SENATE, No. 1452
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 19, 1996
By Senator PALAIA
An Act establishing a special education funding task force and making an appropriation therefor.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. State aid for special education funding has been virtually frozen since fiscal year 1993 despite skyrocketing costs, most significantly those for out-of-district placements.
b. There has been a change in the thinking of many professionals in the field of special education toward supporting a funding system that focuses on the program provided to the pupil, rather than on the disabling condition.
c. The New Jersey Special Education Study Commission in its 1984 report recommended that any special education funding formula should rely on carefully determined program costs, taking into account variations in the cost of delivery throughout the State, and the cost of services that lie beyond the control of the local school district.
d. The formation of a task force to study the actual costs of special education will facilitate the delivery of cost-effective and educationally successful programs for children requiring special education programming under a program-based funding system.
2. There is created a task force to be known as the "Task Force on Special Education Funding." The task force shall consist of 14 members who shall have professional or academic expertise in the area of school finance and public education, and at least eight of whom shall also have professional or academic expertise in the area of special education. The members shall be selected as follows: two members to be appointed by the President of the Senate, which members shall not be of the same political party; two members to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, which members shall not be of the same political party; two members to be appointed by the Governor, which members shall not be of the same political party; and one member each to be appointed by the Arc of New Jersey; the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council; the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials; the New Jersey Education Association; the New Jersey Parent-Teacher Association; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and the New Jersey School Boards Association.
3. All appointments shall be made within 30 days after the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
4. The task force shall organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and a vice chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
5. It shall be the duty of the task force to study the actual costs of providing: special education to pupils placed in regular education programs with related services; part-time special education; full-time special education; and early preventive and intervention services. The task force shall determine the appropriate levels of special education aid for these program formats and services, taking into consideration local variations in the cost of the delivery of the services and the cost of services that lie beyond the control of the local district. Based upon its research, the task force shall recommend to the Legislature the appropriate cost factors and add-ons pursuant to the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. )(now pending before the Legislature as Senate Bill No. of 1996).
6. Staff and related support services shall be provided to the task force by the Department of Education. The task force shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
7. The task force may meet and hold hearings at the place or places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature and shall issue a final report of its findings to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Joint Committee on the Public Schools no later than 120 days following its organizational meeting.
8. There is appropriated $5,000 from the General Fund to the task force to effectuate the purposes of this act.
9. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the final report of the task force.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a "Task Force on Special Education Funding," to study and determine the actual program costs for providing special education. Such a system is established under companion legislation and the task force, upon completion of its work, is to make a recommendation to the Legislature on the appropriate level of funding for various program formats and services. A program-based funding system would facilitate the delivery of cost-effective and educationally successful programs for children requiring special education.
The task force will consist of 14 members who will have professional or academic expertise in the area of school finance and public education, and at least eight of whom will also have professional or academic expertise in the area of special education. The members will be selected as follows: two members to be appointed by the President of the Senate; two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; two members appointed by the Governor; and one member each to be appointed by the Arc of New Jersey; the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council; the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials; the New Jersey Education Association; the New Jersey Parent-Teacher Association; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and the New Jersey School Boards Association.
The members of the task force will be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this act and the task force will organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members. The task force is required to issue a final report of its findings no late than 120 days following its organizational meeting.
The bill appropriates $5,000 to the task force for it to complete its duties pursuant to the bill.
Creates the "Task Force on Special Education Funding" and appropriates $5,000.