Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983

Summary

Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983 - Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act ("the Act") to replace 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. Revises evaluation provisions. Adds requirements that the Secretary: (1) by grant contract or cooperative agreements with State educational agencies (SEAs), provide for specified types of in-depth evaluation studies to determine the impact of the Act; and (2) submit by January 30 of each year a set of evaluation priorities to the appropriate congressional committees for review and comment. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through FY 1986 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 SEAs and local educational agencies (LEAs). Provides that centers and services for deaf-blind children: (1) shall be extended to deaf-blind youth; and (2) may also serve individuals with other handicapping conditions of the greatest degree of severity. Includes among services to be provided by such centers technical assistance to public agencies and private organizations which are involved in the education or care of deaf-blind children or youth. Revises provisions for early education programs for handicapped children to include children from birth to eight years of age. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) arrange by contract or grant with SEAs for developing and implementing a State plan to provide special education and related services to handicapped children; and (2) disseminate information on successful models and practices of the programs authorized under such provisions in order to promote the basis for other early education programs for handicapped children. 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. 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; and, requires coordination of such projects with projects developed under specified provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Requires an evaluation of such assistance program to be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees by January 1986. Requires that the results of the Secretary's evaluations of the effectiveness of each program assisted under provisions 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 1984 through 1986 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 enter into contracts (as well as make grants to) institutions of higher education and other appropriate nonprofit institutions or agencies to provide demonstration and model programs for preservice and inservice training (as well as providing training for preparation for special education and related services and establishing and maintaining scholarships for training such personnel). Directs the Secretary to reserve: (1) up to five percent of such funds for contracts to target training personnel for underserved areas; and (2) ten percent of such funds for grants to private nonprofit organizations to establish and operate parent training and information programs. Sets forth requirements relating to such parent training and information program grants. Replaces provisions for grants or contracts to improve recruiting of educational personnel and dissemination of information concerning educational opportunities for the handicapped with provisions authorizing the Secretary to make a grant or contract for a national clearinghouse for such purposes. Repeals provisions for grants for training physical educators and recreation personnel for handicapped children. Requires that annual reports to the Secretary by recipients of grants for training personnel contain specified information. Requires that each recipient of a grant for parent training and information report annually to the Secretary in a specified manner. Requires that data from such personnel training and parent training grant reports be included in a specified annual report of the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through 1986 to carry out Part D provisions for training 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 be designed to achieve specified purposes. 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) encourage coordination of research priorities established under this Act with those established by the National Institute of Handicapped Research; and (2) assure that information as to research priorities established under this Act is provided to the National Council of the Handicapped. 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 1984 through 1986 to carry out part E provisions for research in the education of the handicapped. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through 1986 for Part F provisions of the Act for instructional media for the handicapped. Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 to increase the amounts authorized to be appropriated for FY 1984 to carry out: (1) specified provisions under Part B provisions of the Act for assistance for education of all handicapped children; (2) specified Federal law relating to the American Printing House for the Blind; (3) specified Federal law relating to Gallaudet College and to the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf; and (4) the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Act. Repeals provisions for training of physical educators and recreation personnel for handicapped children under Part D of the Act. 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).

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Documents

4 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 3 December 1983

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• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 17 November 1983

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• Passed Senate amended

  summary · EN · 27 June 1983

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 23 May 1983

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