Bill > HB1164

This bill amends the definition of a "student with a disability" in North Dakota's special education law, updating the language used to describe different types of disabilities while maintaining the core eligibility criteria. Specifically, the bill modifies the definition to cover individuals between three and twenty-one years old who require special education services due to various conditions. The changes include replacing "A hearing impairment, including deafness" with "Being deaf or hard of hearing", changing "emotional disturbance" to "emotional disability", and adjusting "Other health impairment" to "An other health impairment". The bill retains the existing list of qualifying disabilities, which includes intellectual disability, deaf-blindness, speech or language impairment, visual impairment, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, and specific learning disability. These updates aim to use more precise and respectful language when describing disabilities while maintaining the essential framework for identifying students who are eligible for special education services.

Education, Government Affairs

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1164.html