An Act relative to independent child protection

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Steven Howitt

If a disabled student in a private placement moves districts, the former district must pay approved placement and related costs for the rest of the fiscal year.

Overview

HD 1211, titled An Act relative to independent child protection, is a proposed Massachusetts bill introduced in the 2025-2026 General Court. The bill is sponsored by Representative Steven S. Howitt (4th Bristol). The version text available discusses a specific provision intended to ensure continued payment of certain special education placement costs when a child with a disability moves from one school district to another.

What the bill would do

Create a requirement that, if a child with a disability who is in an approved private day or residential special education placement (including placements in a pediatric nursing home) moves to a different school district, the school committee of the child’s former resident district must pay the approved budgeted costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The costs covered by this obligation include:

The placement costs in the current private day or residential placement
Necessary transportation costs
Safety expenses
Inspections
Any placement in a pediatric nursing home

The obligation lasts for the balance of the fiscal year, after the move to a new district.

Key provisions and language

Provision triggers when: a child with a disability receiving special education services in an approved private placement moves to a different school district.

Financial obligation: the former district pays “the approved budgeted costs” of the placement for the rest of the fiscal year, including related transportation and safety-related expenses.

Scope: explicitly mentions placements in private day or residential settings, including pediatric nursing homes.

Legal phrasing: uses “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary,” signaling it would override other statutes to ensure continuity of funding for the remainder of the year.

Who is affected

Students with disabilities receiving approved private day or residential special education placements (including pediatric nursing home placements) who relocate to a different school district.

School committees (districts) in the former district of residence would bear the costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Fiscal and administrative implications

Transfers cost responsibility from the receiving district to the former district for the current fiscal year’s remaining period.

Includes not just tuition/placement costs but also transportation, safety expenses, and inspections.

No specific funding sources or dollar amounts are stated in the text provided; the obligation would be constrained by the “approved budgeted costs” for the placement.

Status and timeline

Status: Proposed bill in the 2025-2026 Massachusetts General Court (One Hundred Ninety-Fourth General Court).

Filed: January 14, 2025 (House Docket No. 1211).

Sponsored by: Rep. Steven S. Howitt (Seekonk, 4th Bristol).

Effective date: Not specified in the provided text; typical acts specify an effective date upon enactment or a future date, which would appear in the final enacted version.

Why this matters

The bill aims to ensure continuity of placement for students with disabilities who move districts, by guaranteeing that the former district remains financially responsible for placement costs for the remainder of the fiscal year. This could affect district budgeting, transportation planning, and cross-district coordination in special education placements.

Bill