Substitute Bill No. 5348 - Summary

• Establishes paraeducator qualifications and definition: Requires all paraeducators hired by local or regional school boards to have a high school diploma and either two years of higher education, an associate degree, or a satisfactory score on a state-approved paraeducator assessment; effective July 1, 2024.

• Sets minimum salary and benefits: Requires collective bargaining agreements for paraeducators to establish a minimum annual salary of $45,000 for full-time paraeducators beginning July 1, 2025, and mandates boards of education pay the full employee retirement contribution.

• Provides state salary subsidies: Creates state appropriations to subsidize local and regional boards of education to help meet the $45,000 minimum salary requirement and provide retirement contribution support for paraeducators.

• Expands paraeducator roles and training requirements: Updates statutes to include paraeducators in various school programs including special education, transition services, medication administration, physical restraint response teams, and mandates participation in professional development training.

• Replaces terminology throughout Connecticut statutes: Systematically changes all references from "school paraprofessional" to "paraeducator" across education, labor, and human services laws to establish consistent terminology.