dren who are deaf, hard of hearing, or 
deafdisabled shall be evaluated on language pro-
ficiency levels, including expressive, receptive, 
and pragmatic skills, and ability to access grade 
level content in the student’s primary language, 
including American Sign Language, and if ap-
propriate, written language with or without vis-
ual supports or hearing assistance technology. 
Determination of the need for special education 
and related services shall include evaluation of 
such children’s unique learning needs, including 
opportunities for direct language access, with-
out an intermediary such as an interpreter, 
with peers and professionals in the child’s pri-
mary language, including American Sign Lan-
guage and, if appropriate, spoken language with 
or without visual supports, and instruction 
which may be needed by students without dis-
abilities or with other disabilities but which 
must be specifically designed, modified, or deliv-
ered to meet the unique linguistic needs of stu-
dents who are deaf, hard of hearing, or 
deafdisabled. 
‘‘(B) CONTENT
OF
EVALUATIONS.—The 
evaluations described in subparagraph (A) shall, 
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at a minimum, include evaluations assessing the 
need for services and settings to assist the child 
in developing or maintaining age-appropriate 
milestones in the child’s primary language, in-
cluding American Sign Language and written 
language with or without speech therapy, social 
development, literacy instruction, instruction in 
assistive technology proficiency, self sufficiency 
and self-determination, socialization, recreation 
and fitness, independent living skills, and age- 
appropriate career education.’’. 
(b) INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS.—Sec-
tion 614(d)(1)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in clause (i)— 
(A) in subclause (VII), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in subclause (VIII), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(IX) the projected date for the 
beginning of the services and modi-
fications described in subclause (IV), 
the anticipated frequency, location, 
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and duration of those services and 
modifications.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii) RULE
REGARDING
A
SCHOOL 
FOR THE DEAF.—If a student is placed at 
a school for the deaf, the school may pro-
vide documentation of how its teachers are 
trained specifically to educate deaf and 
hard of hearing students, and as a result, 
will not be required to provide individual-
ized education plans unless the student is 
deafdisabled.’’. 
SEC. 104. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM TEAM. 
Section 614(d)(1)(B) (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B)) is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘(vi);’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(vii);’’; 
(2) in clause (vi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(3) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); 
and 
(4) by inserting after clause (vi) the following: 
‘‘(vii) at the discretion of the parent 
or the agency, a representative of a State- 
operated, State-supported, or State-aided 
school for the deaf; and’’. 
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SEC. 105. CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL FACTORS. 
Section 
614(d)(3)(B)(iv) 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1414(d)(3)(B)(iv)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(iv) consider the linguistic needs of 
the child, and in the case of a child who 
is deaf, hard of hearing, or deafdisabled 
provide for— 
‘‘(I) the child’s language and ac-
cess, opportunities for direct commu-
nications, without an intermediary 
such as an interpreter, with peers and 
professional personnel in the child’s 
primary language, including American 
Sign Language and, if appropriate, 
spoken language with or without vis-
ual supports, academic level, and full 
range of needs, including ensuring op-
portunities for direct instruction in 
the child’s language; and 
‘‘(II) instruction— 
‘‘(aa) meeting the child’s 
unique learning needs, including 
services and settings to assist the 
child in developing or maintain-
ing 
age-appropriate 
language 
milestones in the child’s primary 
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language, American Sign Lan-
guage and written language with 
or without speech therapy, lit-
eracy 
instruction, 
instruction 
which may be needed by children 
without disabilities or with other 
disabilities but which must be 
specifically designed, modified, or 
delivered to meet the unique 
learning needs of children who 
are deaf, hard of hearing, or 
deafdisabled; and 
‘‘(bb) that includes assistive 
technology proficiency, self suffi-
ciency and self-determination, so-
cialization, recreation and fitness, 
independent living skills, and 
age-appropriate career education; 
and’’. 
SEC. 106. MONITORING. 
Section 616(a) (20 U.S.C. 1416(a)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) ENHANCED
MONITORING
OF
SERVICES 
FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS.—In carrying out the re-
sponsibilities of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
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specifically 
monitor 
compliance 
with 
sections 
612(a)(3), 612(a)(5), 614(b), and clauses (iii) and 
(iv) of section 614(d)(3)(B), as such sections are 
amended by the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan 
Macy Act, and shall regularly report findings to 
Congress.’’. 
SEC. 107. CONTINUUM OF SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIONS. 
(a) ENSURING CONTINUUM AVAILABILITY.—Section 
612(a)(5) (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(5)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) 
CONTINUUM
OF
ALTERNATIVE 
PLACEMENTS.—The State shall ensure that a 
full continuum of alternative placements is 
available to meet the needs of children with dis-
abilities for special education and related serv-
ices. Such continuum shall include instruction 
in regular classes, specialized classes, special-
ized schools, home instruction, and instruction 
in hospitals and institutions, and shall make 
provision for supplementary services (such as a 
resource room or itinerant instruction) to be 
provided in conjunction with regular class place-
ment.’’. 
(b) MAINTENANCE OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES AND 
SETTINGS
FOR STUDENTS WITH SENSORY DISABIL-
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ITIES.—Section 612(a)(18) (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(18)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) MAINTAINING
A
CONTINUUM
OF 
PLACEMENT
OPTIONS.—For purposes of sub-
paragraph (A), a State’s closure of a specialized 
school serving children who are blind or a spe-
cial school serving children who are deaf (or the 
consolidation or merger of such school with an-
other school), shall be considered a reduction of 
the State’s financial support for special edu-
cation and related services resulting in a failure 
to meet a condition on receipt of assistance 
under this part.’’. 
SEC. 108. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PARENTS AND EDU-
CATORS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE 
DEAF, 
HARD 
OF 
HEARING, 
OR 
DEAFDISABLED. 
Section 616 (20 U.S.C. 1416) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) MAINTENANCE
OF POLICY GUIDANCE CON-
CERNING
THE EDUCATION
OF CHILDREN WHO ARE 
DEAF, HARD
OF HEARING, OR DEAFDISABLED.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sul-
livan Macy Act (and periodically thereafter but not less 
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than once every 5 years), policy guidance concerning the 
provision of special education and related services to deaf, 
hard of hearing, and deafdisabled children (published at 
57 Fed. Reg. 49274 (October 30, 1992)) is reviewed and 
updated (with particular attention to explanation of rel-
evant amendments to this Act or to its implementing regu-
lations) and is published in the Federal Register.’’. 
Subtitle B—Improving the Effec-
tiveness of Early Intervention 
for Deaf, Hard of Hearing or 
Deafdisabled Infants and Tod-
dlers and Their Families 
SEC. 111. QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. 
Section 632(4)(F) (20 U.S.C. 1432(4)(F)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in clause (xi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in clause (xii), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xiii) teachers of infants and toddlers 
with sensory disabilities;’’. 
SEC. 112. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. 
Section 632(4)(G) (20 U.S.C. 1432(4)(G)) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
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‘‘(G) to the maximum extent appropriate, 
are provided in natural environments— 
‘‘(i) including the home, and commu-
nity settings in which children without dis-
abilities participate; and 
‘‘(ii) which for infants and toddlers 
with sensory disabilities, particularly deaf-
ness, blindness, or deafblindness, shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) specialized schools, centers, 
and other programs where the child’s 
language, including American Sign 
Language and written language with 
or without speech therapy, is the pri-
mary language and mode of commu-
nication; or 
‘‘(II) any school, center or other 
program or environment where serv-
ices meeting the unique needs of in-
fants and toddlers with sensory dis-
abilities are available; and’’. 
SEC. 113. CONTENT OF PLAN. 
Section 636(d) (20 U.S.C. 1436(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
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(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9)(A) in the case of an infant or toddler who 
is deaf, hard of hearing, or deafdisabled, a statement 
of the ongoing language assessment that will be pro-
vided to the child, language development goals com-
mensurate with the child’s cognitive abilities, the 
language access that will be provided, including doc-
umentation of providing access to ongoing opportu-
nities for direct language learning access to peers, 
early intervention service providers, and other pro-
fessional personnel in American Sign Language and, 
if appropriate, spoken language with or without vis-
ual supports, and the support and instruction that 
will be provided to families to learn and support the 
child’s language acquisition and development;’’. 
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Subtitle C—National Activities To 
Improve Education of Children 
With Disabilities 
SEC. 121. PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERV-
ICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DIS-
ABILITIES. 
(a) LICENSING OF EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS.— 
Section 662(c)(2)(E) (20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2)(E)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(E) Preparing personnel to be qualified 
educational interpreters, as licensed by the ap-
propriate licensing body, to assist (but not 
teach language to) children with low incidence 
disabilities, particularly deaf, hard of hearing, 
and deafdisabled children, in school and school- 
related activities, and deaf, hard of hearing, 
and deafdisabled infants, toddlers, and pre-
school children in early intervention and pre-
school programs, except that this subparagraph 
shall not be construed to authorize the replace-
ment of the essential service of an interpreter 
by other personnel (including replacement by a 
communication facilitator).’’. 
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(b) ENSURING SUFFICIENT TEACHERS OF THE DEAF 
AND
EARLY
INTERVENTION
SPECIALISTS.—Section 
662(c)(2) (20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and 
(G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(F) Preparing personnel to be qualified 
teachers of the deaf and early intervention spe-
cialists, to assist children with low incidence 
disabilities, particularly deaf, hard of hearing, 
and deafdisabled children, to develop age-appro-
priate language, including American Sign Lan-
guage and, if appropriate, spoken language with 
or without visual supports, and age-appropriate 
literacy skills in school and school-related activi-
ties, 
and 
deaf, 
hard 
of 
hearing, 
and 
deafdisabled infants and toddlers and preschool 
children in early intervention and preschool pro-
grams.’’. 
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TITLE II—IMPROVING THE EF-
FECTIVENESS 
OF 
SPECIAL 
EDUCATION 
AND 
RELATED 
SERVICES 
FOR 
CHILDREN 
AND YOUTH WHO ARE BLIND 
OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED 
Subtitle A—General Provisions 
SEC. 201. IDENTIFYING CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE 
BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED. 
(a) SERVING ALL CHILDREN WHO ARE BLIND OR 
VISUALLY IMPAIRED REGARDLESS OF CLASSIFICATION.— 
Section 612(a)(3) (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(3)), as amended by 
section 101(a) of this Act, is further amended at the end 
by adding the following: 
‘‘(D) SERVING CHILDREN WHO ARE BLIND 
OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.—When a State classi-
fies children by disability, the State, in com-
plying with this subsection— 
‘‘(i) identifies, locates and evaluates 
children who are blind or visually impaired 
who are, or may be, classified in a dis-
ability category other than blindness or vis-
ual impairment; and 
‘‘(ii) provides (without prejudice to 
such classification) special education and 
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related services to such children, including 
the specific services determined appro-
priate based on proper evaluation as would 
be provided to children classified in the 
State as having blindness.’’. 
(b) DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.—Section 
618 (20 U.S.C. 1418), as amended by section 101(b) of 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(f) ACCOUNTING FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE BLIND 
OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.—In addition to the other data 
collection and reporting requirements of this section and 
subject to such provisions, the State and the Secretary of 
the Interior shall, with respect to children classified in a 
disability category other than blindness, include the num-
ber and percentage of such children in each disability cat-
egory who are also blind or visually impaired.’’. 
(c) 
CHILD
WITH
A
DISABILITY.—Section 
602(3)(A)(i) (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)(A)(i)), as amended by 
section 101(c) of this Act, is further amended by inserting 
‘‘or low vision’’ after ‘‘blindness’’. 
SEC. 202. STATE PLANS. 
Section 612 (20 U.S.C. 1412), as amended by section 
102 of this Act, is further amended at the end by adding 
the following: 
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‘‘(h) ADDENDUM CONCERNING CHILDREN WHO ARE 
BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the provi-
sions of subsection (c), a State shall not be deter-
mined to be in compliance with this section unless, 
not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy 
Act, the State files with the Secretary a written ad-
dendum to the plan required by this section describ-
ing how the State ensures that— 
‘‘(A) children who are blind or visually im-
paired (regardless of the State’s use of dis-
ability categories or the extent to which children 
with blindness or visual impairment may be 
classified in disability categories other than 
blindness) are evaluated for such children’s 
need for instruction and services meeting their 
unique academic and related learning needs, in-
cluding instruction which may be needed by 
children without disabilities or with other dis-
abilities but which must be specifically de-
signed, modified, or delivered to meet the 
unique academic and related learning needs of 
children with blindness or visual impairment; 
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‘‘(B) there is sufficient availability of per-
sonnel within the State qualified to provide the 
instruction described in subparagraph (A) to all 
children within the State requiring such in-
struction; and 
‘‘(C) all children who are blind or visually 
impaired within the State who need special edu-
cation and related services, whether or not such 
children have other disabilities, receive such in-
struction and are not being served solely in ac-
cordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation 
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794). 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—In preparing the addendum 
described in paragraph (1), the State shall— 
‘‘(A) specifically address how the State 
meets the needs of children who are blind or 
visually impaired for instruction in Braille, pro-
ficient use of assistive technologies (both at 
home and in school and including low vision de-
vices as determined appropriate), orientation 
and mobility (provided and exercised in a vari-
ety of environments including at home, in 
school, and in community), self-determination, 
sensory efficiency, socialization, recreation and 
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fitness, independent living skills, and age-appro-
priate career education; 
‘‘(B) describe how the State will ensure the 
proper administration of widely recognized and 
research-based evaluations (including Learning 
Media Assessments, Functional Vision Evalua-
tions, and other similarly well-established eval-
uation methodologies and tools) that are admin-
istered by the highest qualified personnel in the 
State specializing in blindness or visual impair-
ment; and 
‘‘(C) consult with individuals and organiza-
tions with expertise in the education of children 
who are blind or visually impaired, including 
parents, consumer and advocacy organizations, 
and teachers of students with visual impair-
ments and others the State may identify.’’. 
SEC. 203. EVALUATIONS. 
Section 614(b) (20 U.S.C. 1414(b)), as amended by 
section 103(a) of this Act, is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) BLINDNESS OR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In conducting the as-
sessments prescribed in paragraph (3)(B), de-
termination of the need of children who are 
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