304
address early intervention, educational, and
transitional needs of children with disabilities
who have certain disabilities;
‘‘(B) to make information available on
technology research, technology development,
and educational media services and activities to
individuals involved in the provision of early
intervention, educational, and transitional serv-
ices to children with disabilities;
‘‘(C) to promote the integration of tech-
nology into curricula to improve early interven-
tion, educational, and transitional results for
children with disabilities;
‘‘(D) to provide incentives for the develop-
ment of technology and media devices and tools
that are not readily found or available because
of the small size of potential markets;
‘‘(E) to make resources available to pay for
such devices and tools and educational media
services and activities;
‘‘(F) to promote the training of person-
nel—
‘‘(i) to provide such devices, tools,
services, and activities in a competent
manner; and
305
‘‘(ii) to assist children with disabilities
and their families in using such devices,
tools, services, and activities; and
‘‘(G) to coordinate the provision of such
devices, tools, services, and activities—
‘‘(i) among State human services pro-
grams; and
‘‘(ii) between such programs and pri-
vate agencies.
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this chapter are
to ensure that—
‘‘(1) children with disabilities, and their par-
ents, receive training and information on their rights
and protections under this Act, in order to develop
the skills necessary to effectively participate in plan-
ning and decisionmaking relating to early interven-
tion, educational, and transitional services and in
systemic-change activities;
‘‘(2) parents, teachers, administrators, early
intervention personnel, related services personnel,
and transition personnel receive coordinated and ac-
cessible technical assistance and information to as-
sist such persons, through systemic-change activities
and other efforts, to improve early intervention, edu-
306
cational, and transitional services and results for
children with disabilities and their families;
‘‘(3) appropriate technology and media are re-
searched, developed, demonstrated, and made avail-
able in timely and accessible formats to parents,
teachers, and all types of personnel providing serv-
ices to children with disabilities to support their
roles as partners in the improvement and implemen-
tation of early intervention, educational, and transi-
tional services and results for children with disabil-
ities and their families;
‘‘(4) on reaching the age of majority under
State law, children with disabilities understand their
rights and responsibilities under part B, if the State
provides for the transfer of parental rights under
section 615(m); and
‘‘(5) the general welfare of deaf and hard-of-
hearing individuals is promoted by—
‘‘(A) bringing to such individuals under-
standing and appreciation of the films and tele-
vision programs that play an important part in
the general and cultural advancement of hear-
ing individuals;
‘‘(B) providing, through those films and
television programs, enriched educational and
307
cultural experiences through which deaf and
hard-of-hearing individuals can better under-
stand the realities of their environment; and
‘‘(C) providing wholesome and rewarding
experiences that deaf and hard-of-hearing indi-
viduals may share.
‘‘SEC. 682. PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION CENTERS.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may
make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative
agreements with, parent organizations to support parent
training and information centers to carry out activities
under this section.
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Each parent training
and information center that receives assistance under this
section shall—
‘‘(1) provide training and information that
meets the training and information needs of parents
of children with disabilities living in the area served
by the center, particularly underserved parents and
parents of children who may be inappropriately iden-
tified;
‘‘(2) assist parents to understand the availabil-
ity of, and how to effectively use, procedural safe-
guards under this Act, including encouraging the
use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative meth-
308
ods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation
process described in section 615(e);
‘‘(3) serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and
children with the full range of disabilities;
‘‘(4) assist parents to—
‘‘(A) better understand the nature of their
children’s disabilities and their educational and
developmental needs;
‘‘(B) communicate effectively with person-
nel responsible for providing special education,
early intervention, and related services;
‘‘(C) participate in decisionmaking proc-
esses and the development of individualized
education programs under part B and individ-
ualized family service plans under part C;
‘‘(D) obtain appropriate information about
the range of options, programs, services, and
resources available to assist children with dis-
abilities and their families;
‘‘(E) understand the provisions of this Act
for the education of, and the provision of early
intervention services to, children with disabil-
ities; and
‘‘(F) participate in school reform activities;
309
‘‘(5) in States where the State elects to contract
with the parent training and information center,
contract with State educational agencies to provide,
consistent with subparagraphs (B) and (D) of sec-
tion 615(e)(2), individuals who meet with parents to
explain the mediation process to them;
‘‘(6) network with appropriate clearinghouses,
including organizations conducting national dissemi-
nation activities under section 685(d), and with
other national, State, and local organizations and
agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies,
that serve parents and families of children with the
full range of disabilities; and
‘‘(7) annually report to the Secretary on—
‘‘(A) the number of parents to whom it
provided information and training in the most
recently concluded fiscal year; and
‘‘(B) the effectiveness of strategies used to
reach and serve parents, including underserved
parents of children with disabilities.
‘‘(c) OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES.—A parent training and
information center that receives assistance under this sec-
tion may—
310
‘‘(1) provide information to teachers and other
professionals who provide special education and re-
lated services to children with disabilities;
‘‘(2) assist students with disabilities to under-
stand their rights and responsibilities under section
615(m) on reaching the age of majority; and
‘‘(3) assist parents of children with disabilities
to be informed participants in the development and
implementation of the State’s State improvement
plan under subpart 1.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each applica-
tion for assistance under this section shall identify with
specificity the special efforts that the applicant will under-
take—
‘‘(1) to ensure that the needs for training and
information of underserved parents of children with
disabilities in the area to be served are effectively
met; and
‘‘(2) to work with community-based organiza-
tions.
‘‘(e) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make
at least 1 award to a parent organization in each
State, unless the Secretary does not receive an appli-
311
cation from such an organization in each State of
sufficient quality to warrant approval.
‘‘(2) SELECTION
REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall select among applications submitted by
parent organizations in a State in a manner that en-
sures the most effective assistance to parents, in-
cluding parents in urban and rural areas, in the
State.
‘‘(f) QUARTERLY REVIEW.—
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENTS.—
‘‘(A) MEETINGS.—The board of directors
or special governing committee of each organi-
zation that receives an award under this section
shall meet at least once in each calendar quar-
ter to review the activities for which the award
was made.
‘‘(B) ADVISING BOARD.—Each special gov-
erning committee shall directly advise the orga-
nization’s governing board of its views and rec-
ommendations.
‘‘(2) CONTINUATION AWARD.—When an organi-
zation requests a continuation award under this sec-
tion, the board of directors or special governing com-
mittee shall submit to the Secretary a written review
of the parent training and information program con-
312
ducted by the organization during the preceding fis-
cal year.
‘‘(g) DEFINITION OF PARENT ORGANIZATION.—As
used in this section, the term ‘parent organization’ means
a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution
of higher education) that—
‘‘(1) has a board of directors—
‘‘(A) the majority of whom are parents of
children with disabilities;
‘‘(B) that includes—
‘‘(i) individuals working in the fields
of special education, related services, and
early intervention; and
‘‘(ii) individuals with disabilities; and
‘‘(C) the parent and professional members
of which are broadly representative of the popu-
lation to be served; or
‘‘(2) has—
‘‘(A) a membership that represents the in-
terests of individuals with disabilities and has
established a special governing committee that
meets the requirements of paragraph (1); and
‘‘(B) a memorandum of understanding be-
tween the special governing committee and the
board of directors of the organization that
313
clearly outlines the relationship between the
board and the committee and the decisionmak-
ing responsibilities and authority of each.
‘‘SEC. 683. COMMUNITY PARENT RESOURCE CENTERS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants
to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements
with, local parent organizations to support parent training
and information centers that will help ensure that under-
served parents of children with disabilities, including low-
income parents, parents of children with limited English
proficiency, and parents with disabilities, have the training
and information they need to enable them to participate
effectively in helping their children with disabilities—
‘‘(1) to meet developmental goals and, to the
maximum extent possible, those challenging stand-
ards that have been established for all children; and
‘‘(2) to be prepared to lead productive inde-
pendent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Each parent training
and information center assisted under this section shall—
‘‘(1) provide training and information that
meets the training and information needs of parents
of children with disabilities proposed to be served by
the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement;
314
‘‘(2) carry out the activities required of parent
training and information centers under paragraphs
(2) through (7) of section 682(b);
‘‘(3) establish cooperative partnerships with the
parent training and information centers funded
under section 682; and
‘‘(4) be designed to meet the specific needs of
families who experience significant isolation from
available sources of information and support.
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—As used is this section, the term
‘local parent organization’ means a parent organization,
as defined in section 682(g), that either—
‘‘(1) has a board of directors the majority of
whom are from the community to be served; or
‘‘(2) has—
‘‘(A) as a part of its mission, serving the
interests of individuals with disabilities from
such community; and
‘‘(B) a special governing committee to ad-
minister the grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement, a majority of the members of which
are individuals from such community.
315
‘‘SEC. 684. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PARENT TRAINING
AND INFORMATION CENTERS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, directly or
through awards to eligible entities, provide technical as-
sistance for developing, assisting, and coordinating parent
training and information programs carried out by parent
training and information centers receiving assistance
under sections 682 and 683.
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may
provide technical assistance to a parent training and infor-
mation center under this section in areas such as—
‘‘(1) effective coordination of parent training ef-
forts;
‘‘(2) dissemination of information;
‘‘(3) evaluation by the center of itself;
‘‘(4) promotion of the use of technology, includ-
ing assistive technology devices and assistive tech-
nology services;
‘‘(5) reaching underserved populations;
‘‘(6) including children with disabilities in gen-
eral education programs;
‘‘(7) facilitation of transitions from—
‘‘(A) early intervention services to pre-
school;
‘‘(B) preschool to school; and
316
‘‘(C) secondary school to postsecondary en-
vironments; and
‘‘(8) promotion of alternative methods of dis-
pute resolution.
‘‘SEC. 685. COORDINATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
DISSEMINATION.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, by competi-
tively making grants or entering into contracts and coop-
erative agreements with eligible entities, provide technical
assistance and information, through such mechanisms as
institutes, Regional Resource Centers, clearinghouses, and
programs that support States and local entities in building
capacity, to improve early intervention, educational, and
transitional services and results for children with disabil-
ities and their families, and address systemic-change goals
and priorities.
‘‘(b) SYSTEMIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; AUTHOR-
IZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall carry out or support tech-
nical assistance activities, consistent with the objec-
tives described in subsection (a), relating to systemic
change.
318
ships, rather than on externally imposed criteria
or topics, regarding—
‘‘(i) the practices, procedures, and
policies of the States, local educational
agencies, and other participants in part-
nerships; and
‘‘(ii) accountability of the States, local
educational agencies, and other partici-
pants in partnerships for improved early
intervention, educational, and transitional
results for children with disabilities.
‘‘(c) SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; AU-
THORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall carry out or support activi-
ties, consistent with the objectives described in sub-
section (a), relating to areas of priority or specific
populations.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—Examples of
activities that may be carried out under this sub-
section include activities that—
‘‘(A) focus on specific areas of high-prior-
ity need that—
319
‘‘(i) are identified by States, local edu-
cational agencies, and other participants in
partnerships;
‘‘(ii) require the development of new
knowledge, or the analysis and synthesis of
substantial bodies of information not read-
ily available to the States, agencies, and
other participants in partnerships; and
‘‘(iii) will contribute significantly to
the improvement of early intervention, edu-
cational, and transitional services and re-
sults for children with disabilities and their
families;
‘‘(B) focus on needs and issues that are
specific to a population of children with disabil-
ities, such as the provision of single-State and
multi-State technical assistance and in-service
training—
‘‘(i) to schools and agencies serving
deaf-blind children and their families; and
‘‘(ii) to programs and agencies serving
other groups of children with low-incidence
disabilities and their families; or
320
‘‘(C) address the postsecondary education
needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing.
‘‘(d) NATIONAL INFORMATION DISSEMINATION; AU-
THORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall carry out or support infor-
mation dissemination activities that are consistent
with the objectives described in subsection (a), in-
cluding activities that address national needs for the
preparation and dissemination of information relat-
ing to eliminating barriers to systemic-change and
improving early intervention, educational, and tran-
sitional results for children with disabilities.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—Examples of
activities that may be carried out under this sub-
section include activities relating to—
‘‘(A) infants and toddlers with disabilities
and their families, and children with disabilities
and their families;
‘‘(B) services for populations of children
with low-incidence disabilities, including deaf-
blind children, and targeted age groupings;
‘‘(C) the provision of postsecondary serv-
ices to individuals with disabilities;
321
‘‘(D) the need for and use of personnel to
provide services to children with disabilities,
and personnel recruitment, retention, and prep-
aration;
‘‘(E) issues that are of critical interest to
State educational agencies and local educational
agencies, other agency personnel, parents of
children with disabilities, and individuals with
disabilities;
‘‘(F) educational reform and systemic
change within States; and
‘‘(G) promoting schools that are safe and
conducive to learning.
‘‘(3) 
LINKING
STATES
TO
INFORMATION
SOURCES.—In carrying out this subsection, the Sec-
retary may support projects that link States to tech-
nical assistance resources, including special edu-
cation and general education resources, and may
make research and related products available
through libraries, electronic networks, parent train-
ing projects, and other information sources.
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that wishes
to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative
agreement, under this section shall submit an application
322
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require.
‘‘SEC. 686. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
sections 681 through 685 such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
‘‘SEC. 687. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION,
AND UTILIZATION, AND MEDIA SERVICES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall competi-
tively make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooper-
ative agreements with, eligible entities to support activities
described in subsections (b) and (c).
‘‘(b) TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRA-
TION, AND UTILIZATION; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall support activities to pro-
mote the development, demonstration, and utiliza-
tion of technology.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that
may be carried out under this subsection include ac-
tivities such as the following:
‘‘(A) Conducting research and development
activities on the use of innovative and emerging
technologies for children with disabilities.
323
‘‘(B) Promoting the demonstration and use
of innovative and emerging technologies for
children with disabilities by improving and ex-
panding the transfer of technology from re-
search and development to practice.
‘‘(C) Providing technical assistance to re-
cipients of other assistance under this section,
concerning the development of accessible, effec-
tive, and usable products.
‘‘(D) Communicating information on avail-
able technology and the uses of such technology
to assist children with disabilities.
‘‘(E) Supporting the implementation of re-
search programs on captioning or video descrip-
tion.
‘‘(F) Supporting research, development,
and dissemination of technology with universal-
design features, so that the technology is acces-
sible to individuals with disabilities without fur-
ther modification or adaptation.
‘‘(G) Demonstrating the use of publicly-
funded telecommunications systems to provide
parents and teachers with information and
training concerning early diagnosis of, interven-
324
tion for, and effective teaching strategies for,
young children with reading disabilities.
‘‘(c) EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES; AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall support—
‘‘(1) educational media activities that are de-
signed to be of educational value to children with
disabilities;
‘‘(2) providing video description, open caption-
ing, or closed captioning of television programs, vid-
eos, or educational materials through September 30,
2001; and after fiscal year 2001, providing video de-
scription, open captioning, or closed captioning of
educational, news, and informational television, vid-
eos, or materials;
‘‘(3) distributing captioned and described videos
or educational materials through such mechanisms
as a loan service;
‘‘(4) providing free educational materials, in-
cluding textbooks, in accessible media for visually
impaired and print-disabled students in elementary,
secondary, postsecondary, and graduate schools;
‘‘(5) providing cultural experiences through ap-
propriate nonprofit organizations, such as the Na-
tional Theater of the Deaf, that—
325
‘‘(A) enrich the lives of deaf and hard-of-
hearing children and adults;
‘‘(B) increase public awareness and under-
standing of deafness and of the artistic and in-
tellectual achievements of deaf and hard-of-
hearing persons; or
‘‘(C) promote the integration of hearing,
deaf, and hard-of-hearing persons through
shared cultural, educational, and social experi-
ences; and
‘‘(6) compiling and analyzing appropriate data
relating to the activities described in paragraphs (1)
through (5).
‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.—Any eligible entity that wishes
to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative
agreement, under this section shall submit an application
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require.
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
1998 through 2002.’’.
326
TITLE II—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
SEC. 201. EFFECTIVE DATES.
(a) PARTS A AND B.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), parts A and B of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, as amended by title I,
shall take effect upon the enactment of this Act.
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Sections 612(a)(4),
612(a)(14), 612(a)(16), 614(d) (except for
paragraph (6)), and 618 of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, as amended by title
I, shall take effect on July 1, 1998.
(B) SECTION 617.—Section 617 of the In-
dividuals with Disabilities Education Act, as
amended by title I, shall take effect on October
1, 1997.
(C) INDIVIDUALIZED
EDUCATION
PRO-
GRAMS AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF PER-
SONNEL
DEVELOPMENT.—Section 618 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as
in effect on the day before the date of the en-
actment of this Act, and the provisions of parts
A and B of the Individuals with Disabilities
327
Education Act relating to individualized edu-
cation programs and the State’s comprehensive
system of personnel development, as so in ef-
fect, shall remain in effect until July 1, 1998.
(D) SECTIONS 611 AND 619.—Sections 611
and 619, as amended by title I, shall take effect
beginning with funds appropriated for fiscal
year 1998.
(b) PART C.—Part C of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act, as amended by title I, shall take effect
on July 1, 1998.
(c) PART D.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), part D of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, as amended by title I, shall take ef-
fect on October 1, 1997.
(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraphs (1) and (2) of
section 661(g) of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, as amended by title I, shall take ef-
fect on January 1, 1998.
SEC. 202. TRANSITION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, begin-
ning on October 1, 1997, the Secretary of Education may
use funds appropriated under part D of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act to make continuation
328
awards for projects that were funded under section 618
and parts C through G of such Act (as in effect on Sep-
tember 30, 1997).
SEC. 203. REPEALERS.
(a) PART I.—Effective October 1, 1998, part I of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is hereby re-
pealed.
(b) PART H.—Effective July 1, 1998, part H of such
Act is hereby repealed.
(c) PARTS C, E, F, AND G.—Effective October 1,
1997, parts C, E, F, and G of such Act are hereby re-
pealed.
Passed the House of Representatives May 13, 1997.
Attest:
Clerk.