Connecticut SB 220: AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF STATE EMPLOYEES WORKING REMOTELY.

Bill Text

Substitute Senate Bill No. 220

Public Act No. 26-149

AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT LITERACY, ASPIRING
EDUCATORS, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AS PART OF THE
WORLD LANGUAGES CURRICULUM AND THE PARAEDUCATOR
HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN SUBSIDY PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Department of
Education shall develop and disseminate guidance to local and regional
boards of education regarding the implementation of multitiered
systems of support or response to intervention frameworks for students
who are identified as struggling in reading. Such guidance shall be
based on data collected from the results of approved reading
assessments, as described in section 10-14t of the general statutes.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2028, the Commissioner of Education
shall submit a report on the guidance developed pursuant to subsection
(a) of this section and any recommendations for legislation to the joint
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of
section 11-4a of the general statutes.
Sec. 2. Section 10-156ii of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):

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(a) There is established an aspiring educators [diversity] scholarship
program administered by the Department of Education. The program
shall provide an annual scholarship to [diverse students] aspiring
educators who (1) graduated from a public high school in [an alliance
district, as defined in section 10-262u] this state, and (2) are enrolled in
a teacher preparation program at any four-year institution of higher
education. [A diverse student] An aspiring educator may receive an
annual scholarship in an amount up to ten thousand dollars for each
year such [diverse student] aspiring educator is enrolled and in good
standing in a teacher preparation program. As used in this section,
["diverse" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-156bb]
"aspiring educator" means an individual who is in a population
subgroup that is underrepresented in the teaching profession in this
state and for which such population subgroup has been identified as a
teacher shortage area by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to
section 10-8b, as amended by this act.
(b) Not later than January 1, [2023] 2027, the department shall, in
consultation with the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education,
develop a policy concerning the administration of the scholarship. Such
policy shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions regarding (1)
any additional eligibility criteria, (2) payment and distribution of the
scholarships to [diverse students] aspiring educators through the
teacher preparation programs in which they are enrolled, and (3) the
notification of students in high school [in alliance districts] of the
scholarship program, including the opportunity to apply for a
scholarship under the program while enrolled in high school and prior
to graduation if such student will be enrolled in a teacher preparation
program during the following fall semester at a four-year institution of
higher education.
(c) For the fiscal [years] year ending June 30, [2024] 2027, and each

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Public Act No. 26-149 3 of 8

fiscal year thereafter, the department shall annually award scholarships
in accordance with the provisions of this section and the guidelines
developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
(d) The Commissioner of Education shall develop scholarship
repayment criteria for recipients who are not employed as a certified
teacher by a local or regional board of education in [the] this state
following graduation from a teacher preparation program. Any
amounts repaid to the department shall be deposited in the General
Fund.
(e) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, the commissioner shall
determine if there are any unexpended funds appropriated for purposes
of this section for the fiscal year. If the commissioner determines that
there are unexpended funds in said fiscal year, the commissioner shall
transfer, not later than July 15, 2026, through a memorandum of
understanding with the Comptroller, up to three hundred thousand
dollars of such unexpended funds for the purpose of expanding the
subsidy program, established pursuant to section 203 of public act 23-
204, as amended by section 124 of public act 24-81 and this act, to include
paraeducators who are employed by a charter school in the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2027.
[(e)] (f) The department may accept gifts, grants and donations, from
any source, public or private, for the aspiring educators [diversity]
scholarship program.
[(f)] (g) Not later than January 1, [2024] 2028, and annually thereafter,
the department sha