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STOP THE GOVERNOR AND LAWMAKERS FROM RESTRICTING PARENTS’ RIGHTS AND HURTING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
June 10, 2009

ACTION ALERT:

STOP GOVERNOR PATERSON AND LAWMAKERS FROM RESTRICTING PARENTS' RIGHTS AND HURTING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS!

Act now to tell lawmakers to reject the "Special Education Statute of Limitations" proposal.

June 10, 2009

Proposed legislation by the New York State Education Department (SED) will drastically shorten the time period for parents to file an impartial hearing for tuition funding for their child's private special education.

NYS law currently gives parents two years to file such impartial hearing requests. The SED is asking state lawmakers to reduce that period - the "statute of limitations" - to a mere 180 days. Plus, the proposed legislation is unclear about when the time period starts to run – giving bureaucrats another issue to exploit in hearings and appeals.

The drastic shortening of time means parents may be forced to decide where their child should be best educated before they know their options. Parents may need to pay more legal fees to get reimbursement they are entitled by law. Parents may be unfairly pressured to start legal proceedings immediately or lose rights to these funds. This short time period, a mere 180 days, means more risk, more delay, more stress, more cost and more difficulty for parents to obtain the private special education their child needs.

The proposal is currently being considered by state legislators and will be voted any day now but no later than June 22nd.

Make Three Phone Calls Immediately to:

- Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791
- Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (518) 455-4851
- Governor David Paterson (518) 474-8390

Here’s what you need to say:

1) I'm calling to STRONGLY OPPOSE the Reduction in the "Special Education Statute of Limitations" contained in Assembly Bill 8398.

2) Reducing the Statute of Limitations from 2 Years to 180 days is grossly unfair as it applies only to parents of children in private schools.

3) This change will unfairly pressure and force legal costs on parents and will overwhelm the already overburdened NYC Impartial Hearing System.

4) The legislature appropriately rejected this proposal in 2007 and I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reject it again.

Please make the calls TODAY to strongly oppose bill A.8398, and help parents keep their special needs students in their appropriate private schools.


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