Opinion ID: 2581004
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statutory and Regulatory Background of the IDEA

Text: Pursuant to HRS § 302A-1102 (Supp.2003), [7] the DOE is responsible for the administration of the IDEA pursuant to a federal-state statutory and regulatory regime. For present purposes, inasmuch as this court previously discussed the statutory and regulatory background underlying the IDEA in In re Doe Children: Jane, Born on September 2, 1983; and John, Born on May 12, 1983, 96 Hawai'i 272, 30 P.3d 878 (2001) [hereinafter,  In re Doe Children ], we reiterate the following: The IDEA has a complex statutory and regulatory framework, the basic purpose of which is to ensure that states provide an appropriate education to children with disabilities. The IDEA was originally enacted in 1970 as the Education of the Handicapped Act, Pub.L. No. 91-230, §§ 601, 611, 84 Stat. 175, 178 (1970), substantially revised in 1975, see Pub.L. No. 94-142, 89 Stat. 773-96 (1975), and given its present name in 1990. Pub.L. No. 101-476, § 901(a), 104 Stat. 1141, 1142 (1990). As a condition of receiving federal funds for the special educational needs of disabled children, states are required to maintain policies and procedures that ensure all disabled children receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). See 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(1); see also Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305, 310 [108 S.Ct. 592, 98 L.Ed.2d 686] ... (1988). A FAPE is defined as special education and related services that  (A) have been provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge; (B) meet the standards of the State educational agency; (C) include an appropriate preschool, elementary, or secondary school education in the State involved; and (D) are provided in conformity with [an] individualized education program [defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1414(d)]. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(8).... Special education refers to specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including  (A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and (B) instruction in physical education. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(25).... Related services means transportation, and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services (including speech-language pathology and audiology services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, social work services, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services, except that such medical services shall be for diagnostic and evaluation purposes only) as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes the early identification and assessment of disabling conditions in children. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(22).... Thus, as a condition of receiving federal funds, the State of Hawai'i is required to provide not only special education, but also related services, such as the psychological or mental health services at issue here, as part of the FAPE to which children with disabilities are entitled. The primary state agency in Hawai'i responsible for ensuring that disabled children receive a FAPE is DOE. See 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(11); [[ [8] ] HRS § 26-12 (Supp.2000) (DOE responsible for administration of education and public instruction).... .... ... According to the IDEA, states must provide for the opportunity to evaluate complaints regarding the provision of a FAPE, see 20 U.S.C. §§ 1415(a) and 1415(b)(6),[ [9] ] and the opportunity must include the possibility of conducting an impartial due process hearing provided for according to state law or regulations. See 20 U.S.C. § 1415(f)(1). [10] Parents have the right to seek judicial review of any final administrative decision by bringing a civil action in any State court of competent jurisdiction or in a district court of the United States[.] 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2)(A).[ [11] ] Therefore, federal law requires states to provide a process that allows parents, who feel compelled to place their children in a private school because of the state's failure to meet its obligation to provide a FAPE, to seek reimbursement for the cost of doing so.... Id. at 276-78, 30 P.3d at 882-84 (emphases omitted). In re Doe Children also noted as follows: Hawai'i has established the required review process for complaints related to FAPE through a statutory and regulatory scheme. HRS § 302A-443(a) (Supp.2000) provides in part that: An impartial hearing may be requested by any parent or guardian of a handicapped child, or by [DOE], on any matter relating to the identification, evaluation, program, or placement of a handicapped child. [DOE] shall adopt rules that conform to the requirements of any applicable federal statutes or regulations pertaining to the impartial hearing based on the education of a handicapped child. Pursuant to the statute, Title 8 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) allows for a hearing to assess complaints regarding the provision of a FAPE. Id. at 287, 30 P.3d at 893 (emphases added). More specifically, HAR § 8-56-72(a) provides that [a] parent or the [DOE] may initiate a hearing on any of the matters described in section 8-56-68(a)[ [12] ] (relating to the identification, evaluation or educational placement of a student with a disability, or the provision of a free appropriate public education to the student ). (Emphasis added.) HAR § 8-56-2 defines the term parent as follows: (1) A natural or adoptive parent of a student; (2) A guardian but not the State if the student is a ward of the State; (3) A person acting in the place of a parent (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the student lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the student's welfare); or (4) A surrogate parent who has been appointed in accordance with section 8-56-80. (5) A foster parent may act as a parent under this chapter if the natural parents' authority to make educational decisions on the student's behalf has been extinguished under state law 8-56-2 and it is not otherwise contrary to the relevant court order; and the foster parent: (A) Has a long-term parental relationship with the student; (B) Is willing to make the educational decisions required of parents under this chapter; and (C) Has no interest that would conflict with the interests of the student. [[[ [13] ] (Emphasis added.) HAR § 8-56-80 requires that the DOE shall ensure that the rights of a student are protected when... [t]he student is a ward of the State under the laws of the State ... [by] assign[ing] ... an individual to act as a surrogate parent.  [14] Parties may seek judicial review of the outcome of the administrative hearing as follows: HAR § 8-56-78, like the federal law, provides that any party aggrieved by the results of the due process hearing may bring a civil action in any state court of competent jurisdiction or in federal district court. Thus, Hawai'i law provides for the administrative review process mandated by federal law.... Exhaustion of this administrative process is mandatory prior to seeking judicial review. See Kona Old Hawaiian Trails Group v. Lyman, 69 Haw. 81, 93, 734 P.2d 161, 169 (1987) ( Judicial review of agency action will not be available unless the party affected has taken advantage of all the corrective procedures provided for in the administrative process.  (Citations and internal quotation marks omitted.)); see also Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305, 326-27 [108 S.Ct. 592, 98 L.Ed.2d 686] ... (1988) (noting the IDEA's exhaustion requirement). In re Doe Children, 96 Hawai'i at 287, 30 P.3d at 893 (emphases added).