PROVIDENCE — State Senator Daniel DaPonte and State Representative Gregg Amore have each submitted legislation in the General Assembly attempting to ease the burden on the East Providence School Department as it pertains to educating out-of-district Special Needs students.

Rep. Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) introduced his bill to House Finance Committee, of which he is a member, that would reimburse the East Providence School District for use of Bradley Hospital’s Children’s Residential and Family Treatment Program (CRAFT) by students outside the city. The full committee heard the bill recently.

The legislation (2016-H 7265) would provide that for any child attending the East Providence campus of Bradley Hospital, the child’s residence district and/or sending district would be responsible for reimbursement to the school department of the city of East Providence for any monies paid to Bradley Hospital after application of any state aid.

“The state reimbursement for these students has not increased in nearly a decade, and the cost of transportation, in-district special education services, and out-of-district special education services has placed an undue burden on the East Providence School Department and taxpayer,” said Rep. Amore. “This bill aims to protect East Providence taxpayers by ensuring that they are not paying for the expenses that should rest with the CRAFT participant’s sending district.”

A companion bill (2016-S 2145) has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. DaPonte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), the chairman of the Finance Committee in the upper chamber.

The key revision in Sen' DaPonte's bill to the existing statute on the subject of funding out-of-district students is as follows: "Provided, that as to any child attending the East Providence campus of Bradley Hospital who is not a resident of East Providence, the child's sending district or district where the 4 child resides shall be responsible to reimburse the school department of the city of East Providence for any balance due on monies paid to Bradley Hospital for said child after application of any state aid. If such direct payment would otherwise violate the state school funding formula and/or federal law, then the sending district shall be responsible to reimburse the school department of the city of East Providence for payments made by the city of East Providence for said child."

Said Sen. DaPonte of his submission, "The bill seeks to make sure that the East Providence School Department and East Providence taxpayers do not incur the costs for students at Bradley that are not East Providence residents. The bill requires that the monies follow the child and the sending district pays the cost for their students."

Rep. Amore's bill is cosponsored in the House by Reps. Helio Melo (D-Dist. 64, East Providence), Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence) and Joy Hearn (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence).