20 U.S.C. § 1431 : EDUCATION — EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES — INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES — Findings and policy

(a) Findings

Congress finds that there is an urgent and substantial need-

(1) to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize their potential for developmental delay, and to recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child's first 3 years of life;

(2) to reduce the educational costs to our society, including our Nation's schools, by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age;

(3) to maximize the potential for individuals with disabilities to live independently in society;

(4) to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities; and

(5) to enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care.

(b) Policy

It is the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance to States-

(1) to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;

(2) to facilitate the coordination of payment for early intervention services from Federal, State, local, and private sources (including public and private insurance coverage);

(3) to enhance State capacity to provide quality early intervention services and expand and improve existing early intervention services being provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and

(4) to encourage States to expand opportunities for children under 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial developmental delay if they did not receive early intervention services.

20 U.S.C. § 1431

Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, §631, as added Pub. L. 108-446, title I, §101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2744.

EDITORIAL NOTES

PRIOR PROVISIONSA prior section 1431, Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, §631, as added Pub. L. 105-17, title I, §101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 106, set out findings and policy, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 108-446.Another prior section 1431, Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, §631, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 184; Pub. L. 98-199, §§3(b), 11, Dec. 2, 1983, 97 Stat. 1358, 1369; Pub. L. 99-457, title III, §308, Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1165; Pub. L. 100-630, title I, §104(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3298; Pub. L. 101-476, title IV, §401, title IX, §901(b)(129)-(142), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1129, 1148; Pub. L. 102-119, §§9(a), (b), Oct. 7, 1991, 25, Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 593, 594, 606, 607; Pub. L. 102-421, title II, §202, Oct. 16, 1992, 106 Stat. 2165; Pub. L. 102-569, title IX, §912(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4486; Pub. L. 103-73, title III, §302, Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 736; Pub. L. 103-218, title IV, §401, Mar. 9, 1994, 108 Stat. 95, related to grants for personnel training, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 105-17.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATESubchapter effective July 1, 2005, see section 302(a) of Pub. L. 108-446 set out as a note under section 1400 of this title.

State: The term "State" means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas.
special education: The term "special education" means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including-(A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and(B) instruction in physical education.