Connecticut HB 5325: AN ACT CONCERNING SPECIAL EDUCATION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5325
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING SPECIAL EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-236b of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2026): 3
(a) For purposes of this section: 4
(1) "Life-threatening physical restraint" means any physical restraint 5
or hold of a person that (A) restricts the flow of air into a person's lungs, 6
whether by chest compression or any other means, [or] (B) immobilizes 7
or reduces the free movement of a person's arms, legs or head while the 8
person is in the prone position, or (C) has been deemed life-threatening 9
by such person's health care provider based on such person's existing 10
medical conditions; 11
(2) "Psychopharmacologic agent" means any medication that affects 12
the central nervous system, influencing thinking, emotion or behavior; 13
(3) "Physical restraint" means any mechanical or personal restriction 14
that immobilizes or reduces the free movement of a person's arms, legs 15
or head, including, but not limited to, carrying or forcibly moving a 16
person from one location to another. The term does not include: (A) 17

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Briefly holding a person in order to calm or comfort the person; (B) 18
restraint involving the minimum contact necessary to safely escort a 19
person from one area to another; (C) medical devices, including, but not 20
limited to, supports prescribed by a health care provider to achieve 21
proper body position or balance; (D) helmets or other protective gear 22
used to protect a person from injuries due to a fall; (E) helmets, mitts 23
and similar devices used to prevent self-injury when the device is (i) part 24
of a documented treatment plan or individualized education program 25
pursuant to section 10-76d, or (ii) prescribed or recommended by a 26
medical professional, as defined in section 38a-976, and is the least 27
restrictive means available to prevent such self-injury; or (F) an 28
exclusionary time out; 29
(4) "School employee" has the same meaning as provided in 30
subsection (b) of section 10-221o; 31
(5) "Seclusion" means the involuntary confinement of a student in a 32
room from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. 33
"Seclusion" does not include an exclusionary time out; 34
(6) "Student" means a child (A) enrolled in grades kindergarten to 35
twelve, inclusive, in a public school under the jurisdiction of a local or 36
regional board of education, (B) receiving special education and related 37
services in an institution or facility operating under contract with a local 38
or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-39
76d, (C) enrolled in a program or school administered by a regional 40
education service center established pursuant to section 10-66a, or (D) 41
receiving special education and related services from an approved 42
private special education program, but shall not include any child 43
receiving educational services from (i) Unified School District #2, 44
established pursuant to section 17a-37, or (ii) the Department of Mental 45
Health and Addiction Services; and 46
(7) "Exclusionary time out" means a temporary, continuously 47
monitored separation of a student from an ongoing activity in a non-48
locked setting, for the purpose of calming such student or deescalating 49

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such student's behavior. 50
Sec. 2. Subsection (f) of section 10-76ggg of the 2026 supplement to 51
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 52
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 53
(f) Not later than July 15, 2026, and annually thereafter, each local and 54
regional board of education shall submit an annual expenditure report 55
to the Commissioner of Education, except any board of education that 56
receives a grant under this section that is less than ten thousand dollars 57
in any fiscal year shall not be responsible for submitting such report for 58
such fiscal year. Such report shall include a summary and itemization of 59
how grant funds received pursuant to this section were expended 60
during the prior fiscal year for [the direct provision of special education 61
and related services to students, including whether such grant was used 62
to hire any new special education teachers, paraeducators or behavioral 63
or reading specialists] special education purposes, as defined in 64
subsection (e) of this section. 65
Sec. 3. Section 10-91j of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes as 66
amended by section 24 of public act 25-67, is repealed and the following 67
is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 68
(a) (1) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, 69
any agreement entered into or amended on or after July 1, 2018, but 70
prior