Special Education Funding Passes

May 31, 2025



 

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Dear Neighbor,

For too long, Connecticut's special education model has faced fundamental flaws that prevented all students from receiving the proper education they deserve. With our recent passage of HB 5001: An Act Concerning the Quality and Delivery of Special Education Services in Connecticut, we are taking important steps to reform this system.

This bill, which passed 148-0 in the House on a bipartisan basis, makes historic investments in students with special education needs, delivers improved access to services, and provides cost controls and greater transparency.

Key provisions of the bill include:

  • Historic investment in our students, including $30 million for the Special Education Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program, which will help build capacity to serve students closer to home.
  • Prioritizing better access to services through enhanced development screenings, behavioral assessment and intervention plans, access to remedial classes in higher education, and involvement of parents and local school districts before a student is moved from their school.
  • Reining in costs by regulating third-party rate processes and developing new billing and licensing standards.
  • Increasing oversight through on-site compliance visits and detailed system-wide reporting to reduce unpredictability and improve accountability.

Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to provide them with a proper education. In a state with one of the best K-12 public school systems in the country, HB 5001 ensures that our special education program maintains the same level of quality.

The bill must now pass the Senate and be signed into law by the governor.

 
 

As always, if I can be of assistance to you and your family, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at larry.butler@cga.ct.gov  or call 860-240-8585.

Sincerely,

Larry Butler
State Representative

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