AN ACT CONCERNING THE EDUCATION OF HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how schools should fund these new requirements or what happens if local boards fail to comply.

Helping Homeless Kids Go to School

This law ensures homeless children and teenagers have rights related to school choice, transportation assistance, and access to educational records.

What This Bill Does

• It allows homeless kids to attend any public school they choose, not just the one near where they live.
• Schools must provide transportation for homeless students if needed.
• If a homeless student is denied services by their local or regional board of education, they have the right to appeal this decision through a hearing process.
• Unaccompanied teenagers who are homeless can access all educational records kept by the school.

Who It Names or Affects

• Homeless children and youth
• Local and regional boards of education

Terms To Know

Unaccompanied Youth

A teenager who is homeless and not living with a parent or guardian.

Cumulative Record

All the educational records kept by a school for a student, including grades, attendance, and test scores.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify how schools should fund these new requirements.
• It is unclear what happens if a local or regional board of education fails to provide the required services.

Official Summary Text

To codify rights pertaining to school district choice, transportation, notice and appeal for students experiencing homelessness and their guardians.

Current Bill Text

House Bill No. 5259

Public Act No. 26-125

AN ACT CONCERNING THE EDUCATION OF HOMELESS
CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (f) of section 10-253 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(f) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes,
educational services shall be provided by each local and regional board
of education to homeless children and youths in accordance with the
provisions of 42 USC 11431, et seq., [as amended from time to time ]
revised to December 23, 2022 . If a homeless child or youth is denied
school accommodations by a local or regional board of education on the
basis of residency, such homeless child or youth shall be entitled to a
hearing conducted pursuant to sec tion 10 -186. An unaccompanied
youth, as described in 42 USC 11434a, as amended from time to time,
shall be entitled to knowledge of and have access to all educational,
medical or similar records in the cumulative record of such
unaccompanied youth maintain ed by a local or regional board of
education.