Connecticut 2023 Regular Session Status: In Committee 3 D cosponsors

HB 6644 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.

Last action — FILE NO. 90

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2023 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

209 added · 66 removed

209 line(s) added, 66 removed.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No.
House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
6644 January Session, 2023 LCO No.
90 January Session, 2023 Substitute House Bill No.
4073 Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN Introduced by:
6644 House of Representatives, March 16, 2023 The Committee on Children reported through REP.
(KID) AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.
LINEHAN of the 103rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.
(a) Each eligible child and his or her family shall receive (1) a multidisciplinary assessment of the child's unique needs and the identification of services appropriate to meet such needs, (2) a written individualized family service plan developed by a multidisciplinary team, including the parent, within forty-five days after the referral, (3) review of the individualized family service plan with the family at least every six months, with evaluation of the individualized family service plan at least annually, and (4) not later than two months after the date on which any child is determined to be ineligible for participation in preschool programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 20 USC 1471 et seq., a referral to register for a mobile application designated by the Commissioner of Early Childhood for the purpose of continued screening for developmental and social-emotional delays in LCO No.
(a) Each eligible child and his or her family shall receive (1) a multidisciplinary assessment of the child's unique needs and the identification of services appropriate to meet such needs, (2) a written individualized family service plan developed by a multidisciplinary team, including the parent, within forty-five days after the referral, (3) review of the individualized family service plan with the family at least every six months, with evaluation of the individualized family service plan at least annually, and (4) not later than two months after the date on which any child is determined to be ineligible for participation in preschool programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 20 USC 1471 et seq., a referral to register for a mobile application designated by the Commissioner of Early Childhood for the purpose of sHB6644 / File No.
4073 1 of 5 Raised Bill No.6644 partnership with the local or regional board of education for the school district in which such child resides pursuant to subparagraph (H) of subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10-76d, provided a form used for screening for developmental and social-emotional delays using a validated screening tool, such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire, or its equivalent, is provided to any family upon the request of such family for the purpose of completing and submitting such form to the local or regional board of education for the school district in which such child resides.
90 1 sHB6644 File No.
90 continued screening for developmental and social-emotional delays in partnership with the local or regional board of education for the school district in which such child resides pursuant to subparagraph (H) of subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10-76d, provided a form used for screening for developmental and social-emotional delays using a validated screening tool, such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire, or its equivalent, is provided to any family upon the request of such family for the purpose of completing and submitting such form to the local or regional board of education for the school district in which such child resides.
and (9) the steps to be taken to support the transition of the child who is eligible for participation in preschool LCO No.
and (9) the steps to be taken to support the transition of the child who is eligible for participation in preschool sHB6644 / File No.
4073 2 of 5 Raised Bill No.
90 2 sHB6644 File No.
6644 programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 20 USC 1471 et seq., as appropriate.
90 programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 20 USC 1471 et seq., as appropriate.
(e) The individual service coordinator for an eligible child shall (1) not later than three months prior to the third birthday of such child, (A) meet with the parent or guardian of such child to provide to and discuss with such parent or guardian (i) information about special education and related services that may be available for such child, including the Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut developed by the Department of Education and the rights and resources available to such child in the provision of special education and related services, and (ii) thecontactinformationforthepersonresponsiblefortheadministration or coordination of special education services for the school district in which such child resides, and (B) provide such person responsible for theadministrationorcoordinationofspecialeducationserviceswiththe individualized family service plan for such child, and (2) review the individualized family service plan for such child with such person responsible for theadministrationandcoordinationofspecialeducation services to identify whether the school district has the resources necessary to adequately address the needs of such child through special education services for such child.
(e) The individual service coordinator for an eligible child shall, not later than three monthsprior to the third birthday of such child, (1) meet with the parent or guardian of such child to provide to and discuss with such parent or guardian the contact information for the person responsible for the administration or coordination of special education services for the school district in which such child resides, and (2) provide such person responsible for the administration or coordination of special education services with the individualized family service plan for such child.
LCO No.
Sec.
4073 3 of 5 Raised Bill No.
6644 Sec.
Such handout shall (1) be age-appropriate, (2) prepared separately for students in grades (A) kindergarten to four, inclusive, (B) five to eight, inclusive, and (C) nine to twelve, inclusive, (3) translated into multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Polish, and (4) includeaglossaryofthemostcommontoolsusedintheimplementation of such program or plan.
Such handout shall (1) be age-appropriate, (2) be prepared separately for students in grades (A) kindergarten to four, inclusive, (B) five to eight, inclusive, and (C) nine to twelve, inclusive, (3) be translated into multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Polish, sHB6644 / File No.
90 3 sHB6644 File No.
90 and (4) include a glossary of the most common tools used in the implementation of such program or plan.
Subparagraph (E) of subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10-76d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
Subparagraphs (D) and (E) of subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 10-76d of the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
(E) Each local and regional board of education shall have in effect at the beginning of each school year an educational program for each child or pupil who has been identified as eligible for special education, and shall provide the informational handout described in section 2 of this act to each child with an individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
(D) Immediately upon the formal identification of any child as a child requiring special education and at each planning and placement team meeting for such child, the responsible local or regional board of education shall inform the parent or guardian of such child or surrogate parentor,inthecaseofapupilwhoisanemancipatedminororeighteen years of age or older, the pupil of (i) the laws relating to special education, (ii) the rights of such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil under such laws and the regulations adopted by the State Board of Education relating to special education, including the right of a parent, guardian or surrogate parent to (I) withhold from enrolling such child in kindergarten, in accordance with the provisions of section 10- 184, [and] (II) have advisors and the school paraprofessional assigned to such child or pupilattendandparticipate in allportionsofsuch meeting at which an educational program for such child or pupil is developed, reviewed or revised, in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, and (III) obtain a separate document that is a plain language and detailed explanation of the hearing and appeals process, as provided in section 10-76h, available to such child or pupil if there is a disagreement about the individualized education program, identification, evaluation or educational placement of or the provision of a free appropriate public education to such child or pupil, and that includes information regarding available resources and local advocacy groups that provide assistance relating to such hearings and appeals, such as the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center, and (iii) any relevant information and resources relating to individualized education programs created by the Department of Education, including, but not limited to, information relating to transition resources and services for sHB6644 / File No.
90 4 sHB6644 File No.
90 high school students and the Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut developed by the department.
If such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil does not attend a planning and placement team meeting, the responsible local or regional board of education shall mail such information to such person.
(E) Each local and regional board of education shall have in effect at the beginning of each school year an educational program for each child or pupil who has been identified as eligible for special education, and shall provide (i) the informational handout described in section 2 of this act to each child with an individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and (ii) the Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut developed by the Department of Education and the rights and resources available to such child in the provision of special education and related services.
Section 1 July 1, 2023 17a-248e Sec.
July 1, 2023 Section 1 17a-248e Sec.
3 July 1, 2023 10-76d(a)(10)(E) Statement of Purpose:
3 July 1, 2023 10-76d(a)(10)(D) and (E) KID Joint Favorable Subst.
To require birth-to-three service coordinators to provide information regarding special education to the parents and guardians of children receiving birth-to-threeprogramservicesandto requiretheDepartment LCO No.
sHB6644 / File No.
4073 4 of 5 Raised Bill No.
90 5 sHB6644 File No.
6644 of Education to develop an age-appropriate informational handout for students with individualized education programs and 504 plans.
90 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.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
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.] LCO No.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
4073 5 of 5
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
None Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 24 $ FY 25 $ Local and Regional School Potential Less than Less than Districts Cost $10,000 $10,000 Explanation Section 1 requires Birth to Three individual service coordinators within the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) to coordinate the introduction of parents or guardians with the person responsible for the administration of special education services for the school district in which the child resides, no later than three months prior to the child's third birthday.
This has no fiscal impact as it codifies current practice.
Section 2 requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to develop an age-appropriate handout for students about what it means to have an individualized education plan.
This has no fiscal impact as it is anticipated that SDE can develop such a handout within existing resources.
Section 3 requires local and regional school districts to provide several handouts and documents regarding special education to students participating in special education programs.
This results in printingcosts,estimatedtobelessthan$10,000annually,indistrictsthat choose to hand deliver this information to students.
The Out Years sHB6644 / File No.
Show all 73 changed rows (33 more)
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90 6 sHB6644 File No.
90 The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.
sHB6644 / File No.
90 7 sHB6644 File No.
90 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 6644 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.
SUMMARY By January 1, 2024, this bill requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to develop an informational handout for students to explain (1) what it means to have an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan (see BACKGROUND), and (2) the rights entitled to them in the classroom under these programs or plans.
The bill also requires an eligible child’s Birth to Three (see BACKGROUND) individual service coordinator, at least three months prior to the child’s third birthday, to meet with the parent or guardian to provide and discuss transitional information related to the child’s special education eligibility in the public school district.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1, 2023 IEP AND 504 PLAN INFORMATION The handout must include a glossary of the most common tools used in program or plan implementation and be (1) age appropriate;
(2) prepared separately for students in grades kindergarten to four, five to eight, and nine to 12;
and (3) translated into multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Polish.
SDE must post this handout on its website and make it available to local and regional boards of education, which must in turn provide the handout to each child with an IEP or 504 plan.
By law, as soon as a student is formally identified as requiring special sHB6644 / File No.
90 8 sHB6644 File No.
90 education, and at each of the student’s planning and placement team (PPT) meetings thereafter, the board of education must provide the student, and their parents, guardians, or surrogate parent, with information on special education laws, their rights under these laws, and relevant information and resources on IEPs created by SDE.
The bill requires this information to include (1) the SDE-developed Parent’s Guide to Special Education in Connecticut and (2) a separate, plain language document providing a detailed explanation of the hearing and appeals process available to the student if there is a disagreement about thestudent’s IEP;
their identification,evaluation,or educational placement;
and the provision of a free appropriate public education to the student.
This document must include information about available resources and local advocacy groups that provide assistance on these hearingsandappeals,such astheConnecticut Parent Advocacy Center.
BIRTH TO THREE The bill also requires an eligible child’s Birth to Three (see BACKGROUND) individual service coordinator, at least three months prior to the child’s third birthday, to meet with the parent or guardian to provide and discuss the contact information for the special education administrator or coordinator in the child’s school district and give this administrator the child’s individualized family service plan.
Existing law generally requires each eligible child and his or her family to receive a (1) multidisciplinary assessment, (2) written individualized family service plan, and (3) periodic review of the individualized family service plan within set time frames (CGS § 17a- 248e(a)).
BACKGROUND IEP and 504 Plans The term “IEP” comes from the federal special education law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1400 et seq.), which aims to ensure equal access to public education for students sHB6644 / File No.
90 9 sHB6644 File No.
90 with special education needs.
A student who has an IEP has a right to special education and related services.
Named after Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
§ 794), a 504 plan is a formal accommodation plan for a public school student who has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, which must be related to their educational environment.
A student can be covered by a plan whether or not they are eligible for special education.
Students with 504 plans generally are enrolled in regular, rather than special, education programs with accommodations.
Eligible Child By law, an “eligible child” under the Birth to Three Program is a child up to age 36 months who is not eligible for special education and related services and who needs early intervention services because he or she is (1) experiencing a significant developmental delay as measured by standardized diagnostic instruments and procedures or (2) diagnosed as having a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay (CGS § 17a-248(4)).
COMMITTEE ACTION Committee on Children Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 19 Nay 0 (03/03/2023) sHB6644 / File No.
90 10
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Action History

  1. FILE NO. 90

  2. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 82

  3. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/15/23

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable Substitute

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0216

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Committee on Children

Sponsors

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3 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 184 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (184)

184 members have not signed on to this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 6644?
HB 6644 is sponsored by Gary A. Turco (Democratic), Saud Anwar (Democratic), and Geraldo C. Reyes (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 6644?
This bill died with 2023 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HB 6644?
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