20 USC 1411 - Authorization; allotment; use of funds; authorization of appropriations

View all text of Subchapter II [§ 1411 - § 1419]

§ 1411. Authorization; allotment; use of funds; authorization of appropriations

(a) Grants to States

(1) Purpose of grants

(2) Maximum amountThe maximum amount of the grant a State may receive under this section—

(A) for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 is—

(i) the number of children with disabilities in the State who are receiving special education and related services—(I) aged 3 through 5 if the State is eligible for a grant under section 1419 of this title; and(II) aged 6 through 21; multiplied by

(ii) 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools in the United States; and

(B) for fiscal year 2007 and subsequent fiscal years is—

(i) the number of children with disabilities in the 2004–2005 school year in the State who received special education and related services—(I) aged 3 through 5 if the State is eligible for a grant under section 1419 of this title; and(II) aged 6 through 21; multiplied by

(ii) 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools in the United States; adjusted by

(iii) the rate of annual change in the sum of—(I) 85 percent of such State’s population described in subsection (d)(3)(A)(i)(II); and(II) 15 percent of such State’s population described in subsection (d)(3)(A)(i)(III).

(b) Outlying areas and freely associated States; Secretary of the Interior

(1) Outlying areas and freely associated States

(A) Funds reservedFrom the amount appropriated for any fiscal year under subsection (i), the Secretary shall reserve not more than 1 percent, which shall be used as follows:

(i) To provide assistance to the outlying areas in accordance with their respective populations of individuals aged 3 through 21.

(ii)(I) To provide each freely associated State a grant so that no freely associated State receives a lesser share of the total funds reserved for the freely associated State than the freely associated State received of those funds for fiscal year 2023.(II) Each freely associated State shall establish its eligibility under this subparagraph consistent with the requirements for a State under section 1412 of this title.(III) The funds provided to each freely associated State under this subchapter may be used to provide, to each infant or toddler with a disability (as defined in section 1432 of this title), either a free appropriate public education, consistent with section 1412 of this title, or early intervention services consistent with subchapter III, notwithstanding the application and eligibility requirements of sections 1431(2), 1435, and 1437 of this title.

(B) Special rule

(2) Secretary of the Interior

(1) In general

(2) Maximum amount

(d) Allocations to States

(1) In general

(2) Special rule for use of fiscal year 1999 amount

(3) Increase in fundsIf the amount available for allocations to States under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year is equal to or greater than the amount allocated to the States under this paragraph for the preceding fiscal year, those allocations shall be calculated as follows:

(A) Allocation of increase

(i) In generalExcept as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall allocate for the fiscal year—(I) to each State the amount the State received under this section for fiscal year 1999;(II) 85 percent of any remaining funds to States on the basis of the States’ relative populations of children aged 3 through 21 who are of the same age as children with disabilities for whom the State ensures the availability of a free appropriate public education under this subchapter; and(III) 15 percent of those remaining funds to States on the basis of the States’ relative populations of children described in subclause (II) who are living in poverty.

(ii) Data

(B) LimitationsNotwithstanding subparagraph (A), allocations under this paragraph shall be subject to the following:

(i) Preceding year allocation

(ii) MinimumNo State’s allocation shall be less than the greatest of—(I) the sum of—(aa) the amount the State received under this section for fiscal year 1999; and(bb) ⅓ of 1 percent of the amount by which the amount appropriated under subsection (i) for the fiscal year exceeds the amount appropriated for this section for fiscal year 1999;(II) the sum of—(aa) the amount the State received under this section for the preceding fiscal year; and(bb) that amount multiplied by the percentage by which the increase in the funds appropriated for this section from the preceding fiscal year exceeds 1.5 percent; or(III) the sum of—(aa) the amount the State received under this section for the preceding fiscal year; and(bb) that amount multiplied by 90 percent of the percentage increase in the amount appropriated for this section from the preceding fiscal year.

(iii) MaximumNotwithstanding clause (ii), no State’s allocation under this paragraph shall exceed the sum of—(I) the amount the State received under this section for the preceding fiscal year; and(II) that amount multiplied by the sum of 1.5 percent and the percentage increase in the amount appropriated under this section from the preceding fiscal year.

(4) Decrease in fundsIf the amount available for allocations to States under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year is less than the amount allocated to the States under this section for the preceding fiscal year, those allocations shall be calculated as follows:

(A) Amounts greater than fiscal year 1999 allocationsIf the amount available for allocations is greater than the amount allocated to the States for fiscal year 1999, each State shall be allocated the sum of—

(i) the amount the State received under this section for fiscal year 1999; and

(ii) an amount that bears the same relation to any remaining funds as the increase the State received under this section for the preceding fiscal year over fiscal year 1999 bears to the total of all such increases for all States.

(B) Amounts equal to or less than fiscal year 1999 allocations

(i) In general

(ii) Ratable reduction

(e) State-level activities

(1) State administration

(A) In generalFor the purpose of administering this subchapter, including paragraph (3), section 1419 of this title, and the coordination of activities under this subchapter with, and providing technical assistance to, other programs that provide services to children with disabilities—

(i) each State may reserve for each fiscal year not more than the maximum amount the State was eligible to reserve for State administration under this section for fiscal year 2004 or $800,000 (adjusted in accordance with subparagraph (B)), whichever is greater; and

(ii) each outlying area may reserve for each fiscal year not more than 5 percent of the amount the outlying area receives under subsection (b)(1) for the fiscal year or $35,000, whichever is greater.

(B) Cumulative annual adjustmentsFor each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2005, the Secretary shall cumulatively adjust—

(i) the maximum amount the State was eligible to reserve for State administration under this subchapter for fiscal year 2004; and

(ii) $800,000,

by the rate of inflation as measured by the percentage increase, if any, from the preceding fiscal year in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

(D) Subchapter III

(2) Other State-level activities

(A) State-level activities

(i) In general

(ii) Small State adjustment

(iii) ExceptionIf a State does not reserve funds under paragraph (3) for a fiscal year, then—(I) in the case of a State that is not described in clause (ii), for fiscal year 2005 or 2006, clause (i) shall be applied by substituting “9.0 percent” for “10 percent”; and(II) in the case of a State that is described in clause (ii), for fiscal year 2005 or 2006, clause (ii) shall be applied by substituting “9.5 percent” for “10.5 percent”.

(B) Required activitiesFunds reserved under subparagraph (A) shall be used to carry out the following activities:

(i) For monitoring, enforcement, and complaint investigation.

(ii) To establish and implement the mediation process required by section 1415(e) of this title, including providing for the cost of mediators and support personnel.

(i) For support and direct services, including technical assistance, personnel preparation, and professional development and training.

(ii) To support paperwork reduction activities, including expanding the use of technology in the IEP process.

(iii) To assist local educational agencies in providing positive behavioral interventions and supports and appropriate mental health services for children with disabilities.

(iv) To improve the use of technology in the classroom by children with disabilities to enhance learning.

(v) To support the use of technology, including technology with universal design principles and assistive technology devices, to maximize accessibility to the general education curriculum for children with disabilities.

(vi) Development and implementation of transition programs, including coordination of services with agencies involved in supporting the transition of children with disabilities to postsecondary activities.

(vii) To assist local educational agencies in meeting personnel shortages.

(viii) To support capacity building activities and improve the delivery of services by local educational agencies to improve results for children with disabilities.

(ix) Alternative programming for children with disabilities who have been expelled from school, and services for children with disabilities in correctional facilities, children enrolled in State-operated or State-supported schools, and children with disabilities in charter schools.

(x) To support the development and provision of appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities, or the development and provision of alternate assessments that are valid and reliable for assessing the performance of children with disabilities, in accordance with sections 6311(b) and 6361 of this title.

(xi) To provide technical assistance to schools and local educational agencies, and direct services, including direct student services described in section 6303b(c)(3) of this title to children with disabilities, to schools or local educational agencies implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 6311(d) of this title on the basis of consistent underperformance of the disaggregated subgroup of children with disabilities, including providing professional development to special and regular education teachers, who teach children with disabilities, based on scientifically based research to improve educational instruction, in order to improve academic achievement based on the challenging academic standards described in section 6311(b)(1) of this title.

(3) Local educational agency risk pool

(A) In general

(i) Reservation of fundsFor the purpose of assisting local educational agencies (including a charter school that is a local educational agency or a consortium of local educational agencies) in addressing the needs of high need children with disabilities, each State shall have the option to reserve for each fiscal year 10 percent of the amount of funds the State reserves for State-level activities under paragraph (2)(A)—(I) to establish and make disbursements from the high cost fund to local educational agencies in accordance with this paragraph during the first and succeeding fiscal years of the high cost fund; and(II) to support innovative and effective ways of cost sharing by the State, by a local educational agency, or among a consortium of local educational agencies, as determined by the State in coordination with representatives from local educational agencies, subject to subparagraph (B)(ii).

(ii) Definition of local educational agency

(B) Limitation on uses of funds

(i) Establishment of high cost fund

(ii) Innovative and effective cost sharing

(i) Definition

(ii) State planThe State educational agency shall develop, not later than 90 days after the State reserves funds under this paragraph, annually review, and amend as necessary, a State plan for the high cost fund. Such State plan shall—(I) establish, in coordination with representatives from local educational agencies, a definition of a high need child with a disability that, at a minimum—(aa) addresses the financial impact a high need child with a disability has on the budget of the child’s local educational agency; and(bb) ensures that the cost of the high need child with a disability is greater than 3 times the average per pupil expenditure (as defined in section 7801 of this title) in that State;(II) establish eligibility criteria for the participation of a local educational agency that, at a minimum, takes into account the number and percentage of high need children with disabilities served by a local educational agency;(III) develop a funding mechanism that provides distributions each fiscal year to local educational agencies that meet the criteria developed by the State under subclause (II); and(IV) establish an annual schedule by which the State educational agency shall make its distributions from the high cost fund each fiscal year.

(iii) Public availability

(D) Disbursements from the high cost fund

(i) In general

(ii) Use of disbursements

(iii) Appropriate costs

(E) Legal fees

(F) Assurance of a free appropriate public educationNothing in this paragraph shall be construed—

(i) to limit or condition the right of a child with a disability who is assisted under this subchapter to receive a free appropriate public education pursuant to section 1412(a)(1) of this title in the least restrictive environment pursuant to section 1412(a)(5) of this title; or

(ii) to authorize a State educational agency or local educational agency to establish a limit on what may be spent on the education of a child with a disability.

(G) Special rule for risk pool and high need assistance programs in effect as of January 1, 2004

(H) Medicaid services not affected

(I) Remaining funds

(4) Inapplicability of certain prohibitions

(A) the prohibition on commingling of funds in section 1412(a)(17)(B) of this title; and

(B) the prohibition on supplanting other funds in section 1412(a)(17)(C) of this title.

(5) Report on use of fundsAs part of the information required to be submitted to the Secretary under section 1412 of this title, each State shall annually describe how amounts under this section—

(A) will be used to meet the requirements of this chapter; and

(B) will be allocated among the activities described in this section to meet State priorities based on input from local educational agencies.

(6) Special rule for increased funds

(7) Flexibility in using funds for subchapter III

(f) Subgrants to local educational agencies

(1) Subgrants required

(2) Procedure for allocations to local educational agenciesFor each fiscal year for which funds are allocated to States under subsection (d), each State shall allocate funds under paragraph (1) as follows:

(A) Base payments

(B) Allocation of remaining fundsAfter making allocations under subparagraph (A), the State shall—

(i) allocate 85 percent of any remaining funds to those local educational agencies on the basis of the relative numbers of children enrolled in public and private elementary schools and secondary schools within the local educational agency’s jurisdiction; and

(ii) allocate 15 percent of those remaining funds to those local educational agencies in accordance with their relative numbers of children living in poverty, as determined by the State educational agency.

(3) Reallocation of funds

(g) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools in the United StatesThe term “average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools in the United States” means—

(A) without regard to the source of funds—

(i) the aggregate current expenditures, during the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made (or, if satisfactory data for that year are not available, during the most recent preceding fiscal year for which satisfactory data are available) of all local educational agencies in the 50 States and the District of Columbia; plus

(ii) any direct expenditures by the State for the operation of those agencies; divided by

(B) the aggregate number of children in average daily attendance to whom those agencies provided free public education during that preceding year.

(2) State

(h) Use of amounts by Secretary of the Interior

(1) Provision of amounts for assistance

(A) In generalThe Secretary of Education shall provide amounts to the Secretary of the Interior to meet the need for assistance for the education of children with disabilities on reservations aged 5 to 21, inclusive, enrolled in elementary schools and secondary schools for Indian children operated or funded by the Secretary of the Interior. The amount of such payment for any fiscal year shall be equal to 80 percent of the amount allotted under subsection (b)(2) for that fiscal year. Of the amount described in the preceding sentence—

(i) 80 percent shall be allocated to such schools by July 1 of that fiscal year; and

(ii) 20 percent shall be allocated to such schools by September 30 of that fiscal year.

(B) Calculation of number of children

(2) Submission of informationThe Secretary of Education may provide the Secretary of the Interior amounts under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year only if the Secretary of the Interior submits to the Secretary of Education information that—

(A) demonstrates that the Department of the Interior meets the appropriate requirements, as determined by the Secretary of Education, of sections 1412 of this title (including monitoring and evaluation activities) and 1413 of this title;

(B) includes a description of how the Secretary of the Interior will coordinate the provision of services under this subchapter with local educational agencies, tribes and tribal organizations, and other private and Federal service providers;

(C) includes an assurance that there are public hearings, adequate notice of such hearings, and an opportunity for comment afforded to members of tribes, tribal governing bodies, and affected local school boards before the adoption of the policies, programs, and procedures related to the requirements described in subparagraph (A);

(D) includes an assurance that the Secretary of the Interior will provide such information as the Secretary of Education may require to comply with section 1418 of this title;

(E) includes an assurance that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have entered into a memorandum of agreement, to be provided to the Secretary of Education, for the coordination of services, resources, and personnel between their respective Federal, State, and local offices and with State and local educational agencies and other entities to facilitate the provision of services to Indian children with disabilities residing on or near reservations (such agreement shall provide for the apportionment of responsibilities and costs, including child find, evaluation, diagnosis, remediation or therapeutic measures, and (where appropriate) equipment and medical or personal supplies as needed for a child to remain in school or a program); and

(F) includes an assurance that the Department of the Interior will cooperate with the Department of Education in its exercise of monitoring and oversight of this application, and any agreements entered into between the Secretary of the Interior and other entities under this subchapter, and will fulfill its duties under this subchapter.

(3) Applicability

(4) Payments for education and services for Indian children with disabilities aged 3 through 5

(A) In general

(B) Distribution of funds

(D) Use of funds

(E) Biennial report

(F) Prohibitions

(5) Plan for coordination of services

(6) Establishment of advisory boardTo meet the requirements of section 1412(a)(21) of this title, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish, under the BIA, an advisory board composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education and provision of services to Indian infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, including Indians with disabilities, Indian parents or guardians of such children, teachers, service providers, State and local educational officials, representatives of tribes or tribal organizations, representatives from State Interagency Coordinating Councils under section 1441 of this title in States having reservations, and other members representing the various divisions and entities of the BIA. The chairperson shall be selected by the Secretary of the Interior. The advisory board shall—

(A) assist in the coordination of services within the BIA and with other local, State, and Federal agencies in the provision of education for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities;

(B) advise and assist the Secretary of the Interior in the performance of the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities described in this subsection;

(C) develop and recommend policies concerning effective inter- and intra-agency collaboration, including modifications to regulations, and the elimination of barriers to inter- and intra-agency programs and activities;

(D) provide assistance and disseminate information on best practices, effective program coordination strategies, and recommendations for improved early intervention services or educational programming for Indian infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities; and

(E) provide assistance in the preparation of information required under paragraph (2)(D).

(7) Annual reports

(A) In general

(B) Availability

(i) Authorization of appropriationsFor the purpose of carrying out this subchapter, other than section 1419 of this title, there are authorized to be appropriated—

(1) $12,358,376,571 for fiscal year 2005;

(2) $14,648,647,143 for fiscal year 2006;

(3) $16,938,917,714 for fiscal year 2007;

(4) $19,229,188,286 for fiscal year 2008;

(5) $21,519,458,857 for fiscal year 2009;

(6) $23,809,729,429 for fiscal year 2010;

(7) $26,100,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and

(8) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding fiscal year.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 611, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2662; amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(ss)(2), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2181; Pub. L. 118–42, div. G, title II, § 209(b)(3), Mar. 9, 2024, 138 Stat. 442.)