2019 -- H 5149

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RESIDENCE OF CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, O'Brien, Azzinaro, Edwards, and Fogarty

     Date Introduced: January 17, 2019

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-64-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-64 entitled

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"Residence of Children for School Purposes" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-64-1.1. Payment and reimbursement for educational costs of children placed in

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foster care, group homes, or other residential facility by a Rhode Island state agency.

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     (a) Children placed in foster care by a Rhode Island-licensed child-placing agency or a

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Rhode Island governmental agency shall be entitled to the same free, appropriate public education

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provided to all other residents of the city or town where the child is placed.

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     (1) The city or town shall pay the cost of the education of the child during the time the

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child is in foster care in the city or town., provided that,

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     (2) The state shall reimburse the city or town for any cost associated with transporting the

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child to an educational facility outside of the regional transportation district provided in § 16-

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21.1-2.

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     (b) Children placed by the department of children, youth and families (DCYF) in a group

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home or other residential facility that does not include the delivery of educational services are to

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be educated by the community in which the group home or other residential facility is located,

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and those children shall be entitled to the same free, appropriate public education provided to all

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other residents of the city or town where the child is placed. For purposes of payment and

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reimbursement for educational costs under this chapter, the term "group home or other residential

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facility" shall not include independent-living programs. Each city and town that contains one or

 

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more group homes or other residential facilities that do not include delivery of educational

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services will receive funds as part of state aid to education in accordance with the following

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provisions:

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     (1) On December 31 of each year, the DCYF shall provide the department of elementary

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and secondary education with a precise count of how many group home or other residential

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facility "beds" exist in each Rhode Island city or town, counting only those "beds" in facilities

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that do not include the delivery of educational services. The number of "beds" in each group

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home or other residential facility shall be equal to the maximum number of children who may be

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placed in that group home or other residential facility on any given night according to the

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applicable licensure standards of the DCYF.

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     (2) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, if the number of beds certified by DCYF

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for a school district by December 31, 2007, is greater than the number certified March 14, 2007,

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upon which the education aid for FY 2008 was appropriated, the education aid for that district

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will be increased by the number of increased beds multiplied by fifteen thousand dollars

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($15,000). Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any law to the contrary, the education

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aid for all group home or other residential facility "beds" located or associated with the Children's

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Residential and Family Treatment (CRAFT) program located on the East Providence campus of

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Bradley Hospital shall be twenty-two thousand dollars ($22,000) per bed. The Department of

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Elementary and Secondary Education shall include the additional aid in equal payments in March,

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April, May, and June, and the Governor's budget recommendations pursuant to § 35-3-8 shall

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include the amounts required to provide the increased aid.

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     For all fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2016, education aid for each school district

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shall include seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000) for each bed certified by DCYF by the

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preceding December 31. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any law to the contrary,

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the education aid for all group home or other residential facility "beds" located or associated with

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the Children's Residential and Family Treatment (CRAFT) program located on the East

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Providence campus of Bradley Hospital shall be twenty-six thousand dollars ($26,000) per bed.

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For all fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2008, whenever the number of beds certified by

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DCYF for a school district by December 31 is greater than the number certified the prior

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December 31 upon which the education aid for that fiscal year was appropriated, the education

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aid for that district as enacted by the assembly during the prior legislative session for that fiscal

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year will be increased by the number of increased beds multiplied by the amount per bed

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authorized for that fiscal year. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall

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include the additional aid in equal payments in March, April, May, and June, and the Governor's

 

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budget recommendations pursuant to § 35-3-8 shall include the amounts required to provide the

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increased aid.

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     (c) Children placed by DCYF in a residential-treatment program, group home, or other

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residential facility, whether or not located in the state of Rhode Island, which includes the

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delivery of educational services provided by that facility (excluding facilities where students are

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taught on grounds for periods of time by teaching staff provided by the school district in which

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the facility is located), shall have the cost of their education paid for as provided for in subsection

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(d) and § 16-64-1.2. The city or town determined to be responsible to DYCF for a per-pupil

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special-education cost pursuant to § 16-64-1.2 shall pay its share of the cost of educational

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services to DCYF or to the facility providing educational services.

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     (d) Children placed by DCYF in group homes, child-caring facilities, community

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residences, or other residential facilities shall have the entire cost of their education paid for by

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DCYF if:

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     (1) The facility is operated by the state of Rhode Island or the facility has a contract with

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DCYF to fund a pre-determined number of placements or part of the facility's program;

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     (2) The facility is state licensed; and

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     (3) The facility operates an approved, on-grounds educational program, whether or not

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the child attends the on-grounds program.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RESIDENCE OF CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES

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     This act would require the state to reimburse the city or town for any costs associated

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with transporting children placed in foster care by a Rhode Island-licensed child-placing agency

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or a Rhode Island governmental agency to an educational facility outside the regional

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transportation district.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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