July 2022 —
The MLO Minute: “Pa House of Representatives Extends Act 66” By, Michael Connolly, Esq., Supervising Partner of our Special Education Department
On July 8th, 2022 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, approved the Omnibus Education Bill, HB1642, which includes language that seems to extend the additional year of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided under Act 66 to special education students who turned 21 during the 2021-2022 school year. More specifically, Section 1383 of the bill provides that a student with a disability who reached the age of 21 during the 2021-2022 school year, or between the end of the 2021-2022 school year and the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, is entitled to attend school for the 2022-2023 school year, so long as the student’s parent or guardian elect to enroll the student by August 1, 2022. The bill also directs the PA Department of Education to develop a form for families to elect to enroll the eligible child for an additional year. HB 1642 also makes it clear that those eligible special education students who enroll by August 1st and have an active IEP, shall remain eligible for special education under the IDEA for the entirety of the 2022-2023 school year. MLO will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
