Opinion ID: 524050
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Subsequent Amendments to the Act

Text: 64 In the 14 years since passage of the Act, it has been amended four times. 7 Congress thus has had ample opportunity to clarify any language originally used, or to make any modifications that it chose. Congress has not only repeatedly reaffirmed the original intent of the Act, to educate all handicapped children regardless of the severity of their handicap, and to give priority attention to the most severely handicapped, it has in fact expanded the provisions covering the most severely handicapped children. Most significantly, Congress has never intimated that a benefit/eligibility requirement was to be instituted. 1977: 65 In 1977, an amendment was proposed to extend the discretionary programs of the 1975 Act, dealing with research for educating the handicapped. Congress reiterated that the goal of the bill was to assist states to provide each handicapped child with his rightful opportunity to an education. Report of Mr. Perkins to Accompany H.R. 6692, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 5 (1977). The report stressed the need for continual research to improve and develop the methodologies for teaching handicapped children: 66 The purpose of this provision is to improve the educational opportunities for handicapped children through support of applied research and related activities. The activities conducted under the research program provide information on resources essential to the development of full educational opportunities for every handicapped child. 67 Id. at 10 (emphasis added). The particular problems of educating the severely handicapped were acknowledged and addressed: The objectives of this program include the demonstration of effective educational and training programs, the long term benefits of providing services to severely handicapped children, and building the capacity of state and local governments to provide quality specialized services through replication and adaptation of demonstrated practices. Education of Handicapped Amendments of 1977, Report to Accompany S. 725, S.Rep. No. 124, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 4 (1977). Congress clearly understood that educational techniques and approaches for the severely handicapped were in a continual state of growth and readjustment, and that capitalizing on these refinements was integral for accomplishing the Act's mandate: 68 The activities conducted under the research program provide the information and resources essential to the development of full educational opportunities for every handicapped child.... The research activities contribute significantly to the total mission of educating all handicapped children. 69 Id. at 9 (emphasis added). 70 Thus, we see that in this amendment, Congress reiterated the thesis present in the original Act, that it is the state's responsibility to experiment, refine, and improve upon the educational services it provides to handicapped children, and not, as the school district would have it, to exclude handicapped children if there is no proof that they can benefit from the existing program that a state might offer at a particular time. Congress clearly saw education for the handicapped as a dynamic process, in which new methodologies would be continually perfected, tried, and either adopted or discarded, so that the state's educational response to each handicapped child's particular needs could be better met. 1983: 71 In the hearings for the 1983 amendments, Congress likewise reaffirmed the original intent of the 1975 Act: 72 With the passage of [the Act], Congress granted to all handicapped children the right to a free appropriate public education. Prior to the development of this legislation ... some [handicapped children] were receiving no educational services at all. [The Act] is the vehicle through which the federal government maintains a partnership with the states and localities to end the educational neglect of handicapped children. 73 Oversight Hearings on Proposed Changes in Regulations for the Education for All Handicapped Children Act: Hearings Before the Subcomm. on Select Education of the Comm. on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, 97th Cong., 2d Sess. 8 (1982). 74 The bill amended the term special education to clarify that services provided should be designed to meet the unique 'educational' needs of the handicapped child, and stated that it is the intent of the Committee that the term 'unique educational needs' be broadly construed to include the handicapped child's academic, social, health, emotional, communicative, physical, and vocational needs. H.R.Rep. No. 410, 98th Cong., 1st Sess. 19 (1983), reprinted in 1983 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 2088, 2106. 75 The 1983 amendments, which extended and strengthened programs authorized under the 1975 Act, directly addressed the education of severely handicapped children. The bill reaffirmed section 624 (dealing with research, innovation, training, and dissemination activities in connection with centers and services for the handicapped) as a key component of the Act, and stated: [I]n recognition of the role of section 624 as the principal vehicle since 1978 for funding projects which serve handicapped children with the most severe disabilities (such as the multiple handicapped), the Committee bill reinforces this focus by establishing a specific authorization of appropriation for [this subsection]. Id. at 28, 1983 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News, 2115 (emphasis added). The bill also specifically expanded services for deaf blind children. Id. at 25-26. As the Senate Committee's report on the amendments stated: 76 This program is designed to assist state and local educational agencies in improving education and training to severely handicapped children and youth, many of whom require complex, varied and often times expensive educational services. In general, this group of children includes those who are classified as seriously emotionally disturbed, autistic, profoundly and severely mentally retarded, and those with multiple handicapping conditions. Since 1978, projects have been targeted to specific areas of national need concerning the education of the severely handicapped individuals. 77 Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983: Report of Mr. Hatch to Accompany S. 1341, Comm. on Labor and Human Resources, S.Rep. No. 191, 98th Cong., 1st Sess. 7 (1983). 78 So once again, Congress reaffirmed its commitment to provide a public education for children like Timothy W. 1986: 79 In the most recent amendments, Congress again reconfirmed its commitment to the original Act, and also provided for an extension of the age groups covered, mandating that all preschool handicapped children aged three to five be entitled to public education, and establishing a new federal education program for handicapped babies from birth through age two. The Senate Committee report stated that the Committee has provided the impetus for universal access to services for all handicapped children beginning at birth. S.Rep. No. 315, 99th Cong., 2d Sess. 3, 5 (1986). See also H.Rep. No. 860, 99th Cong., 2d Sess., reprinted in 1986 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 2401. Sen. Stafford, co-sponsor of the amendments, commented: 80 We are doing it because we have always known that all Americans have the right to equal educational opportunities. Indeed, over the years court decisions have directed our attention to the fact that all handicapped individuals ... [h]ave the right to public education, regardless of the degree of disability.... [E]ven the most severely handicapped child can be made less dependent through education. 81 132 Cong.Rec. S7038 (1986) (emphasis added). 82 These amendments focused particularly on the needs of deaf-blind and multiply handicapped children, extending provisions for specialized, intensive professional and allied services, methods and aids that are found to be most effective. 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1422. The Senate Report stated: [T]he majority of the deaf-blind population is severely and multiply handicapped.... By retaining current law the Committee recognizes the continued need for the resources ... serving deaf-blind children.... [T]hese resources should be made available to certain severely, multiply handicapped children. S.Rep. No. 315, 99th Cong., 2d Sess. 12-13 (1986). Thus, the commitment to educate the most severely handicapped was again reconfirmed. As Rep. Miller concluded in a comment directly pertinent to the actions of the school district in this case: 83 What we have seen over the 10 years of this program is that this law has dramatically increased the opportunities for the handicapped to participate.... Time and again we were told of cases where people tried to deny that access to go back to the days that gave them impetus to this legislation when children who were handicapped were educated in basements, ... children were denied education.... This legislation has overcome that problem.... But that is not to say that all educational institutions have accepted it readily and that they still do not battle and seek the time when perhaps they can roll this back. So the extension of this program is an important signal.... 84 132 Cong.Rec. H7905 (September 22, 1986). 85 In summary, the Congressional reaffirmation of its intent to educate all handicapped children could not be any clearer. It was unequivocal at the time of passage of the Act in 1975, and it has been equally unequivocal during the intervening years. The school district's attempt in the instant case to roll back the entire thrust of this legislation completely ignores the overwhelming congressional consensus on this issue.