Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):

IDEA is the federal civil rights law that requires a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. Reauthorization means IDEA must be reviewed and passed again by Congress, and signed by the President, in order to continue as federal law. Congress and the President can also significantly change IDEA during the reauthorization process.

Reauthorization of the IDEA was completed and passed by Congress in late November 2004. The bill was signed by the President and will now be the new special education law in the country. Many of the new provisions will be effective July 2005.

The reauthorization passed the House and a Senate Committee in early 2004. Each house then passed their own version of the bill. Since the bills differed significantly, a Conference Committee was established to settle the differences. The Conference Committee reached a compromise and sent that version to each house. It was that compromise version that was passed by each house and signed by the President in late November 2004.

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Inc., has created an IDEA Rapid Response Network of parents of children with disabilities, advocates and supporters. The Network is designed to educate and inform parents about IDEA and build a coalition of people across the nation who can respond with their input to Congress.

Organization(s) that follow this issue:

• Our Children Left Behind
• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc.
• PACER Center - Special Education web page
• National Center for Learning Disabilities - Special Education web page
• The Arc of the US - Legislative Updates
• Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Alerts posted
• Disability E-Mail Networks
  

Other Resources

• Brief Summary of IDEA 2004 with Current Law
• NAPAS' side by side byside of the House and Senate IDEA Reauthorization bills [Part 1 and Part 2]
• NAPAS Action Alert regarding Senate version of IDEA, June 18, 2003
• Discispline Provisions under HR 1350 (PDF), May 27, 2003
• Think piece on HR 1350 from NAPAS, COPAA and WCA (PDF), May 27, 2003
• CCD Statement regarding HR 1350 (PDF), May 17, 2003
• National Commmittee of Parents Organized to Protect IDEA position paper and support signup form, (In PDF or Word), Dec. 18, 2002
• Quality Education Coalition Position Paper (PDF), IDEA Reauthorization, 8/21/02.
• Paper written by National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems IDEA Reauthorization Positions NAPAS (PDF) in response to the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
• Final Report, President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, July 2002
  
• Working P&A Draft on IDEA Reauthorization General Distribution Document, 4/18/02
  
• Special Education Links, CESA 7