BILL NUMBER: S3366

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act providing that a student enrolled in an individualized education
program during certain school years may continue to receive educational
services until the student completes the services pursuant to the indi-
vidualized education program or turns twenty-three years old, whichever
is sooner; and to provide for the repeal of such provisions upon the
expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that those students with disabilities who "age out" during the
2022-23 school year receive instruction and other services required by
their individual education programs to compensate for the ongoing nega-
tive impacts of Covid-19, including remote instruction and inability to
provide transition services.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

              

Section 1 states that a school district may provide educational services
to a student who turned twenty-one years old during the 2022-2023 school
year and was enrolled in the school district and receiving special
education services pursuant to an individualized education program. Such
students may continue to receive such educational services until the
student completes the services pursuant to the individualized education
program or turns twenty-three years of age, whichever is sooner.

Section 2 states the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The ongoing impacts of remote learning and lack of vital programs and
services needed for students to complete their individual education
program (IEP,) including transition planning for students with disabili-
ties, continue to seriously impact their readiness and ability to tran-
sition from their current school programs. This legislation makes clear
that school districts may continue to provide special educational
services to students who turn 21 years old in the 2022-2023 school year
and were enrolled in the school district, pursuant to their IEP.

This will help ensure that those students who did not receive the
services provided for in their IEP, including transition services, due
the impacts during COVID-19 receive these services.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill. Similar legislation A8021/S7192 was signed into law and
enacted June 29, 2021 to provide these services to students who turned
21 during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years.

 
FISCAL LYIPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed June 30, 2025.