SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the department of elementary and secondary education in partnership with one or more Massachusetts institutions of higher learning, local educational authorities and private educational providers, shall study the delivery of special education services in the commonwealth pursuant to chapter 71B of the General Laws and all applicable federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act of 1990.

Said study shall include a comprehensive evaluation of existing and potential models for providing special education, and the associated costs and benefits, including but not limited to the costs of personnel compensation, transportation, housing and assistive technologies. Said study shall also seek to identify means by which services and instruction may be provided in a proactive manner, without the requirement or need for an individual education plan, but so as to maximize learning progress in local educational settings.

Said study, together with any legislative recommendations, shall be filed with the joint committee on education and the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives not later than May 1, 2019.”