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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 953
Sponsored by Senator GELSER BLOUIN, Representative NGUYEN H
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Creates a task force to establish best practices to help a child with a disability begin
public school. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.6).
Establishes the Task Force on Transitions into Kindergarten. Directs the task force to make
recommendations about best practices for supporting the transition into kindergarten of children
with a disability.
Sunsets the task force on December 31, 2026.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to transitions to kindergarten.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) The Task Force on Transitions into Kindergarten is established.
(2) The task force consists of 17 members appointed as follows:
(a) The President of the Senate shall appoint two members from among members of the
Senate.
(b) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members from among
members of the House of Representatives.
(c) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall appoint 13 members as follows:
(A) One member who represents school districts;
(B) One member who represents education service districts;
(C) One member who represents the system designated to protect and advocate for the
rights of individuals with disabilities;
(D) One member who represents the parent information and training center for families
with children with disabilities;
(E) One member who is a parent of a child under five years of age who is receiving early
childhood special education or early intervention services;
(F) One member who is a parent of a child in any grade from kindergarten through grade
five who requires special education because the child has an intellectual disability or a de-
velopmentaldelay;
(G) One member who is a parent of a child in any grade from kindergarten through grade
five who has dyslexia;
(H) One member who is a kindergarten educator in a public school of this state;
(I) One member who is a public preschool provider;
(J) One member who is a court appointed special advocate with experience supporting
children in preschool or kindergarten who are receiving early childhood special education or
early intervention services or receiving special education while in the child welfare system;
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2802 SB953
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(K) One member who is a child welfare caseworker;
(L) One member who is a member of the State Interagency Coordinating Council; and
(M) One member who represents the Department of Education.
(3) The task force shall make recommendations about best practices for supporting the
transition into kindergarten of children with a disability.
(4) To accomplish the purpose of the task force, the task force shall consider:
(a) Best practices for reviewing, before a child with a disability begins kindergarten, the
child’s individualized education program or the education plan developed for the child in ac-
cordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794;
(b) Best practices for ensuring that accommodations, adaptations, special equipment and
services required for a child with a disability are available and ready to be used by the child
on the first day of kindergarten;
(c) Best practices for conducting activities to identify, locate and evaluate children who
may need special education and who will transition into kindergarten the following school
year or who are currently in kindergarten and not receiving special education;
(d) Summer programs that would assist a child with a disability in becoming familiar with
a new school environment; and
(e) Opportunities for school personnel that are compensable and that assist the transi-
tion into kindergarten of a child with a disability, including:
(A) In-person conferences between the child’s preschool provider and school district
staff, including kindergarten educators and school district specialists; and
(B) Meetings between kindergarten educators and an incoming child with a disability in
a setting that includes the child’s preschool providers.
(5) A majority of the voting members of the task force constitutes a quorum for the
transaction of business.
(6) Official action by the task force requires the approval of a majority of the voting
members of the task force.
(7) The task force shall elect one of its members to serve as chairperson.
(8) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing authority shall make an appoint-
ment to become immediately effective.
(9) The task force shall meet at times and places specified by the call of the chairperson
or of a majority of the voting members of the task force.
(10) The task force may adopt rules necessary for the operation of the task force.
(11) The task force shall submit a report in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and
may include recommendations for legislation, to an interim committee of the Legislative
Assembly related to education no later than December 15, 2026.
(12) The Department of Education shall provide staff support to the task force.
(13) Members of the Legislative Assembly appointed to the task force are nonvoting
members of the task force and may act in an advisory capacity only.
(14) Members of the task force who are not members of the Legislative Assembly are not
entitled to compensation or reimbursement for expenses and serve as volunteers on the task
force.
(15) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS 174.111, are directed to assist
the task force in the performance of the duties of the task force and, to the extent permitted
by laws relating to confidentiality, to furnish information and advice the members of the task
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force consider necessary to perform their duties.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this 2025 Act is repealed on December 31, 2026.
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