Section 3 of chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the twelfth paragraph the following paragraph:—

Parents, guardians or persons with custody of a student and, in the case of students with legal authority to act in their own behalf, students who have either requested a hearing before the bureau of special education appeals seeking resolution of any dispute or are parties to a proceeding initiated by a school committee at such bureau shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, including the costs of experts, as a prevailing party if they obtain relief on a significant claim as a result of such request, or an appeal thereof, that effects a material alteration in the parties’ legal relationship, and is not merely de minimis, or if they achieve a favorable result in defense of the school committee’s action, whether such relief is the result of a voluntary change in the school committee’s conduct, a settlement agreement, or a decision or order issued by a hearing officer or court.