HB 23-1211

House Bill 23-1211, which has been signed into law in Colorado, requires the state Department of Education to track and report on the use of language translation services for children with disabilities who need Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This means that schools will have to provide data about how often they offer translation services to help parents or guardians who don't speak English well understand their child's IEP. The information collected will be included in the department’s annual report under the "SMART Act." This bill affects families of children with disabilities whose primary language is not English and ensures that these families have access to necessary translation services for special education planning.

Official Summary

Current law requires that a child with a disability be provided with an individualized education program (IEP), developed by a multidisciplinary team that includes the child's parents or guardians. The bill requires the department of education to use the existing special education data and information system to track the provision of language translation services related to IEPs and include such data as part of its annual "SMART Act" hearing.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)