H.R. 9195

Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act

Sponsor: Morgan McGarvey

30 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act

This bill expands special education and related services for children and youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind.

For example, the bill requires states to more specifically identify and evaluate children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind to better allow for the provision of appropriate services.

In addition, a state's closure of a specialized school serving children who are blind or deaf shall result in a reduction of its financial support for special education and related services.

The bill also authorizes support, including grants for training special education personnel, to prepare individuals to become qualified teachers and early intervention specialists for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind.

Finally, the bill establishes within the Department of Education the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence to better support students with visual disabilities receiving special education and related services.

Text of the bill

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I IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING, OR DEAFDISABLED

A General Provisions

B Improving the Effectiveness of Early Intervention for Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafdisabled Infants and Toddlers and Their Families

C National Activities To Improve Education of Children With Disabilities

Sec. 121. Personnel development to improve services and results for children with disabilities

(a) Licensing of educational interpreters. Section 662(c)(2)(E) (20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2)(E)) is amended to read as follows:

Text this section adds to the law

(E) Preparing personnel to be qualified educational interpreters, as licensed by the appropriate licensing body, to assist (but not teach language to) children with low incidence disabilities, particularly deaf, hard of hearing, and deafdisabled children, in school and school-related activities, and deaf, hard of hearing, and deafdisabled infants, toddlers, and preschool children in early intervention and preschool programs, except that this subparagraph shall not be construed to authorize the replacement of the essential service of an interpreter by other personnel (including replacement by a communication facilitator).

(b) Ensuring sufficient teachers of the deaf and early intervention specialists. Section 662(c)(2) (20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(F) Preparing personnel to be qualified teachers of the deaf and early intervention specialists, to assist children with low incidence disabilities, particularly deaf, hard of hearing, and deafdisabled children, to develop age-appropriate language, including American Sign Language and, if appropriate, spoken language with or without visual supports, and age-appropriate literacy skills in school and school-related activities, and deaf, hard of hearing, and deafdisabled infants and toddlers and preschool children in early intervention and preschool programs.

II IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

A General Provisions

B Specialized Early Childhood Intervention Services to Infants and Toddlers Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

C Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence

III IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAFBLIND

A General Provisions

B Improving the Effectiveness of Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers who are Deafblind and Their Families

C National Activities To Improve the Education of Children with Disabilities