HB 7219 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT PROTECTING 504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS IN CONNECTICUT.

HB 7219 protects students with disabilities in Connecticut public schools by requiring school districts to provide equal access to educational programs and accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It directly affects students with disabilities (including those with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit major life activities) and prohibits schools from excluding them, denying benefits, or providing unequal services due to their disability. Key provisions ban discrimination in program access, require accommodations to be "as effective" as those for non-disabled students, and mandate that schools offer equal opportunities in the most integrated setting possible. The law applies to all public preschool, elementary, secondary, and adult educational services provided by local or regional school boards.

Issues: ✓ Education

Sub-Topics: Special Education Early Childhood

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 13, 2025 Last action Apr 15, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → ED Joint Favorable Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to update terminology from 'handicapped' to 'disability' and 'handicapped student' to 'student with a disability' throughout the text. The changes modernize language to align with current disability rights terminology and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The substantive protections and requirements remain substantially the same, though some provisions were streamlined by removing references to certain state agencies like the Technical Education and Career System and Department of Education from specific sections.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on ensuring equal access to educational services for students with disabilities, but the language now uses more contemporary terminology and slightly narrows certain agency references in enforcement provisions.

DEFINITION

Changed the term 'handicapped student' to 'student with a disability' in multiple definitions throughout the bill to use modern, person-first language.

Updated the definition of 'qualified handicapped student' to 'qualified student with a disability' and modified related criteria language.

Changed the term 'handicap' to 'disability' in the definition section to align with current legal terminology.

REQUIREMENT

Removed references to the Technical Education and Career System, Department of Education, and Office of Early Childhood from several non-discrimination provisions, limiting some requirements to local or regional boards of education only.

Added new provisions requiring that aid, benefits, and services be equally effective by affording equal opportunity to obtain the same result, gain the same benefit, or reach the same level of achievement in the most integrated setting appropriate to the student's needs.

Added restrictions on using criteria or methods of administration that would subject students with disabilities to discrimination or defeat the accomplishment of program objectives.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Education

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors