HB 5128 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE WHETHER TO ESTABLISH A POST-SECONDARY PRISON EDUCATION OFFICE.

New Copy House of Representatives General Assembly SubstituteFile Bill No.

512824 February Session, 2022 ANSubstitute ACTHouse CONCERNINGBill THENo. TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE WHETHER TO ESTABLISH A POST-SECONDARY PRISON EDUCATION OFFICE.

5128 House of Representatives, March 16, 2022 The Committee on Higher Education and Employment Advancement reported through REP.

ELLIOTT of the 88th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE WHETHER TO ESTABLISH A POST-SECONDARY PRISON EDUCATION OFFICE.

Such study shall include, but need not be limited to, an examination of (1) any existing office dedicated to postsecondary prison education within the state and, if such office exists, such office's responsibilities, (2) the process and standards for approving education programs at correctional facilities, (3) the ability for virtual education programs at correctional facilities, (4) the administrative process that the department uses for students who submit complaints about the education programs, (5) the process and standardssHB5128 that/ theFile department uses to approve curriculum and course materials for students in correctional facilities, (6) whether the department participates in the state's education, workforce and employment longitudinal data system, (7) the space available in correctional facilities to provide prison education programming, (8) the demand for space in correctional facilities for prison education programming, and (9) the strategies utilized by other state or county LCO 1 of 3 Substitute Bill No.

512824 correctional1 agenciessHB5128 toFile increaseNo. the number of individuals who will have access to prison education programs using federal Pell grant awards.

24 standards that the department uses to approve curriculum and course materials for students in correctional facilities, (6) whether the department participates in the state's education, workforce and employment longitudinal data system, (7) the space available in correctional facilities to provide prison education programming, (8) the demand for space in correctional facilities for prison education programming, and (9) the strategies utilized by other state or county correctional agencies to increase the number of individuals who will have access to prison education programs using federal Pell grant awards.

(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later thanthirtysHB5128 daysafter/ theeffectiveFile dateNo. ofthis section.Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

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24 thanthirty daysafter theeffective date ofthis section.Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

Such chairpersons shall schedule thefirst meeting ofthe task force, whichshall beheld not later thansixty LCOdays {after 2the ofeffective 3date Substituteof Billthis No.section.

5128 days after the effective date of this section.

Section 1 from passage PANew 21-132,section Sec.Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

2 Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

-LCO LCOsHB5128 {/ 3File ofNo. 3

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24 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill extends the reporting date for the task force studying the costs and benefits of creating a Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office within the Department of Correction to January 1, 2023.

The bill also changes the number of task force members.

These changes have no fiscal impact.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sHB5128 / File No.

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24 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5128 AN ACT CONCERNING THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE WHETHER TO ESTABLISH A POST-SECONDARY PRISON EDUCATION OFFICE.

SUMMARY This bill reduces, from 16 to 10, the membership of the task force to study the costs and benefits of establishing a Postsecondary Prison Education Program Office.

It does so by reducing each legislative appointment by one.

By law, the task force must study at least nine topics, including space demands for prison education programming in correctional facilities;

processes and standards for approving these programs, their curricula, and course materials;

and other states’ and counties’ strategies for increasing the number of people who can access these programs using federal Pell grants (PA 21-132, § 2).

Table 1 outlines the membership reduction for each appointing authority.

Table 1:

Task Force Membership Reduction Under the Bill Appointing Authority Number of Appointees Number of Appointees Under PA 21-132 Under the Bill House speaker Three Two Senate president pro Three Two tempore House majority leader Two One Senate majority leader Two One House minority leader Two One Senate minority leader Two One N/A Office of Policy and Management undersecretary for criminal justice or her designee N/A Department of Correction commissioner or his designee sHB5128 / File No.

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24 By law and unchanged by the bill, appointed members may be legislators, and all initial appointments must be made within 30 days after the bill’s effective date.