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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1286
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4643
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS'
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNICAL REVISIONS TO THE
EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (k) of section 10-145b of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(k) For the purposes of this section, "supervisory agent" means the 4
superintendent of schools or the principal, administrator or supervisor 5
designated by such superintendent to provide direct supervision to a 6
provisional certificate holder. 7
Sec. 2. Subsection (i) of section 10-265r of the general statutes is 8
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 9
passage): 10
(i) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the 11
commissioner shall reconsider any application for a grant under this 12
section that was submitted by a local or regional board of education or 13 Raised Bill No. 1286
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regional educational service center prior to July 1, 2024, and which the 14
commissioner had denied. Such board or center shall not be required to 15
submit a new application for such reconsideration, unless the reason for 16
such denial was that such application was incomplete or the 17
commissioner determines that additional information or revision to 18
such application is necessary to be able to award a grant. The 19
commissioner shall provide technical assistance during such 20
reconsideration period to such boards and centers in order to assist such 21
boards and centers in being able to be awarded a grant under this 22
section. 23
Sec. 3. Subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-283 of the general 24
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 25
(Effective from passage): 26
(2) All applications submitted prior to July first shall be reviewed 27
promptly by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The 28
Commissioner of Administrative Services shall estimate the amount of 29
the grant for which such project is eligible, in accordance with the 30
provisions of section 10-285a, provided an application for a school 31
building project determined by the Commissioner of Education to be a 32
project that will assist the state in meeting its obligations pursuant to the 33
decision in Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1 (1996), or any related stipulation 34
or order in effect, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, 35
shall have until September first to submit an application for such a 36
project and may have until December first of the same year to secure 37
and report all local and state approvals required to complete the grant 38
application. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall 39
annually prepare a listing of all such eligible school building projects 40
with the amount of the estimated grants for such projects and shall 41
submit the same to the Governor, the Secretary of the Office of Policy 42
and Management and the General Assembly on or before the fifteenth 43
day of December, except as provided in section 10-283a, with a request 44
for authorization to enter into grant commitments. On or before 45
December thirty-first annually, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 46
Management may submit comments and recommendations regarding 47 Raised Bill No. 1286
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each eligible project on such listing of eligible school building projects 48
to the school construction committee, established pursuant to section 10-49
283a. Each such listing shall include a report on the following factors for 50
each eligible project: [(i)] (A) An enrollment projection and the capacity 51
of the school, including who conducted the enrollment projection for the 52
school and the cost of conducting such enrollment projection, [(ii)] (B) a 53
substantiation of the estimated total project costs, [(iii)] (C) the readiness 54
of such eligible project to begin construction, [(iv)] (D) efforts made by 55
the local or regional board of education to redistrict, reconfigure, merge 56
or close schools under the jurisdiction of such board prior to submitting 57
an application under this section, [(v)] (E) enrollment and capacity 58
information for all of the schools under the jurisdiction of such board 59
for the five years prior to application for a school building project grant, 60
[(vi)] (F) enrollment projections and capacity information for all of the 61
schools under the jurisdiction of such board for the eight years following 62
the date such application is submitted, including who conducted the 63
enrollment projection for the school and the cost of conducting such 64
enrollment projection, [(vii)] (G) the state's education priorities relating 65
to reducing racial and economic isolation for the school district, and 66
[(viii)] (H) an estimation of the total ineligible costs and an itemization 67
of such ineligible costs for such project. On and after July 1, 2022, each 68
such listing shall include an addendum that contains all grants 69
approved pursuant to subsection (b) of this section during the prior 70
fiscal year. For the period beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 71
2012, no project may appear on the separate schedule of authorized 72
projects which have changed in cost more than twice. On and after July 73
1, 2012, no project, other than a project for a technical education and 74
career school, may appear on the separate schedule of authorized 75
projects which have changed in cost more than once, except the 76
Commissioner of Administrative Services may allow a project to appear 77
on such separate schedule of authorized projects a second time if the 78
town or regional school district for such project can demonstrate that 79
exigent circumstances require such project to appear a second time on 80
such separate schedule of authorized projects. Notwithstanding any 81
provision of this chapter, no projects which have changed in scope or 82 Raised Bill No. 1286
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cost to the degree determined by the Commissioner of Administrative 83
Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall be 84
eligible for reimbursement under this chapter unless it appears on such 85
list. The percentage determined pursuant to section 10-285a at the time 86
a school building project on such schedule was originally authorized 87
shall be used for purposes of the grant for such project. On and after July 88
1, 2006, a project that was not previously authorized as an interdistrict 89
magnet school shall not receive a higher percentage for reimbursement 90
than that determined pursuant to section 10-285a at the time a school 91
building project on such schedule was originally authorized. The 92
General Assembly shall annually authorize the Commissioner of 93
Administrative Services to enter into grant commitments on behalf of 94
the state in accordance with the commissioner's categorized listing for 95
such projects as the General Assembly shall determine. The 96
Commissioner of Administrative Services may not enter into any such 97
grant commitments except pursuant to such legislative authorization. 98
Any regional school district which assumes the responsibility for 99
completion of a public school building project shall be eligible for a 100
grant pursuant to subdivision (5) or (6), as the case may be, of subsection 101
(a) of section 10-286 when such project is completed and accepted by 102
such regional school district. 103
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 10-283 of the general statutes is 104
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 105
passage): 106
(b) Notwithstanding the application date requirements of this 107
section, at any time within the limit of available grant authorization and 108
within the limit of appropriated funds, the Commissioner of 109
Administrative Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of 110
Education, may approve applications for grants and make payments for 111
such grants, for any of the following reasons: [(A)] (1) To assist school 112
building projects to remedy damage from fire and catastrophe, [(B)] (2) 113
to correct safety, health and other code violations, [(C)] (3) to replace 114
roofs, including the replacement or installation of skylights as part of 115
the roof replacement project, [(D)] (4) to remedy a certified school 116 Raised Bill No. 1286
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indoor air quality emergency, [(E)] (5) to install insulation for exterior 117
walls and attics, or [(F)] (6) to purchase and install a limited use and 118
limited access elevator, windows, photovoltaic panels, wind generation 119
systems, building management systems or portable classroom 120
buildings, provided portable classroom building projects shall not 121
create a new facility or cause an existing facility to be modified so that 122
the portable buildings comprise a substantial percentage of the total 123
facility area, as determined by the commissioner. 124
Sec. 5. Subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of section 10-550g of the 125
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 126
thereof (Effective from passage): 127
(3) On and after July 1, 2030, sixty per cent of the designated qualified 128
staff members at each Office of Early Childhood funded child care 129
program shall be designated qualified staff members meeting one of the 130
criteria at the bachelor's degree level. If the Office of Early Childhood 131
funded early care and education program is a family child care home, 132
the designated qualified staff member for such family child care home 133
shall have achieved or be working toward an early childhood associate 134
degree or bachelor's degree. 135
Sec. 6. Subsection (d) of section 17a-101e of the general statutes is 136
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 137
passage): 138
(d) Any person who knowingly makes a false report of child abuse or 139
neglect pursuant to sections 17a-101a to 17a-101d, inclusive, and 17a-103 140
shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not 141
more than one year, or both. 142
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 17b-749 of the general statutes is 143
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 144
passage): 145
(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish and operate 146
a child care subsidy program to increase the availability, affordability 147 Raised Bill No. 1286
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and quality of child care services for families with a parent or caretaker 148
who (1) is (A) working or attending high school, or (B) subject to the 149
provisions of subsection (d) of this section, is enrolled or participating 150
in (i) a public or independent institution of higher education, (ii) a 151
private career school authorized pursuant to sections 10a-22a to 10a-22o, 152
inclusive, (iii) a job training or employment program administered by a 153
regional workforce development board, (iv) an apprenticeship program 154
administered by the Labor Department's office of apprenticeship 155
training, (v) an alternate route to certification program approved by the 156
State Board of Education, (vi) an adult education program pursuant to 157
section 10-69 or other high school equivalency program, or (vii) a local 158
Even Start program or other adult education program approved by the 159
Commissioner of Early Childhood; (2) receives cash assistance under 160
the temporary family assistance program from the Department of Social 161
Services and is participating in an education, training or other job 162
preparation activity approved pursuant to subsection (b) of section 17b-163
688i or subsection (b) of section 17b-689d; or (3) is the parent or legal 164
guardian of a child who is enrolled in Medicaid. Services available 165
under the child care subsidy program shall include the provision of 166
child care subsidies for children under the age of thirteen or children 167
under the age of nineteen with special needs. The Commissioner of 168
Early Childhood may institute a protective service class in which the 169
commissioner may waive eligibility requirements for at -risk 170
populations that meet the guidelines prescribed by the commissioner, 171
and subject to review by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 172
Management. Such at-risk populations are (A) children placed in a 173
foster home by the Department of Children and Families and for whom 174
the parent or legal guardian receives foster care payments, (B) adopted 175
through the Department of Children and Families, (C) [who are] 176
homeless children and youths, as defined in 42 USC 11434a, as amended 177
from time to time, and (D) under the care of a caregiver who is a 178
recipient of subsidies under the subsidized guardianship program 179
pursuant to section 17a-126. Any child described in subparagraph (B) of 180
this subdivision shall be eligible for a subsidy under this section for a 181
period not to exceed one year from the date of adoption and any child 182 Raised Bill No. 1286
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described in subparagraph (D) of this subdivision shall be eligible for a 183
subsidy under this section for a period not to exceed one year from the 184
date that such child is approved for a subsidy under this section. The 185
Office of Early Childhood shall open and maintain enrollment for the 186
child care subsidy program and shall administer such program within 187
the existing budgetary resources available. The office shall issue a notice 188
on the office's Internet web site any time the office closes the program to 189
new applications, changes eligibility requirements, changes program 190
benefits or makes any other change to the program's status or terms, 191
except the office shall not be required to issue such notice when the 192
office expands program eligibility. Any change in the office's acceptance 193
of new applications, eligibility requirements, program benefits, or any 194
other change to the program's status or terms for which the office is 195
required to give notice pursuant to this subsection, shall not be effective 196
until thirty days after the office issues such notice. 197
Sec. 8. Subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 22a-226e of the 198
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 199
thereof (Effective from passage): 200
(3) On and after January 1, 2022, each commercial food wholesaler or 201
distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, 202
resort or conference center that is located not more than twenty miles 203
from either an authorized source-separated organic material 204
composting facility or an authorized transfer station, or any collection 205
location authorized to receive source-separated organic materials, and 206
that generates an average projected volume of not less than twenty-six 207
tons per year of source-separated organic materials shall: (A) Separate 208
such source-separated organic materials from other solid waste; and (B) 209
ensure that such source-separated organic materials are recycled at any 210
authorized source-separated organic material composting facility that 211
has available capacity and that will accept such source-separated 212
organic material. 213
Sec. 9. Subsection (d) of section 19a-430 of the general statutes is 214
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 215 Raised Bill No. 1286
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passage): 216
(d) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall schedule the first 217
meeting of the council, which shall be held not later than September 15, 218
2024. The members of the council shall elect the [chairpersons] 219
chairperson of the council from among the members of the council at 220
the first meeting of the council. 221
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 10-145b(k)
Sec. 2 from passage 10-265r(i)
Sec. 3 from passage 10-283(a)(2)
Sec. 4 from passage 10-283(b)
Sec. 5 from passage 10-550g(d)(3)
Sec. 6 from passage 17a-101e(d)
Sec. 7 from passage 17b-749(a)
Sec. 8 from passage 22a-226e(a)(3)
Sec. 9 from passage 19a-430(d)
ED Joint Favorable