Requires board of education to provide certain information related to special education in native language of parent or guardian.

A1386

ASSEMBLY, No. 1386

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Barlas

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires board of education to provide certain
information related to special education in native language of parent or
guardian.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning special education and related services and
supplementing chapter 46 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� A board of education
shall provide written notification to a student�s parent or guardian concerning
the identification, classification, evaluation, or educational placement of the
student, or the provision of a free, appropriate public education to the
student pursuant to the provisions of the �Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act,� 20 U.S.C. s.1400 et seq., chapter 46 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes, or any regulations promulgated thereunder, in the native
language of the parent or guardian, unless it clearly is not feasible to do so.

���� b.��� When a board of
education provides an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to a parent or
guardian pursuant to the provisions of the �Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act,� 20 U.S.C. s.1400 et seq., chapter 46 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes, or any regulations promulgated thereunder, the board shall
provide the IEP in the native language of the parent or guardian, unless it
clearly is not feasible to do so.�

���� c.���� When providing
notification or an IEP pursuant to subsections a. or b. of this section, if the
parent�s or guardian�s native language is not a written language, the board of
education shall ensure that:

���� (1)�� the notice is translated
to the parent or guardian in the native language orally or through another
unwritten mode of communication;

���� (2)�� the parent or guardian
understands the content of the notice; and

���� (3)�� there is written
documentation confirming that the requirements in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
this subsection have been met.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires a board of
education to provide certain information related to special education to a
parent or guardian in the parent�s or guardian�s native language.

���� Under the bill, a board of
education is required to provide written notification concerning the
identification, classification, evaluation, educational placement, or the
provision of a free, appropriate public education to a parent or guardian in
the parent�s or guardian�s native language, unless it clearly is not feasible
to do so.� The bill also requires a board of education to provide the student�s
Individualized Education Program (IEP) to the parent or guardian in the
parent�s or guardian�s native language, unless it clearly is not feasible to do
so.� In the event the native language of the parent or guardian is not a
written language, the board of education is required to ensure that: (1) the
notice is translated to the parent or guardian in the native language orally or
through another unwritten mode of communication; (2) the parent or guardian
understands the content of the notice; and (3) there is written documentation
confirming these requirements have been met.