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

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

Sec. 321. Personnel development to improve services and results for children with disabilities; ensuring sufficient teachers of children who are deafblind, interveners, and early intervention specialists

Section 662(c)(2) (20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2)), as amended by section 121(b) of this Act, is further amended—

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) (as redesignated by section 121(b)(1) of this Act) as subparagraphs (I) and (J), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) (as inserted by section 121(b)(2) of this Act) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(G) Preparing personnel to be qualified teachers of children who are deafblind and early intervention specialists, to assist children who are deafblind in schools and school-related activities, as well as toddlers and preschool children who are deafblind in early intervention and preschool programs, to develop communication and literacy skills, to be able to access, organize and utilize information about the environment, and to acquire concepts essential for learning.

(H) Preparing personnel to be qualified interveners as individualized supports to assist children who are deafblind in school and school-related activities, and infants and toddlers and preschool children who are deafblind in early intervention and preschool programs.