SB 138 Connecticut Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

SB 138 revises Connecticut's charter school approval process. It limits charter school enrollment to 250 students or 25% of a district's total enrollment (whichever is smaller) and prioritizes applications serving students in low-performing districts, priority school districts, or specific groups like multilingual learners or those with special education needs. The State Board of Education must review charter applications for schools located in districts with "commissioner's network" schools or low achievement ratings. The bill also updates non-discrimination protections to include gender identity in school admissions policies.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 11, 2026 Signed Jun 4, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill ED Joint Favorable Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' with significant substantive changes to the sections it repeals and replaces. The primary shift involves moving the statutory references from Section 10-15c (general public school admissions) to Sections 10-264l and 10-264i (specifically regarding interdistrict magnet schools and special education plans). This change alters the legal basis for how costs are handled for students with 504 plans attending magnet schools, shifting responsibility to the magnet school to ensure services and pay for costs, while also adjusting the effective dates of these provisions.
Scope change
The bill's scope shifted from general public school admission rules to specific regulations governing interdistrict magnet schools and the financial responsibilities for students with special education plans.
REQUIREMENT

Repealed the general public school admission statute (10-15c) and replaced it with a specific mandate for interdistrict magnet schools to ensure services and pay costs for students with 504 plans.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the effective dates of the new provisions from July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2026, making the changes effective one year earlier.

FISCAL

Changed the funding mechanism for students with 504 plans by requiring the magnet school to pay for service costs rather than the district paying the difference in costs.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 30, 2026 · House May 6, 2026

How they voted

350
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 36
Apr 30, 2026
D Democratic25
25 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican11
10 Yea 1
90% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
21
Key actions
6
Committee
2
Amendments
2
Jun 4, 2026
Signed into law
SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
upper
May 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
HOUSE PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
lower
May 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
HOUSE ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
lower
Apr 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
SEN. PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
upper
Apr 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
SEN. ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Education
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors