Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 33— - EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - ASSISTANCE FOR EDUCATION OF ALL CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES › § 1411
Provides federal grants to States, outlying areas, freely associated States, and the Secretary of the Interior so they can give special education and related services to children with disabilities. State grant amounts are based on counts of children served and a dollar formula that uses 40 percent of the national average per-pupil spending. For 2007 and later, each State’s grant is adjusted each year by a population-change formula that weights two population measures 85% and 15%. The Secretary may hold back small shares of the total: up to 1% for outlying areas and freely associated States (the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau), 1.226% to help the Secretary of the Interior, and up to 0.5% (maximum $25,000,000, adjusted for inflation) for technical assistance. States may reserve specified amounts for administration and State-level activities (examples: up to $800,000 or the FY2004 maximum adjusted for inflation for admin; up to 10% of State allocations for State-level work in 2005–2006, with special 10.5% rules for some States and later inflation adjustments). States must use reserved funds for monitoring, enforcement, mediation, and other supports like training, technology, transition services, and targeted help for high-need students. A State may set up a high-cost fund from up to 10% of its State-level reserve to help local school districts with very costly students; the State must define “high need” (costs must be more than 3 times the State’s average per-pupil spending), publish a plan within 90 days and post it at least 30 days before the school year, and follow limits on what the fund can pay. Funds for children on reservations are split so 80% of a certain allotment goes to the Secretary of the Interior (80% of that by July 1 and 20% by September 30) for children 5–21; 20% goes to tribes or tribal organizations for children 3–5, based on counts, to be used for child find, screening, parent training, and direct services. To get Interior funds, the Secretary of the Interior must show it meets federal requirements, hold public hearings, coordinate with other agencies (including a memorandum of agreement with HHS), and allow Education Department monitoring. States must pass most remaining funds to local educational agencies; the State allocation process first protects historic FY1999 shares, then divides remaining funds 85% by child population and 15% by child poverty, with rules that prevent sudden drops or big increases in State shares. Authorized funding levels for carrying out the program (other than section 1419) are: $12,358,376,571 for FY2005; $14,648,647,143 for FY2006; $16,938,917,714 for FY2007; $19,229,188,286 for FY2008; $21,519,458,857 for FY2009; $23,809,729,429 for FY2010; $26,100,000,000 for FY2011; and such sums as may be necessary for FY2012 and each year after. Defines: “average per-pupil expenditure” — how the national per-student spending number is calculated; “State” — the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
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Legislative History
Reference
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1411
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73