HB 2117

Abstract

Children's Services Act; special education programs. Requires that funds expended for special education services under the Children's Services Act only be expended on educational programs that are licensed by the Department of Education. The bill adds children and youth previously placed in approved private school educational programs for at least six months who will receive transitional services, as that term is defined in the bill, in a public school setting to the target population for eligibility for the state pool of funds, provided, however, that such funds shall be allocated for such transitional services for no longer than 12 months. The bill requires the Secretary of Education, in conjunction with the Office of Children's Services and the Department of Education, to establish a work group (the Work Group) with, at minimum, certain identified stakeholders to develop a detailed plan to direct the transfer of Children's Services Act funds currently reserved for children requiring an educational placement in a private special education day school or residential facility to the Department of Education and to develop a standardized reporting process, template, and reporting requirement for private special education day school tuition rates to ensure that tuition rates can be accurately compared across schools and over time, among other duties. The bill requires that the Work Group submit its plan and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2021.

Children's Services Act; special educationprograms. Requires that funds expended for special education services under the Children's Services Act only be expended on educational programs that are licensed by the Department of Education. The billadds children and youth previously placed in approved private schooleducational programs for at least six months, who will receive transitionalservices in a public school setting for no longer than 12 months,to the target population for eligibility for the state pool of funds.The bill requires the Secretary of Education, in conjunction withthe Office of Children's Services and the Department of Education,to establish a work group (the Work Group) with appropriate stakeholdersto develop a detailed plan to direct the transfer of Children's ServicesAct funds currently reserved for children requiring an educationalplacement in a private special education day school or residentialfacility to the Department of Education and to develop a standardizedreporting process, template, and reporting requirement for privatespecial education day school tuition rates to ensure that tuitionrates can be accurately compared across schools and over time. Thebill requires that the Work Group submit its plan and recommendationsto the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and SenateCommittee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2021.