I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4481 
To authorize grants to establish a national education protection and advocacy 
program to enforce the rights and protections under the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act 
of 1990, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 6, 2023 
Mr. DESAULNIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To authorize grants to establish a national education protec-
tion and advocacy program to enforce the rights and 
protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Edu-
cation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 
and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protection and Advo-
cacy for Student Success Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANTS TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL EDUCATION 
PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AMERICAN INDIAN CONSORTIUM.—The term 
‘‘American Indian consortium’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 102 of the Developmental 
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 
2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002). 
(2) EDUCATIONAL SETTING.—The term ‘‘edu-
cational setting’’ includes any setting, in which a 
student (including a child, youth, or an adult) who 
may be eligible for education or related services 
under, or is otherwise protected by, the laws de-
scribed in subsection (b) receives such education or 
services. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(4) PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘‘protection and advocacy system’’ means a 
protection and advocacy system established under 
section 143 of the Developmental Disabilities Assist-
ance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 
15043). 
(b) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—The Secretary shall 
make grants to protection and advocacy systems for the 
purpose of protecting the rights and advocating for the 
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educational needs of children, youth, and adults who are 
(or may be) protected by or eligible for education or re-
lated services under the Individuals with Disabilities Edu-
cation Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), or the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et 
seq.). 
(c) USES OF FUNDS.—A protection and advocacy 
system shall use a grant under this section to carry out 
one or more of the following: 
(1) Monitoring and identifying conditions and 
practices that violate the laws described in sub-
section (b) with respect to the rights of students 
with disabilities. 
(2) Advocating for safe and humane conditions 
and the elimination of aversive and other dangerous 
practices at educational settings, including seclusion 
and restraint. 
(3) Collaborating with parent training and in-
formation centers, as described in section 671 of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
U.S.C. 1471), to ensure that needed advocacy and 
information is provided for families and individuals 
protected by or eligible for education-related serv-
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ices, protection, and rights under the laws described 
in subsection (b). 
(4) Advocating for redress of violations of the 
law and providing advocacy in dispute resolution 
proceedings. 
(5) Advocating for systemic change in edu-
cational settings to address violations of the laws de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
(6) Pursuing administrative, legal, and other 
appropriate remedies to ensure that children, youth, 
and adults with disabilities in educational settings 
are eligible for and receiving the education, related 
services, protections, and rights to which they are 
entitled under the laws described in subsection (b). 
(d) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for a 
grant under this section, a protection and advocacy system 
shall— 
(1) have the authority to investigate incidents 
of abuse and neglect of youth, children, and adults 
with disabilities in educational settings if the inci-
dents are reported to the protection and advocacy 
system or if there is probable cause to believe that 
the incidents occurred; 
(2) have the authority to pursue legal, adminis-
trative, and other appropriate remedies or ap-
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