Requires Commissioner of Education to prepare report on learning loss of students with developmental disabilities during COVID-19 public health emergency.

A116

ASSEMBLY, No. 116

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman AL BARLAS

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Commissioner of Education to prepare report
on learning loss of students with developmental disabilities during COVID-19
public health emergency.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning learning loss of students with developmental
disabilities during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Education shall prepare a study of learning loss experienced by students with
developmental disabilities as a result of the COVID-19
public health emergency
.� The study shall focus on the increased use of
virtual instruction, programs, and services for students with developmental
disabilities during the public health emergency, and the impact on students�
academic outcomes.�

���� The study shall include a
comparison of the current skill levels of students with developmental
disabilities with their skill levels prior to the public health emergency.� In
preparing the analysis, the commissioner shall collect and review a variety of
resources including, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� any comprehensive
psychoeducational evaluations or State or locally-administered standardized
assessments completed by the students;

���� (2)�� data on the use of
compensatory education services provided to students;

���� (3)�� data on the attendance
and participation rates of students; and

���� (4)�� feedback from parents of
students on the unique challenges their children have faced due to changes in
the academic program or service delivery during the public health emergency,
and any learning loss or other regression observed by the parent during this
time period.����

���� b.��� The Commissioner of
Education shall report findings and recommendations made pursuant to this
section to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within 180 days of the effective date of this
act.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon submission of the Commissioner�s
report pursuant to section 1 of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the
Commissioner of Education to prepare a study of learning loss experienced by
students with
developmental disabilities as a
result of the COVID-19 public health emergency
.� Under the bill, the
study will focus on the increased use of virtual instruction, programs, and
services for students with developmental disabilities during the public health
emergency, and the impact on students� academic outcomes.�

���� Under the bill, the study must
include a comparison of the current skill levels of students with developmental
disabilities with their skill levels prior to the public health emergency.� In
preparing the analysis, the commissioner is directed to collect and review a
variety of resources including, but not limited to:

�

any comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations or State or
locally-administered standardized assessments completed by the students;

�

data on the use of compensatory education services provided to
students;

�

data on the attendance and participation rates of students; and

�

feedback from parents of students on the unique challenges their
children have faced due to changes in the academic program or service delivery
during the public health emergency, and any learning loss or other regression
observed by the parent during this time period.

�

The bill directs the commissioner to submit a report including
findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within 180
days of the bill�s effective date.��