Committee advances bill requiring earlier IEP materials before meetings and expands DOE working group

The Assembly Education Committee voted to amend and release Assembly Bill A5492 and Senate Bill S3982, which require schools to provide parents certain information at least two business days before annual individualized education program (IEP) team meetings and expand an IEP improvement working group in the Department of Education.

Committee amendments increased the number of working-group members with expertise representing students with disabilities from four to six, required one member to have direct experience providing transition services, and added a member who is at least 21 and received special education services via an IEP. The amendments also change a delivery provision to require the written statement be sent by regular mail and, if the district maintains a parent’s email address, by electronic mail; the committee removed hand-delivery via students’ backpacks to avoid sending sensitive information home.

John Burns, legislative representative of the New Jersey School Boards Association, and JC Lance of the New Jersey Speech Language and Hearing Association testified in support of the amendments. JC Lance thanked sponsors for adding speech-language specialists to the working group and noted May is National Speech Language and Hearing Month.

Committee members praised the two-business-day delivery requirement as a meaningful step to give parents more time to prepare for IEP meetings. One member suggested additional measures, including providing IEP information in parents’ native languages; the chair indicated she would consider additional postings or bills to address that point.

The committee approved the motion to amend and release the bills by roll call, advancing the measure for additional legislative consideration.