Stages in the consideration of Bill 398
Chamber
quebec
Stage
Introduced
This Quebec bill would enshrine the right of students with disabilities or learning difficulties to receive equivalent educational services.
Key Changes
- Formally enshrines in the Education Act the right of handicapped students to receive equivalent educational services
- Extends this right to students with social maladjustments or learning disabilities
- Establishes a legal standard of equivalency between services provided to special needs students and those provided to other students
- Strengthens the legal basis for families to advocate for appropriate educational supports
Gotchas
- This is a private member's bill, which historically has a lower rate of passage than government-sponsored legislation in Quebec.
- The bill does not specify how 'equivalent services' would be defined, measured, or enforced, which could create ambiguity in implementation.
- No fiscal impact or funding mechanism is mentioned, raising questions about how schools would resource any expanded obligations.
- The bill was reintroduced in a second session, suggesting it did not pass during its initial introduction, which may indicate limited government support.
Who's Affected
- Students with physical or intellectual disabilities in Quebec schools
- Students with learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD)
- Students with social maladjustments
- Parents and guardians of students with special needs
- Quebec school boards and educational staff
- Special education teachers and support staff
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- This is a private member's bill, which historically has a lower rate of passage than government-sponsored legislation in Quebec.
- The bill does not specify how 'equivalent services' would be defined, measured, or enforced, which could create ambiguity in implementation.
- No fiscal impact or funding mechanism is mentioned, raising questions about how schools would resource any expanded obligations.
- The bill was reintroduced in a second session, suggesting it did not pass during its initial introduction, which may indicate limited government support.
Summary
Bill 398 is a private member's bill introduced in Quebec's National Assembly by MNA Jennifer Maccarone. It proposes to amend Quebec's Education Act to formally guarantee that students who are handicapped, have social maladjustments, or have learning disabilities receive educational services that are equivalent in quality to those provided to other students in the school system. Currently, while Quebec law recognizes the needs of these students, this bill aims to make the right to equivalent services an explicit legal entitlement. This would strengthen the legal standing of students with special needs and their families when seeking appropriate educational support from school boards. The bill was first introduced during the 43rd Legislature's 1st Session in April 2023 and was reinstated in the 2nd Session in October 2025, meaning it has been carried forward without needing to restart the legislative process.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses