The bill amends Section 16-7.2-6 of the General Laws under "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" to revise the calculation of state funding provided to local education agencies for special education services. It introduces new provisions for calculating extraordinary special education costs, specifically adjusting the thresholds for fiscal years 2028 and 2029. For fiscal year 2028, extraordinary costs are defined as those exceeding three and a half times the core foundation amount, and for fiscal year 2029, the threshold is set at three times the core foundation amount.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will appropriate funds in the following fiscal year for approved excess costs associated with special education students who move into a district after the district has approved its fiscal year budget. The department will also collect data on educational costs that exceed the state-approved threshold based on amounts above two times the core foundation amount.

The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
7245: 16-7.2-6