Human Services Committee Testimony (3.9.23)

Testimony (as prepared for delivery) to the Human Services Committee:

Chairs Gilchrest and Lesser, Ranking Members Seminara and Case, Members of the Human Services Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly:

My name is John Board and I am here today to testify on House Bill 5001: An Act Concerning Resources and Support Services for Persons with An Intellectual or Developmental Disability.

Earlier this session (2/16) the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee had a public hearing regarding Senate Bill 741: An Act Concerning the Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. The legislation establishes a postsecondary services advisory committee (PSAC) with the objective of improving outcomes for students with disabilities. After the public hearing, the leadership of the HEEA committee recommended that I speak with the Human Services committee and see if we can get incorporated into 5001 — thus here I am!

I want to first thank the bipartisan and bicameral coalition of members for recognizing the importance of ensuring funding for students with disabilities and sponsoring this important piece of legislation. In addition, I want to thank Representative Oritiz of Colorado — who has been a friend and continued partner in ensuring that we continue to bring disability issues to the forefront of public policy discussions.

Currently, Connecticut does not have holistic statewide data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, and the lack of information prevents Connecticut from connecting students with disabilities to the workforce. Therefore, in order to meet the economic demands of Connecticut, it is essential to collect this data and examine the postsecondary services, supports, and accommodations necessary for students with disabilities to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes and identify appropriation opportunities. Beginning in 2025, and each successive year the Department of Higher Education would gather available data in five (5) key areas/metrics, broken down into six (6) categories.

In creating the PSAC this group will make recomendations to institutions of higher education, the general assembly, and additional bodies that the PSAC would deem necessary. The composition would be in regular form. The PSAC would examine the following issues: (a) Postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities including mitigating factors, (b) The ability of institutions of higher education to implement services and best practices that exceed the minimum of federal and state laws for students with disabilities, © The availability of financial assistance for students with disabilities, (d) Appropriations requests to assist both accessibility services offices and students with disabilities to have the opportunity to thrive and have success and, (e) Any other such issue of cognizance that the committee deems necessary. The Commissioners would serve until December 2025, at which point the PSAC shall be disbanded after submitting a report.

Attached to this testimony is proposed sample language for the committee to review, use, and incorporate into House Bill 5001. I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have. Thank you.

Detailed Testimony:

Good Afternoon.

Chairs Gilchrest and Lesser, Ranking Members Seminara and Case, members of the Human Services Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly.

My name is John Board and I am here today to testify on House Bill 5001: An Act Concerning Resources and Support Services for Persons with An Intellectual or Developmental Disability.

Earlier this session (2/16) the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee had a public hearing regarding Senate Bill 741: An Act Concerning the Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Legislation that, establishes a postsecondary services advisory committee with the objective of improving outcomes for students with disabilities. After the public hearing, the leadership of the committee recommended that I speak with the Human Services committee and see if we can get incorporated into 5001 — thus here I am!

I want to first thank Senators Winfield and Marx for recognizing the importance of ensuring funding for students with disabilities and sponsoring this important piece of legislation. In addition, I want to thank Representative Oritiz of Colorado — who has been a friend and continued partner in ensuring that we continue to bring disability issues to the forefront of public policy discussions.

Currently, Connecticut does not have holistic statewide data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, and the lack of information prevents Connecticut from connecting students with disabilities to the workforce. Therefore, in order to meet the economic demands of Connecticut, it is essential to collect this data and examine the postsecondary services, supports, and accommodations necessary for students with disabilities to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes and identify appropriation opportunities.

Beginning in 2025, and each successive year the Department of Higher Education will gather available data in five key areas/metrics, broken down by: institution, race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status. These metrics are:

• (a) Enrollment headcount of disabled students at institutions
• (b) Enrollment of students with a disability who receives service, support, or accommodation from the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability
• ( c )the number of students with a disability who continued enrollment in an institution of higher education in a subsequent academic year
• (d) the number of students with a disability who graduated from an institution of higher education
• (e) The number of students with a disability who receives a service or support from the vocation rehabilitation division of the Department of Labor at the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability

This bill also creates a seventeen-member Post-Secondary Advisory Committee (PSAC) to make recomendations to institutions of higher education, the general assembly, and additional bodies that the PSAC would deem necessary. The composition would be in regular form.

The PSAC would examine the following issues: (a) Postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities including mitigating factors, (b) The ability of institutions of higher education to implement services and best practices that exceed the minimum of federal and state laws for students with disabilities, ( c ) The availability of financial assistance for students with disabilities, (d) Appropriations requests to assist both accessibility services offices and students with disabilities to have the opportunity to thrive and have success and, (e) Any other such issue of cognizance that the committee deems necessary.

The Commissioners shall serve until December 2025, at which point the PSAC shall be disbanded after submitting a report.

Attached to this testimony is proposed sample language for the committee to review, use, and incorporate into House Bill 5001 if needed.

I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have.

Thank you.