I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 603 
To amend the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act 
of 2000 to provide assistance to States for development and implementa-
tion of an individual transition plan for each individual with a develop-
mental disability in the State who is making the transition from the 
secondary school system into adulthood, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 
Mr. HARPER (for himself and Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill 
of Rights Act of 2000 to provide assistance to States 
for development and implementation of an individual 
transition plan for each individual with a developmental 
disability in the State who is making the transition from 
the secondary school system into adulthood, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Transition toward Excellence, Achievement, and Mobility 
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through Empowerment Act of 2011’’ or the ‘‘TEAM–Em-
powerment Act of 2011’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Individualized transition plans; transition planning and services admin-
istrative units. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Evidence-based research has conclusively 
documented that youth with significant disabilities 
who were educated in inclusive settings, were ex-
posed to work experience and career exploration, and 
participated in a paid work experience while in 
school had better postsecondary outcomes and high-
er rates of sustainable employment. 
(2) Higher rates of self-determination, in which 
individuals with significant disabilities and their 
families have direct control over the decisionmaking 
process in order to ensure an appropriate individual-
ized transition strategy, lead to better outcomes. 
(3) Regulations and processes allowing for flexi-
bility in the blending and braiding of government 
funds to ensure seamless, collaborative strategies 
during the transition process lead to better outcomes 
for individuals with significant disabilities. 
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(4) Agency officials involved directly in the pro-
vision of supports and services during a youth’s 
transition into adulthood and beyond must be pro-
vided additional training to become properly pre-
pared to adequately address the individual transition 
needs of students with significant disabilities. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Create a holistic system across multiple 
partners focused on successful transition of youth 
with significant disabilities into adulthood. 
(2) Create a systemic focus on achieving high 
expectations for all youth, through equality of oppor-
tunity, full participation through self-determination 
and informed choice, outcomes related to post-sec-
ondary options that lead to competitive integrated 
employment and economic self-sufficiency. 
(3) Promote innovative strategies to foster aca-
demic, professional, and social inclusion, and the so-
lidification of long-term supports and services re-
quired to ensure full integration into the community 
setting. 
(4) Better define and coordinate specific serv-
ices related to the effective transition of youth with 
significant disabilities. 
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(5) Eliminate barriers and promote incentives 
for multiple stakeholders to collaborate and improve 
transition opportunities for youth with significant 
disabilities. 
SEC. 3. INDIVIDUALIZED TRANSITION PLANS; TRANSITION 
PLANNING AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE 
UNITS. 
Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance 
and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15001 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle F—Adult Transition 
System 
‘‘SEC. 171. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subtitle: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘asset development’ means a 
strategy to assist low-income workers and job seek-
ers, including individuals with disabilities, move to-
ward economic security and greater financial self- 
sufficiency through income preservation, effective 
money and credit management, the pursuit of post- 
secondary education, the purchase of a home, busi-
ness startup and growth, and the setting aside of re-
sources for longer-term needs and retirement. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘individualized education pro-
gram’ has the meaning given such term in section 
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602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘integrated employment’ means 
work compensated at the greater of minimum wage 
or competitive wages with related employment bene-
fits, occurring in a typical work setting where the 
employee with the disability— 
‘‘(A) interacts or has the opportunity to 
interact continuously with nondisabled co-work-
ers; 
‘‘(B) has an opportunity for advancement 
and mobility; and 
‘‘(C) is preferably engaged in full-time em-
ployment. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘ITP’ means an individual tran-
sition plan developed under section 173. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘local educational agency’ has 
the meaning given to such term in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965. 
‘‘(6) The term ‘secondary school’ has the mean-
ing given to such term in section 9101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(7) The term ‘State intellectual and develop-
mental disabilities agency’ means the primary State 
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agency or subdivision with administrative, pro-
grammatic, and operational responsibility for the full 
range of services and supports furnished to individ-
uals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 
‘‘(8) The term ‘TPS administrative unit’ refers 
to the transition planning and services administra-
tive unit of a State established in accordance with 
section 174. 
‘‘(9)(A) The term ‘transition services’ means a 
coordinated set of activities for a student, designed 
within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes 
movement from school to post school activities, in-
cluding postsecondary education, vocational training, 
integrated employment (including supported employ-
ment and customized employment), continuing and 
adult education, adult services, asset development 
services, independent living, or community participa-
tion. 
‘‘(B) The coordinated set of activities shall be 
based upon the individual student’s needs, taking 
into account the student’s preferences and interests, 
and shall include instruction, community experi-
ences, the development of employment and other 
post school adult living objectives; school-based pre-
paratory experiences, career preparation, and inte-
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grated work-based learning experiences (inclusive of 
in-school, after school and work experiences outside 
the traditional school setting where other youth 
without disabilities are engaged in similar activities); 
youth development and leadership; connecting activi-
ties; training in self-advocacy, self-determination 
skills, and peer mentoring; family involvement and 
supports; and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily 
living skills and functional vocational evaluation. 
‘‘(C) Such term does not include the use of fa-
cility-based employment and activity settings, such 
as sheltered workshops, day habilitation centers, and 
enclave work settings. Additionally, the coordinated 
set of activities should lead to the attainment of at 
least one of the following outcomes: post-secondary 
education, long-term integrated employment (includ-
ing supported employment or customized employ-
ment), asset development, independent living, and 
community participation. 
‘‘SEC. 172. STATE ASSISTANCE. 
‘‘For each fiscal year, the Secretary, acting through 
the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental 
Disabilities, shall— 
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