Question: when was the first federal special education law passed
Answer: Special education programs in the United States were made mandatory in 1975 when the United States Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act ( EAHCA ) `` ( sometimes referred to using the acronyms EAHCA or EHA , or Public Law ( PL ) 94 - 142 ) was enacted by the United States Congress in 1975 , in response to discriminatory treatment by public educational agencies against students with disabilities .