Source: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title20/html/USCODE-2011-title20-chap33-subchapII-sec1415.htm
Timestamp: 2018-12-14 12:57:38
Document Index: 528726337

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1415', '§615', '§101', '§801', '§12101', '§790', '§615', '§101', '§6', '§615', '§5', '§2', '§102', '§901', '§25', '§314']

Sec. 1415 - Procedural safeguards
§1415. Procedural safeguards
(b) Types of procedures
The procedures required by this section shall include the following:
(2)(A) Procedures to protect the rights of the child whenever the parents of the child are not known, the agency cannot, after reasonable efforts, locate the parents, or the child is a ward of the State, including the assignment of an individual to act as a surrogate for the parents, which surrogate shall not be an employee of the State educational agency, the local educational agency, or any other agency that is involved in the education or care of the child. In the case of—
(ii) an unaccompanied homeless youth as defined in section 11434a(6) of title 42, the local educational agency shall appoint a surrogate in accordance with this paragraph.
(B) refuses to initiate or change,
(7)(A) Procedures that require either party, or the attorney representing a party, to provide due process complaint notice in accordance with subsection (c)(2) (which shall remain confidential)—
(II) in the case of a homeless child or youth (within the meaning of section 11434a(2) of title 42), available contact information for the child and the name of the school the child is attending;
The notice required by subsection (b)(3) shall include—
(C) a statement that the parents of a child with a disability have protection under the procedural safeguards of this subchapter and, if this notice is not an initial referral for evaluation, the means by which a copy of a description of the procedural safeguards can be obtained;
(D) sources for parents to contact to obtain assistance in understanding the provisions of this subchapter;
If the local educational agency has not sent a prior written notice to the parent regarding the subject matter contained in the parent's due process complaint notice, such local educational agency shall, within 10 days of receiving the complaint, send to the parent a response that shall include—
A response filed by a local educational agency pursuant to subclause (I) shall not be construed to preclude such local educational agency from asserting that the parent's due process complaint notice was insufficient where appropriate.
(A) Copy to parents
A copy of the procedural safeguards available to the parents of a child with a disability shall be given to the parents only 1 time a year, except that a copy also shall be given to the parents—
The procedural safeguards notice shall include a full explanation of the procedural safeguards, written in the native language of the parents (unless it clearly is not feasible to do so) and written in an easily understandable manner, available under this section and under regulations promulgated by the Secretary relating to—
(L) attorneys’ fees.
(B) Opportunity to meet with a disinterested party.—A local educational agency or a State agency may establish procedures to offer to parents and schools that choose not to use the mediation process, an opportunity to meet, at a time and location convenient to the parents, with a disinterested party who is under contract with—
(ii) an appropriate alternative dispute resolution entity,
(C) List of qualified mediators.—The State shall maintain a list of individuals who are qualified mediators and knowledgeable in laws and regulations relating to the provision of special education and related services.
(D) Costs.—The State shall bear the cost of the mediation process, including the costs of meetings described in subparagraph (B).
(E) Scheduling and location.—Each session in the mediation process shall be scheduled in a timely manner and shall be held in a location that is convenient to the parties to the dispute.
(F) Written agreement.—In the case that a resolution is reached to resolve the complaint through the mediation process, the parties shall execute a legally binding agreement that sets forth such resolution and that—
(G) Mediation discussions.—Discussions that occur during the mediation process shall be confidential and may not be used as evidence in any subsequent due process hearing or civil proceeding.
(i) Preliminary meeting
(I) within 15 days of receiving notice of the parents’ complaint;
(IV) where the parents of the child discuss their complaint, and the facts that form the basis of the complaint, and the local educational agency is provided the opportunity to resolve the complaint,
(iii) Written settlement agreement
If the parties execute an agreement pursuant to clause (iii), a party may void such agreement within 3 business days of the agreement's execution.
Not less than 5 business days prior to a hearing conducted pursuant to paragraph (1), each party shall disclose to all other parties all evaluations completed by that date, and recommendations based on the offering party's evaluations, that the party intends to use at the hearing.
(A) Person conducting hearing
A hearing officer conducting a hearing pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) shall, at a minimum—
(ii) possess knowledge of, and the ability to understand, the provisions of this chapter, Federal and State regulations pertaining to this chapter, and legal interpretations of this chapter by Federal and State courts;
(D) Exceptions to the timeline
The timeline described in subparagraph (C) shall not apply to a parent if the parent was prevented from requesting the hearing due to—
Any party to a hearing conducted pursuant to subsection (f) or (k), or an appeal conducted pursuant to subsection (g), shall be accorded—
(2) the right to present evidence and confront, cross-examine, and compel the attendance of witnesses;
(A) shall be made available to the public consistent with the requirements of section 1417(b) of this title (relating to the confidentiality of data, information, and records); and
(B) shall be transmitted to the advisory panel established pursuant to section 1412(a)(21) of this title.
In any action brought under this paragraph, the court—
(iii) Opportunity to resolve complaints
(F) Reduction in amount of attorneys’ fees
Except as provided in subparagraph (G), whenever the court finds that—
(ii) the amount of the attorneys’ fees otherwise authorized to be awarded unreasonably exceeds the hourly rate prevailing in the community for similar services by attorneys of reasonably comparable skill, reputation, and experience;
(iv) the attorney representing the parent did not provide to the local educational agency the appropriate information in the notice of the complaint described in subsection (b)(7)(A),
If school personnel seek to order a change in placement that would exceed 10 school days and the behavior that gave rise to the violation of the school code is determined not to be a manifestation of the child's disability pursuant to subparagraph (E), the relevant disciplinary procedures applicable to children without disabilities may be applied to the child in the same manner and for the same duration in which the procedures would be applied to children without disabilities, except as provided in section 1412(a)(1) of this title although it may be provided in an interim alternative educational setting.
A child with a disability who is removed from the child's current placement under subparagraph (G) (irrespective of whether the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the child's disability) or subparagraph (C) shall—
(i) continue to receive educational services, as provided in section 1412(a)(1) of this title, so as to enable the child to continue to participate in the general education curriculum, although in another setting, and to progress toward meeting the goals set out in the child's IEP; and
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), within 10 school days of any decision to change the placement of a child with a disability because of a violation of a code of student conduct, the local educational agency, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP Team (as determined by the parent and the local educational agency) shall review all relevant information in the student's file, including the child's IEP, any teacher observations, and any relevant information provided by the parents to determine—
If the local educational agency, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP Team determine that either subclause (I) or (II) of clause (i) is applicable for the child, the conduct shall be determined to be a manifestation of the child's disability.
(F) Determination that behavior was a manifestation
If the local educational agency, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP Team make the determination that the conduct was a manifestation of the child's disability, the IEP Team shall—
(G) Special circumstances
School personnel may remove a student to an interim alternative educational setting for not more than 45 school days without regard to whether the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the child's disability, in cases where a child—
(ii) Change of placement order
(4) Placement during appeals
When an appeal under paragraph (3) has been requested by either the parent or the local educational agency—
(B) the State or local educational agency shall arrange for an expedited hearing, which shall occur within 20 school days of the date the hearing is requested and shall result in a determination within 10 school days after the hearing.
(B) Basis of knowledge
A local educational agency shall be deemed to have knowledge that a child is a child with a disability if, before the behavior that precipitated the disciplinary action occurred—
(ii) the parent of the child has requested an evaluation of the child pursuant to section 1414(a)(1)(B) of this title; or
A State that receives amounts from a grant under this subchapter may provide that, when a child with a disability reaches the age of majority under State law (except for a child with a disability who has been determined to be incompetent under State law)—
(A) the agency shall provide any notice required by this section to both the individual and the parents;
(B) all other rights accorded to parents under this subchapter transfer to the child;
(D) all rights accorded to parents under this subchapter transfer to children who are incarcerated in an adult or juvenile Federal, State, or local correctional institution.
(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, §615, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, §101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2715.)
Section 327 of the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2005, referred to in subsec. (i)(3)(B)(ii), is section 327 of Pub. L. 108–335, title III, Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1344, which is not classified to the Code.
The Controlled Substances Act, referred to in subsec. (k)(7)(B), is title II of Pub. L. 91–513, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1242, as amended, which is classified principally to subchapter I (§801 et seq.) of chapter 13 of Title 21, Food and Drugs. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 801 of Title 21 and Tables.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (l), is Pub. L. 101–336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 126 (§12101 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (l), is Pub. L. 93–112, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 355, as amended. Title V of the Act is classified generally to subchapter V (§790 et seq.) of chapter 16 of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 701 of Title 29 and Tables.
A prior section 1415, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, §615, as added Pub. L. 105–17, title I, §101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 88; amended Pub. L. 106–25, §6(a), Apr. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 49, related to procedural safeguards, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 108–446.
Another prior section 1415, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, §615, as added Pub. L. 94–142, §5(a), Nov. 29, 1975, 89 Stat. 788; amended Pub. L. 99–372, §§2, 3, Aug. 5, 1986, 100 Stat. 796, 797; Pub. L. 100–630, title I, §102(e), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3294; Pub. L. 101–476, title IX, §901(b)(71)–(75), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1145; Pub. L. 102–119, §25(b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 607; Pub. L. 103–382, title III, §314(a)(1), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3936, related to procedural safeguards, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–17.