HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 421        FILED ON: 1/14/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 168

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Theodore C. Speliotis

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to provide equal opportunities for special education.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Theodore C. Speliotis

13th Essex

1/14/2011

Alice K. Wolf

25th Middlesex

1/19/2011

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/3/2011

James B. Eldridge

 

2/2/2011

Susan C. Fargo

 

2/4/2011

Patricia D. Jehlen

 

2/3/2011

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/25/2011

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

2/1/2011

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

2/4/2011

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

1/27/2011

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

34th Middlesex

1/27/2011

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

2/3/2011

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

2/4/2011

David B. Sullivan

6th Bristol

2/4/2011

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/24/2011


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 421        FILED ON: 1/14/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 168

By Mr. Speliotis of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 168) of Theodore C. Speliotis and others for legislation to provide equal opportunity for special education.  Education.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 487 OF 2009-2010.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act to provide equal opportunities for special education.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

                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.