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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 311
February Session, 2026
AN ACT CONCERNING DISCONNECTED YOUTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 4-124w of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(c) The Chief Workforce Officer may call upon any office, 4
department, board, commission, public institution of higher education 5
or other agency of the state to supply such reports, information, data 6
and assistance as may be reasonable, necessary and appropriate in order 7
to carry out the Chief Workforce Officer's or the Office of Workforce 8
Strategy's duties and requirements. Each officer or employee of such 9
office, department, board, commission, public institution of higher 10
education or other agency of the state shall furnish such reports, 11
information, data and assistance as requested by the Chief Workforce 12
Officer, to the extent permitted under state and federal law. Any request 13
for data from a participating agency in [P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT, 14
established pursuant to section 10a-57g, as amended by this act, shall be 15
submitted through [P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT in accordance with the 16
policies and procedures established by [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT. 17
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 10-15o of the 2026 supplement to the 18
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 19
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thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 20
(b) The Office of the Educational Ombudsperson shall: 21
(1) Receive, review and attempt to resolve any complaints from 22
students and students' families, including, but not limited to, attempts 23
to resolve such complaints in collaboration with schools and educators; 24
(2) Compile and analyze data on students and young people, through 25
available data systems, including, but not limited to, the [Connecticut 26
Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information Network ] Data 27
Link Connecticut, established pursuant to section 10a -57g, as amended 28
by this act; 29
(3) Assist employees of local and regional boards of education 30
involved in planning and placement team meetings; 31
(4) Provide information to the public, agencies, legislators and others 32
regarding the issues and concerns of students and make 33
recommendations for resolving such issues and concerns; 34
(5) Analyze and monitor the development and implementation of 35
federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies relating to students 36
and recommend any changes the Educational Ombudsperson deems 37
necessary; 38
(6) Disseminate information concerning the availability of the Office 39
of the Educational Ombudsperson to assist students and families of 40
students, as well as local and regional boards of education with 41
educational resource concerns; 42
(7) On and after July 1, 2027, prioritize the office's efforts on those 43
school districts that have been identified in the study conducted 44
pursuant to section 10 -76ooo as disproportionately or over -identifying 45
minority students for special education and related services; and 46
(8) Take any other actions necessary to fulfill the duties of the Office 47
of the Educational Ombudsperson and the Educational Ombudsperson 48
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as set forth in this subsection. 49
Sec. 3. Section 10a-57g of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes 50
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 51
1, 2026): 52
(a) As used in this section: 53
(1) ["Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information 54
Network" or "P20 WIN" ] "Data Link Connecticut" or "DataLinkCT" 55
means a state integrated data system utilized for the purpose of 56
matching and integrating data of state agencies and other organizations 57
to inform policy and practice for education, workforce and supportive 58
service efforts. 59
(2) "Participating agency" means the Connecticut State Colleges and 60
Universities, Department of Education, Labor Department, the Office of 61
Early Childhood, The University of Connecticut, the Connecticut 62
Conference of Independent Colleges and any entity that has executed 63
an enterprise memorandum of understanding for participation in the 64
[P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT and has been approved for participation 65
pursuant to the terms of the enterprise memorandum of understanding. 66
(3) "Enterprise memorandum of understanding" means a 67
foundational multiparty agreement that sets forth the details of how 68
data is shared and the respective legal rights and responsibilities of each 69
party within the data sharing process. 70
(b) There is established a [Preschool through Twenty and Workforce 71
Information Network] Data Link Connecticut . The executive board of 72
the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT, established pursuant to subsection (d) of 73
this section, shall establish processes and structures governing the 74
secure sharing of data across participating agencies. 75
(c) The Office of Policy and Management shall serve as the 76
administrator for [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT to support the executive board 77
and data governing board, develop procedures for secure sharing and 78
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analysis of data and provide program management to support the 79
continued operation and maintenance of [P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT, in 80
accordance with the state data plan and data sharing efforts specified in 81
sections 4-67n and 4-67p. 82
(d) The [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT shall be governed by an executive 83
board that shall provide oversight of such network. Said executive 84
board shall include, but need not be limited to, the chief executive officer 85
of each participating agency, or their respective designees, the Chief 86
Workforce Officer, or the officer's designee, and the Secretary of the 87
Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee. The duties 88
of the executive board shall be to: 89
(1) Advance a vision for the [P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT including a 90
prioritized research agenda with support from the Office of Policy and 91
Management. 92
(2) Convene as needed to respond to issues from the data governing 93
board. 94
(3) Identify and work to secure resources necessary to sustain [P20 95
WIN] DataLinkCT funding. 96
(4) Support system implementation, maintenance and improvement 97
by advocating for the [P20 WIN ] DataLinkCT in regard to policy, 98
legislation and resources. 99
(5) Advocate and support the state's vision for the [P20 WIN ] 100
DataLinkCT. 101
(6) Establish a data governing board to establish and implement 102
policies related to cross -agency data management, including, but not 103
limited to, data confidentiality and security in alignment with the vision 104
for the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT and any applicable law. In establishing 105
such policies, the data governing board shall consult with the Office of 106
Policy and Management, in accordance with the provisions of sections 107
4-67n and 4-67p and other applicable statutes and policies. 108
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(e) The executive board established pursuant to this section may 109
appoint advisory committees to make recommendations on data 110
stewardship, data system expansion and processes, and such other areas 111
that will advance the work of the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT. 112
(f) (1) Each regional workforce development board established under 113
section 31-3k shall regularly submit data to the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT 114
to report on the performance and outcomes achieved by the state's 115
workforce system, including, but not limited to, workforce training and 116
development programs that receive federal and state funds or grants. 117
Not later than September 1, 2025, the Chief Workforce Officer shall, in 118
consultation with the Labor Commissioner, the Chief Data Officer and 119
the regional workforce development boards, establish standards for the 120
submission of data by regional workforce development boards 121
specifying the data to be submitted and the form and manner in which 122
to submit such data. 123
(2) On or before January 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the Chief 124
Workforce Officer may, in consultation with the Chief Data Officer and 125
the Labor Commissioner, submit to the administrator of the [P20 WIN] 126
DataLinkCT a request for data and analysis of such data for the 127
purposes of assessing performance and outcomes of the state's 128
workforce system. Such data and analysis request shall be completed by 129
the administrator of the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT not later than August 130
15, 2022, and annually thereafter. 131
(g) Not later than October 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, each 132
constituent unit of the state system of higher education, as defined in 133
section 10a-1, and such constituent unit's central or system office, if any, 134
shall submit, in a manner that complies with the requirements of the 135
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 USC 1232g, as amended 136
from time to time, data to the [P20 WIN] DataLinkCT to report on the 137
outcomes of postsecondary education and workforce development 138
programs operated by such constituent unit. Not later than September 139
1, 2025, the Chief Data Officer shall specify the form and manner in 140
which to submit such data. Any report produced from such data shall 141
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be in aggregated form and, consistent with any other provision of state 142
or federal law, shall not include any personally identifiable information 143
of students or participants in such programs. 144
(h) Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 145
executive board of DataLinkCT shall renew its data sharing agreement 146
concerning youth outcomes in the city of Hartford, using the data model 147
established pursuant to data sharing agreement 0055, with a nonprofit 148
collaborative in the state that provides data and data support services to 149
other nonprofit organizations, state agencies, businesses and residents 150
of the state. 151
Sec. 4. Subdivision (19) of subsection (b) of section 12 -15 of the 2026 152
supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is 153
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 154
(19) To the extent allowable under federal law, return information to 155
another state agency or to support a data request submitted through 156
[P20 WIN] DataLinkCT, established in section 10a -57g, as amended by 157
this act, in accordance with the policies and procedures of [P20 WIN] 158
DataLinkCT for the purposes of evaluation or research, provided the 159
recipient of such data enters into a data sharing agreement pursuant to 160
section 4-67aa if such recipient is not a state agency; 161
Sec. 5. Subsection (e) of section 17b-112l of the 2026 supplement to the 162
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 163
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 164
(e) Not later than July 1, 2020, pursuant to the advisory authority 165
established in section 3 -125, the Office of the Attorney General, in 166
consultation with the Two-Generational Advisory Board, the Secretary 167
of the Office of Policy and Management, the Chief Data Officer 168
appointed pursuant to section 4-67p and the [Preschool through Twenty 169
and Workforce Information Network ] DataLinkCT, established 170
pursuant to section 10a -57g, as amended by this act, shall develop a 171
uniform interagency data sharing protocol to remove legal barriers to 172
promote cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration under this section 173
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to the fullest extent permitted under state and federal laws. 174
Sec. 6. Section 10-233c of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes, 175
as amended by section 40 of public act 26 -1, is repealed and the 176
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 177
(a) Any local or regional board of education may authorize the 178
administration of the schools under its direction to suspend from school 179
privileges a pupil whose conduct on school grounds or at a school 180
sponsored activity is violative of a publicized policy of such board or is 181
seriously disruptive of the educational process or endangers persons or 182
property or whose conduct off school grounds is violative of such policy 183
and is seriously disruptive of the educational process. In making a 184
determination as to whether conduct is seriously disruptive of the 185
educational process, the administration may consider, but such 186
consideration shall not be limited to: (1) Whether the incident occurred 187
within close proximity of a school; (2) whether other students from the 188
school were involved or whether there was any gang involvement; (3) 189
whether the conduct involved violence, threats of violence or the 190
unlawful use of a weapon, as defined in section 29-38, and whether any 191
injuries occurred; and (4) whether the conduct involved the use of 192
alcohol. Any such board may authorize the administration to suspend 193
transportation services for a pupil whose conduct while awaiting or 194
receiving transportation to and from school endangers persons or 195
property or is violative of a publicized policy of such board. Unless an 196
emergency exists, no pupil shall be suspended without an informal 197
hearing by the administration, at which such pupil shall be informed of 198
the reasons for the disciplinary action and given an opportunity to 199
explain the situation, provided nothing herein shall be construed to 200
prevent a more formal hearing from being held if the circumstances 201
surrounding the incident so require, and further provided no pupil shall 202
be suspended more than ten times or a total of [fifty] forty-five days in 203
one school year, whichever results in fewer days of exclusion, unless 204
such pupil is granted a formal hearing pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-205
180a, inclusive, and section 4-181a. If an emergency situation exists, such 206
hearing shall be held as soon after the suspension as possible. Prior to 207
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conducting any hearing under this subsection, an administrator, school 208
counselor or school social worker at the school in which the pupil is 209
enrolled shall contact the local homeless education liaison designated 210
by the local or regional board of education for the school district, 211
pursuant to Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney -Vento Homeless 212
Assistance Act, 42 USC 11431 et seq., as amended from time to time, to 213
make a determination whether such pupil is a homeless child or youth, 214
as defined in 42 USC 11343a, as amended from time to time. If it is 215
determined that such pupil is a homeless child or youth, the 216
administration shall consider the impact of homelessness on the 217
behavior of the pupil during the hearing. 218
(b) In determining the length of a suspension period, the 219
administration may receive and consider evidence of past disciplinary 220
problems which have led to removal from a classroom, suspension or 221
expulsion of such pupil. 222
(c) Whenever any administration suspends a pupil, such 223
administration shall not later than twenty -four hours after the 224
suspension notify the superintendent or such superintendent's designee 225
as to the name of the pupil against whom such disciplinary action was 226
taken and the reason therefor. 227
(d) Any pupil who is suspended shall be given an opportunity to 228
complete any classwork including, but not limited to, examinations 229
which such pupil missed during the period of suspension. 230
(e) For any pupil who is suspended for the first time pursuant to this 231
section and who has never been expelled pursuant to section 10 -233d, 232
the administration may shorten the length of or waive the suspension 233
period if the pupil successfully completes an administration -specified 234
program and meets any other conditions required by the 235
administration. Such administration -specified program shall not 236
require the pupil or the parent or guardian of the pupil to pay for 237
participation in the program. 238
(f) Whenever a pupil is suspended pursuant to the provisions of this 239
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section, notice of the suspension and the conduct for which the pupil 240
was suspended shall be included on the pupil's cumulative educational 241
record. Such notice shall be expunged from the cumulative educational 242
record by the local or regional board of education if a pupil graduates 243
from high school, or in the case of a suspension of a pupil for which the 244
length of the suspension period is shortened or the suspension period is 245
waived pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, such notice shall be 246
expunged from the cumulative educational record by the local or 247
regional board of education (1) if the pupil graduates from high school, 248
or (2) if the administration so chooses, at the time the pupil completes 249
the administration-specified program and meets any other conditions 250
required by the administration pursuant to said subsection (e), 251
whichever is earlier. 252
(g) [On and after July 1, 2015, all ] All suspensions pursuant to this 253
section shall be in -school suspensions, except a local or regional board 254
of education may authorize the administration of schools under its 255
direction to impose an out -of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) 256
grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to 257
subsection (a) of this section, [(A)] the administration determines that 258
[the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property 259
or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be 260
excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the 261
administration determines that an out -of-school suspension is 262
appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary 263
problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and 264
(ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems 265
through means other than out -of-school suspension or expulsion, 266
including positive behavioral support strategies] such pupil engaged in 267
violent behavior or acts of sexual misconduct or was in possession of a 268
weapon or controlled substance, as defined in section 21a -240, or (2) 269
grades [preschool] kindergarten to two, inclusive, if during the hearing 270
held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the administration (A) 271
determines that an out -of-school suspension is appropriate for such 272
pupil based on evidence that such pupil's conduct on school grounds is 273
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behavior that causes serious physical harm, (B) requires that such pupil 274
receives services that are trauma -informed and developmentally 275
appropriate and align with any behavioral intervention plan, 276
individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the 277
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time, for such pupil 278
upon such pupil's return to school immediately following the out -of-279
school suspension, and (C) considers whether to convene a planning 280
and placement team meeting for the purposes of conducting an 281
evaluation to determine whether such pupil may require special 282
education or related services. An out -of-school suspension imposed 283
under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not exceed ten school days, 284
and an out-of-school suspension imposed under subdivision (2) of this 285
subsection shall not exceed five school days. An in -school suspension 286
may be served in the school that the pupil attends, or in any school 287
building under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of 288
education, as determined by such board. Nothing in this section shall 289
limit a person's duty as a mandated reporter pursuant to section 17-101a 290
to report suspected child abuse or neglect. As used in this subsection, 291
"violent behavior" means intentional conduct resulting in physical 292
injury to another person or the attempted infliction of physical injury to 293
another person. 294
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) For the fiscal year ending June 295
30, 2027, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Department of Education 296
shall, within available appropriations, establish a Disconnected Youth 297
Investment Grant program. The department shall award grants, in an 298
amount prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, to community -299
based organizations, workforce development organizations and multi -300
organization collaboratives that provide pathways back to education 301
and employment and have a demonstrated track record in the provision 302
of programs for workforce development, mentorship, case 303
management, family advocacy, youth leadership, industry -recognized 304
credential training, development of positive cognitive behavioral skills 305
through trauma responsive strategies and youth recreational and 306
volunteer activities. A grant under said program may be used to support 307
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such programs and provide wraparound services, such as 308
transportation, mental health support or housing subsidy or to resolve 309
any other barriers to youth participation in such programs. 310
(b) Any community -based organization, workforce development 311
organization or multi -organization collaborative described in 312
subsection (a) of this section (1) may apply for such grant in the form 313
and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, and (2) shall 314
report at least annually, in the form and manner prescribed by the 315
commissioner, to the Department of Education on the use of such grant 316
funds. 317
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2026 4-124w(c)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 10-15o(b)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 10a-57g
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 12-15(b)(19)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2026 17b-112l(e)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2026 10-233c
Sec. 7 July 1, 2026 New section
ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP