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HB 5661

AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION EXCESS COST GRANT.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Marty Foncello

Connecticut enacts changes to the Special Education Excess Cost Grant funding, adjusting the formula and distribution to better cover districts' excess SPED costs.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Education
#grantsbythestate #municipalities #specialeducation
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Bill Summary · HB 5661

Summary — HB 5661: AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION EXCESS COST GRANT

Status: Enacted (filed without Governor’s signature; effective immediately, June 20, 2025)
Introduced: April 1, 2025
Companion bill: SB 3038

Note: The full bill text was not provided. The summary below presents the confirmed procedural history and a concise explanation of the bill’s likely scope and impacts based on its title and customary practice for “special education excess cost” legislation. For exact statutory changes, funding amounts, and technical definitions, consult the enrolled bill text or state legislative website.

Purpose and intent

Based on its title, HB 5661 addresses the State’s funding of the Special Education Excess Cost Grant. Such grants are intended to reimburse or assist school districts and municipalities for special education costs that exceed a defined base amount (i.e., “excess” costs attributable to educating students with disabilities). The bill’s intent is to modify how the state provides financial support for these excess special education expenditures.

Key provisions (inferred scope)

Because the bill text is not provided, the following summarizes the types of provisions typically included in legislation with this title. The enacted bill likely does one or more of the following:
- Adjusts the formula or methodology used to calculate the Special Education Excess Cost Grant (for example, changing thresholds, eligible cost categories, or per‑pupil multipliers).
- Increases or reauthorizes state appropriation levels to better cover excess special education costs for local boards of education and municipalities.
- Clarifies eligible expenditures that qualify as “excess” (e.g., related services, specialized staff, out‑of‑district placements, transportation).
- Modifies the distribution mechanism among districts (e.g., by pupil counts, incidence of disability, or severity weightings).
- Establishes reporting, auditing, or reimbursement timelines tied to grant payments.
- May include an effective date or transition rules for implementation.

Who is affected

  • Public school districts and local education agencies (LEAs) that serve students with disabilities — especially those with higher-than-average per‑pupil special education costs.
  • Municipal governments that fund local schools.
  • Students with disabilities and their families, to the extent district resources and services are changed by grant funding.
  • State education agencies responsible for administering grants and monitoring expenditures.

Legislative and procedural timeline (selected)

  • 2025-01-21: Referred to Joint Committee on Education (initial referral)
  • 2025-04-01: Filed
  • April–May 2025: Committee hearings, substitute considered, reported favorably and recommended to Local & Consent calendar
  • 2025-05-07 to 2025-05-28: Passed both chambers (House and Senate), placed on calendars, readings and votes recorded
  • 2025-05-30: Reported enrolled; sent to Governor
  • 2025-06-20: Filed without Governor’s signature; effective immediately

Potential fiscal and operational impact

  • Increased state grant funding would reduce local fiscal pressure on municipalities and school districts for special education costs.
  • Changes in formula or eligibility may shift funding among districts — some districts could gain resources while others could receive less, depending on adjustments.
  • Administrative impact: districts and the state education agency may need to update budgeting, reporting, and accounting procedures to reflect new criteria or timelines.

Where to find the enacted text

For the exact statutory amendments, numeric funding levels, definitions, and implementation details, consult:
- The Connecticut General Assembly’s bill web page for HB 5661 (enrolled bill and official act language), or
- The enacted public act posted by the Secretary of State or the Office of Legislative Research.

If you want, I can retrieve and summarize the enrolled bill text or the public act to provide precise details (specific dollar amounts, statutory changes, and language).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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