A bill cutting the bureaucratic red tape preventing a school that serves children with special needs from expanding was approved by an Assembly committee today.

Assemblyman Sean Kean, the bill sponsor, calls it the first step toward increasing much-needed student capacity at the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence in Lakewood.

The bill was reintroduced this session after being pocket vetoed by Gov. Phil Murphy. It authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to lift a conservation easement on a piece of property when it is needed to expand an existing school for children with special needs, as long as the DEP imposes a new conservation restriction on another parcel of land that is at least twice the size of the original and located within 20 miles.

“By recognizing that some students with complex medical needs struggle to thrive in typical school settings, New Jersey has to make room at specialized institutions while also considering the environmental impacts of any kind of development,” Kean (R-Monmouth) said. “This bill thoughtfully balances the increased demand for space at the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence and land conservation. More land will be protected, and more children will be helped. It is a win-win.”

The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence is a private school approved by the New Jersey Department of Education to serve students with disabilities in pre-K through 12th grade.