Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The U.S. Congress is close to completing the first extensive revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since P.L. 94–142 was enacted. This article provides an overview of the major substantive amendments to IDEA currently being proposed by the 104th Congress in the U.S. Senate, including changes in state and local educational agency eligibility; least restrictive environment; private school placement; evaluations, reevaluations, and Individualized Education Programs; discipline procedures; mediation; attorneys' fees; funding obligations of noneducational agencies; comprehensive system of personnel development; professional standards; general education initiatives; flexibility in use of funds; and the discretionary authorities that fund research, personnel preparation, programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, and other activities. In addition, the article identifies possible scenarios and forecasts the most likely outcome for IDEA reauthorization as it makes its way through the U.S. Congress.
David Egnor (1996) studied this question.