171
reaching age twenty-two, whichever occurs first, pursuant to section 172
17a-65 and any other applicable law; 173
(B) Students in justice system custody and returning to the 174
community from justice system custody are promptly enrolled in school 175
pursuant to this section and section 10-186; 176
(C) Students in justice system custody and returning to the 177
community from justice system custody receive appropriate credit for 178
school work completed in custody, pursuant to this section or section 179
10-220h; 180
(D) All relevant school records for students who enter justice system 181
custody and who return to the community from justice system custody 182 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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are promptly transferred to the appropriate school district or 183
educational service provider, pursuant to section 10-220h. 184
Sec. 9. Section 10-226b of the general statutes is repealed and the 185
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 186
(a) Whenever the State Board of Education finds that racial imbalance 187
exists in a public school, it shall notify in writing the board of education 188
having jurisdiction over said school that such finding has been made, 189
except the State Board of Education shall not notify a board of education 190
of such finding until July 1, [2025] 2029. 191
(b) As used in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, "racial 192
imbalance" means a condition wherein the proportion of pupils of racial 193
minorities in all of the grades of a public school of the secondary level 194
or below taken together substantially exceeds or falls substantially short 195
of the proportion of such public school pupils in all of the same grades 196
of the school district in which said school is situated taken together. 197
Sec. 10. Section 10-226c of the general statutes is repealed and the 198
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 199
(a) Any board of education receiving notification of the existence of 200
racial imbalance as specified in section 10-226b, as amended by this act, 201
shall forthwith prepare a plan to correct such imbalance and file a copy 202
of said plan with the State Board of Education, except such board of 203
education shall not be required to prepare and file said plan until July 204
1, [2025] 2029. Said plan may be limited to addressing the imbalance 205
existing at any school and need not result in a district-wide plan or 206
district-wide pupil reassignment. A school district may request an 207
extension of time in cases in which the number of students causing said 208
imbalance is fewer than five students at a school. 209
(b) Any plan submitted by the board of education of any town under 210
sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, shall include any proposed 211
changes in existing school attendance districts, the location of proposed 212
school building sites as related to the problem, any proposed additions 213 Substitute Bill No. 7076
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to existing school buildings and all other means proposed for the 214
correction of said racial imbalance. The plan shall include projections of 215
the expected racial composition of all public schools in the district. The 216
plan may include provision for cooperation with other school districts 217
to assist in the correction of racial imbalance. 218
Sec. 11. Section 10-226d of the general statutes is repealed and the 219
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 220
Upon receipt of any plan required under the provisions of subsection 221
(b) of section 10-226c, the State Board of Education shall review said 222
plan. If it determines that the plan is satisfactory, it shall approve the 223
plan and shall provide to the board of education such assistance and 224
services as may be available. The board of education shall submit annual 225
reports on the implementation of the approved plan, as the State Board 226
of Education may require. The State Board of Education shall not take 227
action on any plan received on or after July 1, 2024, until July 1, [2025] 228
2029. 229
Sec. 12. Section 10-234gg of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 230
from passage) 231
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2026 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)
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
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Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 6(b), "if such student was receiving special education and
related services and did not graduate from high school" was added for
clarity.
ED Joint Favorable Subst.