RS21226 -- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Paperwork in Special Education
Updated December 18, 2003

	Introduction

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1) both authorizes federal funding for special education and related services(for example, physical therapy) and, for states that accept these funds, (2) sets out principles under which special education and relatedservices are to be provided. (20)

	Time Spent on Paperwork

The most recent data on paperwork is a study by Westat for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). (24)

	Provisions in H.R.1350 and S. 1248 Related to Paperwork Reduction

Both the House and Senate committee reports (25) accompanying their respective bills note that reducing paperwork is an important aimof the legislation. (30)
Both bills would eliminate the requirement that IEPs contain benchmarks or short-term goals (Sec.614(d)(1)(A)(ii) of current law).
Congress is currently considering reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). H.R. 1350, 108th Congress, was passed by the House on April 30, 2003. S. 1248was reported out of committee by a unanimous vote on June 25, 2003. On November 21, 2003, a unanimousconsent agreementproviding for floor consideration of S. 1248 was adopted. Among the issues both bills address is the amountofpaperwork special education teachers have to complete. This report will discuss some of the requirements of thelaw that give rise topaperwork, the available statistics on the time special educators spend on paperwork, and selected issues in theHouse and Senate billsthat are related to paperwork reduction. This report will be updated to reflect major legislative action.