SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 3982

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 17, 2025

     The Senate Education Committee favorably reports a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 3982.

     This committee substitute requires certain information to be provided to a parent or guardian at least two business days prior to the annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting.  The committee substitute also requires the Department of Education to establish the IEP Improvement Working Group.

     The committee substitute requires public schools, not less than two business days prior to the annual team meeting concerning the review of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a special education student, to provide the student’s parent or guardian with a written statement of items to be discussed at the meeting.  This statement is to include: (1) the student’s current levels of academic and functional performance; (2) a list of the names of any required IEP team members who are seeking excusal from participation in the IEP team meeting, accompanied by any excused IEP team member’s input with respect to the programs and services for which the member is responsible.  This list is to be in addition to any requests for consent for excusal that are included with the notice of the IEP meeting date and participants that is provided in accordance with federal and State law and regulation; and (3) an invitation for the parent or guardian to provide input and feedback as to the programs and services proposed in the student’s IEP.

Under the committee substitute, the department is to establish the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Improvement Working Group.  The purpose of the working group is to provide recommendations to the department regarding methods to improve the development and implementation of IEPs and to ensure parental involvement in the process. The working group is to consist of members appointed by the Commissioner of Education, including teachers, school administrators, members of the educational community, and parents as detailed in the committee substitute.

      The working group is to examine, research, and make recommendations on:

      (1)  practices utilized in other states that are different from practices in New Jersey for the development and implementation of IEPs and ensuring parental involvement in the process;

      (2)  the differences in practices used in different school districts within the State for the development and implementation of IEPs;

      (3)  research or other academic evidence of best practices with respect to development of IEPs;

      (4)  federal or State law restrictions on changes to the IEP process; and

      (5)  potential legislative, regulatory, funding, or other improvements to the State’s IEP process.

      The working group is to issue a report no later than four months after the working group organizes.