Permits extended early intervention services for children with developmental disabilities whose third birthday is between May 1 and August 31.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would allow certain young children with developmental disabilities to continue receiving early intervention services past their third birthday. Currently, early intervention programs — which provide therapies and support for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities — typically end when a child turns three. At that point, children are expected to transition into preschool special education programs. However, this transition can be complicated for children whose third birthday falls between May 1 and August 31, since they turn three after the school year has already begun or during the summer when preschool programs may not be readily available.

This bill addresses that gap by extending early intervention services for children born between May 1 and August 31 until they can properly transition into a preschool program. Essentially, it creates a "bridge" period so that these children don't experience an interruption in their services simply because of when their birthday falls on the calendar.

The bill primarily affects families of young children with developmental disabilities whose birthdays fall in the late spring or summer months. For these families, the change would mean their children continue receiving important developmental support — such as speech therapy, physical therapy, or other specialized services — without a gap in care. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where lawmakers will review its potential costs and funding implications before deciding whether to move it forward.