1350 as Passed by the House and Senate, 108th Congress
Updated June 8, 2004

	Background

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1) authorizes federal funding for the education of children with disabilities and requires, as a conditionfor the receipt of suchfunds, the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). (2) The statute also contains detailed due process provisions to ensure the provision of FAPE andincludes a provisionfor attorneys' fees. (3)
Congress is presently considering reauthorizing IDEA. H.R. 1350 , 108th Congress, passed the House on April 30, 2003, by a vote of 251 to 171. On May 13, 2004, theSenate incorporated S. 1248 in H.R. 1350 and passed H.R. 1350 in lieu of S. 1248 by a vote of95 to 3.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes federal funding forthe education of children with disabilities andrequires, as a condition for the receipt of such funds, the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).The statute also contains detailed due process provisions to ensure theprovision of FAPE and includes a provision for attorneys' fees. Congress is presently considering reauthorizing IDEA. H.R. 1350, 108th Congress, passed the House onApril 30, 2003, by a vote of 251 to 171. On May 13, 2004, the Senate incorporated S. 1248 in H.R. 1350and passed H.R. 1350 in lieu of S.1248 by a vote of 95 to 3. This report will discuss current IDEA provisions on attorneys' fees and the differingprovisions in the House and Senate bills. This report will not beupdated.