Committee of the Whole & Judiciary & Public Safety Joint Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA C O MMITTEE O F T H E W H O L E NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE and CHAIRWOMAN BROOKE PINTO COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING on Bill 25-309, “Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Amendment Act of 2023” and Bill 25-461, “Leading Education Access for Reentry and Necessary Success Amendment Act of 2023” on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Hearing Room 412 (Track B) John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW DC Council Website (www.dccouncil.gov) Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember Brooke Pinto announce a public hearing jointly held by the Committee of the Whole and Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on Bill 25-309, Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Amendment Act of 2023, and Bill 25-461, Leading Education Access for Reentry and Necessary Success (LEARN) Amendment Act of 2023. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The stated purpose of Bill 25-309 is to designate the Department of Corrections as the District agency responsible for the provision of a free appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Services would be provided to individuals with disabilities who are in its custody and detained in its secure facilities through the end of the individual’s eligibility. DC Council passed emergency legislation to this same effect (D.C. Act 25-230) on September 18th, 2023, which is set to expire on January 9th, 2024. The stated purpose of Bill 25-461 is similar to Bill 25-309, in that it would also designate the Department of Corrections as the District agency responsible for providing a free appropriate education to eligible individuals in their care. However, Bill 25-451 additionally specifies that the Department of Corrections must provide evaluations for special education services, and it specifies qualifications for entities seeking to contract with the Department of Corrections to provide special education services. Those who wish to testify must register using the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2024. Testimony is limited to four minutes. Witnesses who anticipate needing spoken language interpretation, or require sign language interpretation, are requested to inform the Committee office of the need as soon as possible but no later than five business days before the proceeding by emailing cow@dccouncil.gov. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests, although alternatives may be offered. Requests received in less than five business days may not be fulfilled. Witnesses will receive instructions on how to participate by Zoom prior to the hearing. If you have additional questions, please contact Bijan Verlin, Policy Advisor, at (202) 724-8196 or bverlin@dccouncil.gov Public witnesses may participate in-person or virtually via the Internet on the Zoom Video Conference platform. Testimony should be submitted through the Council’s Hearing Management System (https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings) in advance of the hearing. Testimony will be publicly accessible upon Committee review. If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Statements for the record should be submitted through the Hearing Management System or left by voicemail by calling (202) 430-6948 (up to 3 minutes which will be transcribed). The record will close at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.