A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill aims to improve special education and related services for children and youth who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, or deafblind. It amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to enhance accountability and ensure that instructional methodologies meet the unique language and learning needs of these students. The legislation requires states to better identify, evaluate, and provide specialized services to children with sensory disabilities, regardless of how they are otherwise classified. It also establishes the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education. Additionally, the bill mandates professional development to increase the number of qualified teachers, early intervention specialists, and interveners.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +10
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?
The bill comprehensively safeguards and expands specialized education, evaluation, and support services for children with sensory disabilities.
- Scored +9
Would children be better off under this?
The bill directly improves educational outcomes, language access, and specialized support for children and youth with sensory disabilities.
- Scored +8
Would students be better off under this?
Students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind receive vastly improved instructional methodologies and protections.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 101, 201, and 301: These sections require states to properly identify, locate, and evaluate children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind, even if those children are classified under a different disability category. This ensures that children do not miss out on specialized services due to vague categorization.
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Section 102, 202, and 303: These provisions require states to file a written addendum to their state plans describing how they ensure a sufficient availability of qualified personnel and specialized instruction, such as American Sign Language for deaf students, Braille for blind students, and appropriate communication modes for deafblind students. This helps guarantee that students receive instruction tailored to their sensory needs.
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Section 107: This section ensures a full continuum of alternative placements for students with disabilities and explicitly states that closing or consolidating specialized schools for children who are blind or deaf is considered a reduction of financial support, protecting these vital specialized institutions from being shut down.
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Section 211: This section establishes the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education to develop curricula, support higher education programs, conduct enrichment projects for students, and research valid assessments and effective interventions for children who are blind or visually impaired.
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Section 302: This section amends related services to officially include intervener services provided by a qualified intervener to children who are deafblind, ensuring these children receive the one-to-one support they need to access information and communicate.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 107: This provision prevents states from closing or consolidating specialized schools serving blind or deaf children by tying such actions to a failure to meet funding conditions. While intended to protect these schools, this rigid restriction could potentially burden state educational agencies financially or prevent them from reorganizing inefficient or underperforming school networks based on local needs.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill comprehensively safeguards and expands specialized education, evaluation, and support services for children with sensory disabilities. Would children be better off under this? — The bill directly improves educational outcomes, language access, and specialized support for children and youth with sensory disabilities. Would students be better off under this? — Students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind receive vastly improved instructional methodologies and protections. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill improves transition services and career education supporting young adults transitioning out of school systems. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income families with disabled children benefit from guaranteed specialized public educational resources and support services. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The legislation addresses diversity and minority representation among students and professional personnel in special education. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The legislation addresses diversity and minority representation among students and professional personnel in special education. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Middle-class families with children who have sensory disabilities receive better targeted educational planning and resources.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill mandates enhanced special education services, prevents closures of specialized schools, and provides funding for personnel development. Does this put more money into scientific research? — The legislation supports specialized research initiatives regarding visual disabilities and educational excellence through a national center.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill significantly enhances protections and specialized educational services for children and youth with sensory disabilities.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation mandates more rigorous data collection, accounting, and reporting on students with sensory disabilities. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill imposes new reporting requirements, mandatory state plan addendums, and oversight mechanisms on state educational agencies.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The legislation establishes the Anne Sullivan Macy Center to conduct and fund research on visual disabilities and educational interventions.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill creates specialized personnel roles and training programs for teachers and interveners serving students with sensory disabilities.
- 6/3/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
4 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia