IDEA reauthorized in lame duck session
Published: December 9, 2004
Special education
On Nov. 17, 2004, the House-Senate Joint Conference on Special Education Reform Committee completed negotiations on the bills to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. On Nov. 19, the House voted 397-3 to approve the final compromise bill, with the Senate following suit hours later. President Bush is expected to sign the measure.
The final bill expands the authority of local school districts to use federal funds for early intervention services and to create risk-sharing pools among districts for high-cost services. Additionally, due process hearing officials will no longer be allowed to base their decisions solely on procedural errors. Local school districts will also be able to collect attorney fees for frivolous complaints. The reauthorization gives districts more authority over discipline issues. Finally, the bill requires special education teachers to be “highly qualified,” meaning that teachers must have a bachelor’s degree and be fully certified in special education or demonstrate competency by passing state special education licensure exams. (See "Special education law revamp an improvement, but falls short of ideal")
Vocational education
Bills reauthorizing the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 4496) and U.S. Senate (S. 2686) did not receive the required full chamber votes before Congress adjourned on Oct. 8. Both bills will likely be taken up and voted on when Congress reconvenes in January. After each house has approved its version and the differences have been worked out by a conference committee, the reconciled bill will be sent to the president for his signature. If a reauthorization bill is not approved until late spring, Congress is expected to extend the 1998 act through June 30, 2006 or allow states to submit a one-year transitional plan for the 2005-06 program year.
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