	Introduction

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes federal funding for theeducation of children with disabilities and requires, as a condition for the receipt of such funds, theprovision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). (1) The statute also contains detailed dueprocess provisions to ensure the provision of FAPE. Originally enacted in 1975, the act respondedto increased awareness of the need to educate children with disabilities and to judicial decisionsrequiring that states provide an education for children with disabilities if they provided an educationfor children without disabilities. (2)
IDEA has been amended several times, most recently and most comprehensively by the 1997 IDEA reauthorization, P.L. 105-17 . Congress is presently examining IDEA again and H.R. 1350 , 108th Congress, passed the House on April 30, 2003 by a vote of 251 to 171. In the Senate, S. 1248 was reported out of committee bya unanimous vote on June 25, 2003 ( S. Rept. 108-185 ) and placed on the Senate legislative calendarunder general orders on November 3, 2003. For a discussion of the Senate bill see CRS Report RL31971 .
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes federal funding for the education of children with disabilities and requires, as a condition for the receipt of such funds, theprovision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The statute also contains detailed dueprocess provisions to ensure the provision of FAPE. Originally enacted in 1975, the act respondedto increased awareness of the need to educate children with disabilities and to judicial decisionsrequiring that states provide an education for children with disabilities if they provided an educationfor children without disabilities.
IDEA has been amended several times, most recently and most comprehensively by the 1997 IDEA reauthorization, P.L. 105-17 . Congress is presently examining IDEA again and H.R. 1350 , 108th Congress, passed the House on April 30, 2003. In the Senate, S. 1248 was reported out of committee by a unanimous vote on June 25, 2003 andplaced on the Senate legislative calendar under general orders on November 3, 2003. For adiscussion of the Senate bill see CRS Report RL31971 . This report will not be updated.