AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES (Requires transition planning for high school students with disabilities, who have a “504” plan, like the transition planning required for high school students with disabilities, who have an individualized education program (IEP).)

H8462

2026 -- H 8462
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LC006332
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Introduced By:
Representatives Cortvriend, McNamara, Knight, and Handy

Date Introduced:
April 17, 2026

Referred To:
House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-24-18 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-24 entitled "Children
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With Disabilities [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby
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amended to read as follows:
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16-24-18. Transition from school to self-sufficient adulthood for students with
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disabilities.
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(a) There is established within the department of elementary and secondary education an
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interagency transition council (the “transition council”) composed of:
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(1) The administrators or their designees of the following:
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(i) Department of human services — office of rehabilitation services;
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(ii) Department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals —
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division of developmental disabilities;
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(iii) Department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals —
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division of behavioral healthcare;
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(iv) Department of children, youth, and families;
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(v) Department of elementary and secondary education — office of student, community
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and academic supports;
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(vi) Department of elementary and secondary education — office of adult and career and
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technical education;
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(vii) Department of labor and training —
human resource investment council

governor’s

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workforce board
;
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(viii) Department of health — division of community, family health, and equity; and
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(2)
Commissioner of higher education

Postsecondary commissioner
or
his or her
designee;
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and
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(3) Two (2) young persons with disabilities, two (2) parents of young persons with
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disabilities, and two (2) representatives of local school districts and one transition coordinator from
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one of the regional educational collaboratives, appointed by the commissioner of elementary and
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secondary education.
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(4) One representative of community-based providers of services to adults with
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developmental disabilities and one representative of community-based providers of adult
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behavioral healthcare services, appointed by the director of the department of behavioral
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healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals.
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(b) The goal of the transition council is to ensure the preparedness of students with
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disabilities, upon leaving school, to live and work in the community.
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(c) The transition council shall draft and propose periodic revisions to the cooperative
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agreement among the state departments and offices for the provisions of services in the transition
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of young persons with disabilities from school to self-sufficient adult life. The directors of the state
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departments and agencies shall sign the cooperative agreement and any revisions, prior to their
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implementation. The transition council shall oversee the implementation of the cooperative
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agreement. The council shall issue guidelines or instructions and recommend to the state
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departments and agencies appropriate directives necessary to effectuate the implementation of the
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cooperative agreement. The transition council shall develop joint plans for state departments and
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agencies and local school districts for providing transition services to assist young persons with
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disabilities. The transition council shall, after hearing from the public, issue an annual report to the
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governor, children’s cabinet, and general assembly on the status of transition services and
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recommendations for improving opportunities for young persons with disabilities to make a
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successful transition from school to self-sufficient adult life.
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(d) Individualized transition planning will be initiated by the school district to include the
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young person with a disability, guardian, general education and special education personnel as
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appropriate, career and technical education, and representatives of any party to the delivery and
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implementation of the individual plan. Transition planning will begin by age fourteen (14) or
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younger if determined appropriate in the individualized education program, for each eligible young
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person with a disability and shall be reviewed and updated annually.
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(e) As used in this section:

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(1) “Transition services” means a coordinated set of activities for a young person with a
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disability, designed within an outcome oriented process, that promotes movement from school to
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post-school activities including postsecondary education, vocational training, integrated
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employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services,
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independent living, or community participation. The activities shall be based on the needs of the
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individual young person with a disability, taking into account the young person with a disability’s
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preferences and interests; and shall include needed activities in the areas of:
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(i) Instruction:
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(ii) Community experiences;
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(iii) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and
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(iv) If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.
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(2) “Young person(s) with a disability” means those students:
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(i) Evaluated in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C.
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§ 1400 et seq., as having
mental retardation, hearing impairments including deafness, speech or
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language impairments, visual impairments including blindness, serious emotional disturbance,
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orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, specific learning
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disabilities, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities

intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments
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(including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness),
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serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this chapter as “emotional disturbance”), orthopedic
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impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning
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disabilities
; or
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(ii) Who
, by reason of the evaluation, needs special education and related services, or

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because of those impairments needs special education and related services,
and

or
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(iii)
Age fourteen (14) or younger if determined appropriate in the individualized education
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program

Who have a Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended Section 504 plan, "29 U.S. Code §
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794 - Nondiscrimination under federal grants and programs"; or
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(iv) Age fourteen (14) or younger if determined appropriate
.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
***
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This act would require transition planning for high school students with disabilities, who
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have a “504” plan, like the transition planning required for high school students with disabilities,
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who have an individualized education program (IEP).
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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