The Substitute House Bill No. 5324 aims to alleviate the burden of education mandates by introducing several amendments to existing laws. It establishes a new educational training program for the identification and reporting of suspected human trafficking, which must be developed by the Commissioner of Children and Families in consultation with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The bill requires various professionals, including law enforcement, judges, and school personnel, to complete this training, with specific deadlines for initial and refresher courses. Additionally, it modifies the recycling requirements for public and nonpublic schools regarding organic materials, extending the compliance deadline from 2026 to 2028. The bill also creates the Education Mandate Review Advisory Council to evaluate the costs and implementation of education mandates, ensuring a comprehensive review process that includes representatives from various educational associations.

Moreover, the bill delays certain existing education mandates and eliminates others, such as the requirement for schools producing over 26 tons of organic materials to recycle until July 1, 2028, and the refresher training on human trafficking every three years. It also repeals mandates related to voluntary family history questionnaires for reading proficiency, mental health plans for student athletes, and annual reporting on the use of uncontracted websites or applications. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill expands exceptions to the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) for towns, allowing self-insured school districts that incur insurance losses to increase their budget appropriations, thereby providing greater financial flexibility. The bill received unanimous support from the Education Committee.

Statutes affected:
ED Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-260b
File No. 412: 10-260b