SB 349 — AN ACT CONCERNING DYSLEXIA SCREENING OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCARCERATED.

Substitute Senate GeneralBill Assembly File No.

427349 FebruarySpecial Session,Act 2024 Substitute Senate Bill No.

34924-14 Senate,AN AprilACT 11,CONCERNING 2024AN TheASSESSMENT CommitteeOF onMEANS JudiciaryTO reportedthroughSCREEN SEN.INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCARCERATED FOR DYSLEXIA.

WINFIELD of the 10th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING DYSLEXIA SCREENING OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCARCERATED.

Section(Effective 18-81pfrom passage) (a) The Department of theCorrection generalshall statutesassess isand repealedconsider means to screen for dyslexia (1) all persons who are sentenced to a period of incarceration, and the(2) followingthose ispersons substitutedwho have not been convicted or sentenced who are in lieuthe thereofcustody (Effectiveof fromthe passage):Commissioner of Correction for a period that is longer than six months.

(a)Atthediscretionofthecommissioner,thedepartmentmayalsoconsider Themeans Commissionerto ofscreen Correction, in consultation with the Departmentpersons ofdescribed Mentalin Healthsubdivisions and Addiction Services and the Judicial Department, shall annually review, evaluate and make recommendations concerning (1) substance use disorder screening, diagnostic and treatment(2) servicesof thatthis aresubsection availablefor toother individualslearning whodisabilities. are incarcerated during the entirety of any period of incarceration;

(2)(b) mentalNot healthlater screening,than diagnosticDecember and11, treatment2024, servicesthe thatcommissioner areshall availablereport toin individualsaccordance whowith arethe incarceratedprovisions duringof section 11-4a of the entiretygeneral statutes the findings of the assessment conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and any periodofincarceration;and(3)thereintegrationofsuchrecommendations individualsintofor legislation to the community.joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the Department of Correction.

OnApproved orJune before5, January2024 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Correction shall report on such review, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing sSB349 / File No.

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427 committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary, public health and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies.

(b) The Commissioner of Correction, in consultation with the Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities established under section 10-14z, shall establish and maintain a system for screening for dyslexia of individuals who are incarcerated.

The Department of Correction shall:

(1) On and after January 1, 2025, complete and assess a screening for dyslexia of each such individual who has not been previously screened for dyslexia by the department not later than sixty days following such individual's intake into a correctional facility, and (2) not later than January 1, 2025, implement procedures to screen for dyslexia each individual who is incarcerated and who has not previously been so screened by the department.

Not later than December 1, 2025, the commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the Department of Correction concerning the department's compliance with the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, or a plan to achieve compliance, if the department is not in compliance with said provisions.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1 from passage 18-81p JUD Joint Favorable Subst.

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427 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:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 25 $ FY 26 $ Correction, Dept.

GF - Cost 200,000 25,000 Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill requires the Department of Correction (DOC) to create and maintain a system for dyslexia screening resulting in an approximate cost of $200,000 in FY 25 and $25,000 in FY 26.

To meet therequirements of the bill the DOC will have to hire a consultant, purchase screening materials, and train staff.

Costs are higher in FY 25 because the entire inmate population will have to be screened in the first year , in FY 26 and beyond only new inmates will be screened.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified in FY 26 will continue into the future subject to inflation.

1The DOC doesn't currently screen for dyslexia and as of 4/1/2024 there are 10,580 inmates in DOC custody.

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427 3 sSB349 File No.

427 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 349 AN ACT CONCERNING DYSLEXIA SCREENING OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCARCERATED.

SUMMARY This bill requires the Department of Correction (DOC) commissioner to create and maintain a system for dyslexia screening of people who are incarcerated.

The commissioner must do so in consultation with the State Department of Education’s Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities.

Under the bill, starting January 1, 2025, DOC must complete and assess a dyslexia screening for incarcerated people who were not previously screened by the department, within 60 days of their intake.

By that same date, DOC also must implement procedures for screening of incarcerated people who were not previously screened.

By December 1, 2025, the DOC commissioner must report to the JudiciaryCommitteeonthedepartment’scompliance,orplantoachieve compliance, with these screening requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE: