The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Congressional Intent (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (11 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised June 18, 1995 |
| Report Number |
95-669 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium May 19, 1995 (11 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
This document also available in PDF Image .
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. Section Section 1400
et
seq. , mandates the provision of a free appropriate public education for children with
disabilities and
provides for Federal funding to assist States and localities in meeting this goal. IDEA is currently
up for reauthorization although it may be subject to a one year extension. When IDEA is
reauthorized, Congress may consider amendments to the act. In light of the reauthorization issues,
questions have arisen concerning the original intent of Congress in enacting the legislation. This
report will examine the legislative history of P.L. 94-142 to determine the rationale for its enactment.
An examination of the legislative history of the original act indicates that there were four main
reasons advanced for its enactment. These reasons were (1) an increased awareness of the needs of
children with disabilities, (2) judicial decisions that found constitutional requirements for the
education of children with disabilities, (3) the inability of states and localities to fund education for
children with disabilities, and (4) the theory that educating children with disabilities will result in
these children becoming more productive members of society and thus lessening the burden on
taxpayers to support nonproductive persons.
