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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 329 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 329

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2010

Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Education for 
                 All Handicapped Children Act of 1975.

Whereas the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-
        142), which amended the State grant program under part B of the 
        Education of the Handicapped Act (Public Law 91-230), was enacted into 
        law 35 years ago on November 29, 1975;
Whereas the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 established the 
        Federal policy of ensuring

              

 that all children, regardless of the nature or severity of their 
disability, have available to them a free appropriate public education in 
the least restrictive environment;

Whereas the Education of the Handicapped Act of 1975 was further amended by the 
        Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (Public Law 99-457) 
        to create a preschool grant program for children with disabilities 3 to 
        5 years of age and an early intervention program for infants and 
        toddlers with disabilities from birth through age 2;
Whereas the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990 (Public Law 101-
        476) renamed the statute as the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
        Act (IDEA);
Whereas the IDEA was amended in 1997 to ensure children with disabilities are 
        involved, and make progress, in the general education curriculum and are 
        included in all general State and district-wide assessment programs;
Whereas IDEA was amended in 2004 to ensure that all children with disabilities 
        have available to them a free appropriate public education that 
        emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their 
        unique needs and support them in transitioning to further education, 
        employment, and independent living;
Whereas IDEA currently serves an estimated 342,000 infants and toddlers, 709,000 
        preschoolers, and 5,890,000 children 6 to 21 years of age;
Whereas IDEA has assisted in a dramatic reduction in the number of children with 
        developmental disabilities who must live in State institutions that are 
        away from their families, costly, inappropriate, and isolated;
Whereas the number of children with disabilities who complete high school with a 
        standard diploma has grown significantly since the enactment of IDEA;
Whereas the number of children with disabilities who enroll in college as 
        freshmen has more than tripled since the enactment of IDEA;
Whereas IDEA has raised the Nation's expectations about the abilities of 
        children with disabilities by requiring access to the general education 
        curriculum;
Whereas improvements to IDEA made in 1997 and 2004 changed the focus of a 
        child's individualized education program from procedural requirements 
        placed upon teachers and related services personnel to educational 
        results for that child, thus improving academic achievement;
Whereas IDEA, along with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
        holds schools accountable for the academic performance of students with 
        disabilities;
Whereas IDEA requires full partnership between parents of children with 
        disabilities and education professionals in the design and 
        implementation of the educational services provided to children with 
        disabilities;
Whereas IDEA has supported the classrooms of this Nation by providing Federal 
        resources to the States and local schools to help meet their obligation 
        to educate all children with disabilities;
Whereas while the Federal Government has not yet met its commitment to fund part 
        B of IDEA at 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure, it has 
        made significant increases in part B funding by increasing the 
        appropriation by 81 percent since 2001, which is an increase of over 
        $5,160,000,000;
Whereas IDEA has supported, through its discretionary programs, more than 4 
        decades of research, demonstration, and training in effective practices 
        for educating and assessing children with disabilities, enabling 
        teachers, related services personnel, and administrators to effectively 
        meet the instructional and assessment needs of children with 
        disabilities of all ages;
Whereas the challenges associated with providing a free appropriate public 
        education to every child with a disability continue despite 35 years of 
        IDEA implementation, including low expectations and an insufficient 
        focus on applying replicable research on proven methods of teaching and 
        learning for children with disabilities, requiring a continued 
        commitment to improvement; and
Whereas IDEA continues to serve as the framework to marshal the resources of 
        this Nation to implement the promise of full participation in society of 
        children with disabilities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) recognizes the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the 
        Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 
        94-142);
            (2) acknowledges the many and varied contributions of 
        children with disabilities and their parents, teachers, related 
        services personnel, and administrators; and
            (3) reaffirms its support for the Individuals with 
        Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) so that all 
        children with disabilities have--
                    (A) access to a free appropriate public education; 
                and
                    (B) an equal opportunity to benefit from the 
                general education curriculum and be prepared for 
                further education, employment, and independent living.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.
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