Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983

Summary

Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1984 - Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act ("the Act") to revise definitions. Redefines "handicapped children" to include: (1) "behaviorally disordered" children (rather than "seriously emotionally disturbed" children); and (2) language impaired children. Renames the National Advisory Committee on Handicapped Children as the National Advisory Committee on the Education of Handicapped Children. Includes the Northern Mariana Islands under the definition of "State." Replaces outdated references to the Commissioner of Education and the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare with references to the Secretary of Education ("the Secretary"). Establishes within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education an Office of Special Education Programs to be the principal agency for administering and carrying out the Act. Provides that such Office shall be headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary, with a specified number of persons in certain positions to assist such official. Reestablishes the National Advisory Committee on the Education of Handicapped Children ("the Advisory Committee"). Authorizes appropriations for the Advisory Committee for FY 1985 through 1987. Revises provisions relating to grants for the removal of architectural barriers. Revises evaluation provisions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for specified types of evaluation studies to determine the impact of the Act; and (2) publish an annual report on the progress being made toward the provision of free appropriate public education to all handicapped children and youth. Requires that such report be: (1) transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees and to the Advisory Committee; and (2) published and disseminated in sufficient quantities to the education community and other interested parties. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1987 to carry out evaluation provisions. Revises incentive grants provisions to permit such grants to be used for providing education and related services for handicapped children from birth to three years of age. Revises Part C provisions of the Act for centers and services to meet special needs of the handicapped. Provides that regional resource centers shall provide technical assistance to State education agencies (SEAs) (including comparable educational agencies within the Departments of Defense and of the Interior relating to educational programs and services for handicapped children and youth) and through such SEAs to local educational agencies (LEAs). Includes among center functions assistance in information and training services for professionals and parents of handicapped children. Requires each center to report a summary of materials produced or developed. Requires inclusion of center reports in the annual report to Congress. Revises provisions for services for deaf-blind children to extend services to deaf-blind youth. Deletes provisions for model centers. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and contracts or cooperative agreements with public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, or organizations to assist SEAs to: (1) assure deaf-blind children and youth a free appropriate public education pursuant to the Act and preliminary transitional services; and (2) make available to deaf-blind youth, upon their attaining age 22, programs and services to facilitate their transition from educational to other social services. Sets forth requirements for programs receiving such grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a limited number of cooperative agreements or contracts to establish and support regional programs for the provision of technical assistance in the education of deaf-blind children. Requires programs supported under provisions for services for deaf-blind children and youth to report annually on the numbers of deaf-blind children and youth, paraprofessionals and professionals, and family members directly serviced by each activity. Directs the Secretary to summarize this data in the annual report. Revises provisions for early education for handicapped children to include among program activities the demonstration of services in the least restrictive environment taking advantage of noncategorical preschool programs serving nonhandicapped children. Authorizes the Secretary to make a grant to each State through the SEA or other State agency to assist such State agency in planning, developing, and implementing a comprehensive delivery system for the provision of special education and related services to handicapped and other developmentally delayed children from birth through five years of age. Directs the Secretary to make one of the following types of such grants to any State which submits an application which meets the specified requirements: (1) a planning grant for up to two years; (2) a development grant for up to three years; or (3) an implementation grant for up to three years (but requiring an annual renewal application by the State). Directs the Secretary to include in the annual report: (1) specified information on such grants and activities; and (2) beginning in 1986, a description of the status of special education and related services to handicapped and developmentally delayed children from birth through five years of age. Provides for waivers of Federal regulations which interfere with achievement of the objectives of such grants program. Limits funds for such grants to 30 percent of funds available under provisions for early education for handicapped children. Requires that at least 15 percent of funds for such grants be for training and technical assistance to States. Authorizes the Secretary, in carrying out provisions for research, training, and dissemination activities in connection with centers and services for the handicapped, to address the needs of the severely handicapped. Directs the Secretary to make grants and contracts under provisions for postsecondary education programs: (1) on a competitive basis; and (2) giving priority consideration to four regional centers for the deaf and to model centers and programs for individuals with handicapping conditions other than deafness for specified types of programs. Sets a required minimum amount for such payments to the four regional centers for the deaf. Directs the Secretary to make grants and contracts for a national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for handicapped individuals. Defines "handicapped individuals," for purposes of such provisions for postsecondary education programs, as individuals who are mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech or language impaired, visually handicapped, behaviorally disordered, orthopedically impaired, or other health impaired individuals, or individuals with specific learning disabilities who require special education and related services. Establishes a program of assistance for secondary education and transitional services for handicapped youth. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and contracts with institutions of higher education, SEAs and LEAs, and other appropriate public and private nonprofit institutions or agencies for secondary special education programs and other services to assist handicapped youth in the transition to postsecondary education, vocational training, competitive employment, continuing education, and adult services. Sets forth types of projects which may be assisted. Requires that the results of the Secretary's evaluations of the effectiveness of each program assisted under Part C provisions of the Act for centers and services to meet the special needs of the handicapped be analyzed and submitted to the appropriate congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1987 to carry out Part C programs under provisions for centers and services to meet special needs of the handicapped, including: (1) regional resource centers; (2) centers and services for deaf-blind children and youth; (3) early education for handicapped children; (4) research, training, and dissemination activities in connection with centers and services for the handicapped; (5) postsecondary education programs; and (6) secondary education and transitional services for handicapped youth. Revises Part D provisions of the Act for training for the education of the handicapped. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants, which may include scholarships with stipends and allowances, to institutions of higher education and other appropriate nonprofit agencies for training personnel for careers in special education. Authorizes the Secretary to reserve up to five percent of the amount available under personnel training grants provisions for contracts to prepare personnel in areas of need not adequately represented in the grant process. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to institutions of higher education and other appropriate nonprofit agencies to conduct special projects to develop and demonstrate new approaches for preservice training, regular educators, and inservice training of special education personnel. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants through a separate competition to private nonprofit organizations to provide training and information to parents of handicapped children and volunteers. Revises provisions for grants to SEAs for traineeships to direct the Secretary to make such grants to SEAs and to comparable educational agencies or offices in the Departments of Defense and the Interior. Revises provisions for grants or contracts to improve recruiting of educational personnel and dissemination of information concerning educational opportunities for the handicapped. Authorizes the Secretary to make such grants or contracts for a national clearinghouse on the education of the handicapped and for other support projects to achieve specified objectives, including providing technical assistance to State and local parent training and information programs. Deletes provisions for grants for training physical educators and recreation personnel for handicapped children. Revises reporting requirements to require that reports to the Secretary by grant or contract recipients under part D: (1) be submitted within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year; and (2) include specified information. Requires that a summary of such data be included in the annual report of the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1987 to carry out Part D provisions for training personnel for the education of the handicapped, including: (1) grants to institutions of higher education and other appropriate institutions or agencies; (2) grants to SEAs; and (3) recruitment of educational personnel and the provision of information concerning the education of handicapped individuals. Revises Part E provisions of the Act for research in the education of the handicapped. Provides that grants and contracts for research and demonstration projects in education of handicapped children shall be used by the recipient agencies to assist special education personnel, related services personnel, and other appropriate persons, including parents, in improving the education and related services for handicapped children and youth. Requires that such research and related activities include specified activities. Directs the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register: (1) a proposed set of research priorities every two years and allow a period of 60 days for public comments and suggestions; and (2) a final set of research priorities within 30 days after the close of the comment period. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide an index of all research projects conducted in the prior fiscal year in a specified annual report; and (2) make reports of research projects available to the education community at large and other interested parties. Directs the Secretary to: (1) coordinate research priorities established under this Act with those established by the National Institute of Handicapped Research; and (2) provide information concerning research priorities established under this Act to the National Council of the Handicapped and to the National Advisory Committee on the Education of Handicapped Children. Provides that the panels of experts appointed by the Secretary shall evaluate various types of proposals for projects under parts C, D, E, and F of the Act. (Current law only requires such evaluation of part E research or demonstration projects.) Directs the Secreary to secure the advice and recommendations of one such panel before making any grant or contract under parts C, D, E, and F of the Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1987 to carry out Part E provisions for research in the education of the handicapped. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1987 to carry out Part F provisions of the Act for instructional media for the handicapped. Repeals Part G of the Act (provisions for special programs for children with specific learning disabilities, including provisions for research, training, and model centers for such programs). Makes technical and conforming amendments. Include the Northern Mariana Islands among the territories and possessions of the United States for purposes of allocation of specified funds under the Act.

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3 official files

• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 17 November 1983

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• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 6 October 1983

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 28 June 1983

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