Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73
§1413 Local educational agency eligibility
Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 33— - EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - ASSISTANCE FOR EDUCATION OF ALL CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES › § 1413
Summary
To get federal special education money, a school district or other local school agency (an LEA) must send the state a plan that promises it will follow state rules for educating children with disabilities. The LEA must spend the federal money only for the extra costs of special education. The money must add to state and local funds, not replace them. The LEA usually must keep its local spending at least at the same level as the year before, but there are limits that allow cuts for certain reasons, such as staff retiring or a drop in students with disabilities, ending a very costly program because the child left or aged out, or finishing a long-term purchase like equipment. If the LEA gets more federal money than last year, it may cut local spending by up to 50 percent of that increase under rules that require using equal funds for other school activities and allow the state to stop that reduction if the LEA is not meeting requirements. Federal funds can be used for certain blended services (even if nondisabled students benefit), early help programs, shared-cost arrangements, and technology for recordkeeping. For charter schools that are public schools of the LEA, the LEA must serve and fund them the same way it serves other schools. If an LEA chooses to work with the National Instructional Materials Access Center when buying print materials, it had to do so within two years after December 3, 2004; if it does not, it must assure the state it will give timely accessible materials to people with print disabilities. The LEA must have properly trained staff, share required information with the state, and make eligibility documents available to parents and the public. The state can require an LEA to join with another LEA if a single LEA is too small to run proper programs. The LEA may spend up to 15 percent of its federal amount (minus some reductions) on coordinated early intervening services for K–12 students, especially K–3, who need extra help but are not yet identified for special education; the LEA must report each year how many students were served and how many later received special education within two years. If an LEA fails to meet the rules or won’t provide needed information, the state can stop or redirect payments and must give notice and a chance for a hearing. States that get subgrants must also show they provide free, appropriate public education and required safeguards. States may also, under strict conditions, reduce some state spending on special education when their federal allotment rises.
Full Legal Text
Title 20, §1413
Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A local educational agency is eligible for assistance under this subchapter for a fiscal year if such agency submits a plan that provides assurances to the State educational agency that the local educational agency meets each of the following conditions:
(1)The local educational agency, in providing for the education of children with disabilities within its jurisdiction, has in effect policies, procedures, and programs that are consistent with the State policies and procedures established under section 1412 of this title.
(2)(A)Amounts provided to the local educational agency under this subchapter shall be expended in accordance with the applicable provisions of this subchapter and—
(i)shall be used only to pay the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities;
(ii)shall be used to supplement State, local, and other Federal funds and not to supplant such funds; and
(iii)shall not be used, except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), to reduce the level of expenditures for the education of children with disabilities made by the local educational agency from local funds below the level of those expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.
(B)Notwithstanding the restriction in subparagraph (A)(iii), a local educational agency may reduce the level of expenditures where such reduction is attributable to—
(i)the voluntary departure, by retirement or otherwise, or departure for just cause, of special education personnel;
(ii)a decrease in the enrollment of children with disabilities;
(iii)the termination of the obligation of the agency, consistent with this subchapter, to provide a program of special education to a particular child with a disability that is an exceptionally costly program, as determined by the State educational agency, because the child—
(I)has left the jurisdiction of the agency;
(II)has reached the age at which the obligation of the agency to provide a free appropriate public education to the child has terminated; or
(III)no longer needs such program of special education; or
(iv)the termination of costly expenditures for long-term purchases, such as the acquisition of equipment or the construction of school facilities.
(C)(i)Notwithstanding clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A), for any fiscal year for which the allocation received by a local educational agency under section 1411(f) of this title exceeds the amount the local educational agency received for the previous fiscal year, the local educational agency may reduce the level of expenditures otherwise required by subparagraph (A)(iii) by not more than 50 percent of the amount of such excess.
(ii)If a local educational agency exercises the authority under clause (i), the agency shall use an amount of local funds equal to the reduction in expenditures under clause (i) to carry out activities authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.].
(iii)Notwithstanding clause (i), if a State educational agency determines that a local educational agency is unable to establish and maintain programs of free appropriate public education that meet the requirements of subsection (a) or the State educational agency has taken action against the local educational agency under section 1416 of this title, the State educational agency shall prohibit the local educational agency from reducing the level of expenditures under clause (i) for that fiscal year.
(iv)The amount of funds expended by a local educational agency under subsection (f) shall count toward the maximum amount of expenditures such local educational agency may reduce under clause (i).
(D)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) or any other provision of this subchapter, a local educational agency may use funds received under this subchapter for any fiscal year to carry out a schoolwide program under section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6314], except that the amount so used in any such program shall not exceed—
(i)the number of children with disabilities participating in the schoolwide program; multiplied by
(ii)(I)the amount received by the local educational agency under this subchapter for that fiscal year; divided by
(II)the number of children with disabilities in the jurisdiction of that agency.
(3)The local educational agency shall ensure that all personnel necessary to carry out this subchapter are appropriately and adequately prepared, subject to the requirements of section 1412(a)(14) of this title and section 2102(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6612(b)].
(4)(A)Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(A) or section 1412(a)(17)(B) of this title (relating to commingled funds), funds provided to the local educational agency under this subchapter may be used for the following activities:
(i)For the costs of special education and related services, and supplementary aids and services, provided in a regular class or other education-related setting to a child with a disability in accordance with the individualized education program of the child, even if 1 or more nondisabled children benefit from such services.
(ii)To develop and implement coordinated, early intervening educational services in accordance with subsection (f).
(iii)To establish and implement cost or risk sharing funds, consortia, or cooperatives for the local educational agency itself, or for local educational agencies working in a consortium of which the local educational agency is a part, to pay for high cost special education and related services.
(B)A local educational agency may use funds received under this subchapter to purchase appropriate technology for recordkeeping, data collection, and related case management activities of teachers and related services personnel providing services described in the individualized education program of children with disabilities, that is needed for the implementation of such case management activities.
(5)In carrying out this subchapter with respect to charter schools that are public schools of the local educational agency, the local educational agency—
(A)serves children with disabilities attending those charter schools in the same manner as the local educational agency serves children with disabilities in its other schools, including providing supplementary and related services on site at the charter school to the same extent to which the local educational agency has a policy or practice of providing such services on the site to its other public schools; and
(B)provides funds under this subchapter to those charter schools—
(i)on the same basis as the local educational agency provides funds to the local educational agency’s other public schools, including proportional distribution based on relative enrollment of children with disabilities; and
(ii)at the same time as the agency distributes other Federal funds to the agency’s other public schools, consistent with the State’s charter school law.
(6)(A)Not later than 2 years after December 3, 2004, a local educational agency that chooses to coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center, when purchasing print instructional materials, shall acquire the print instructional materials in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as a State educational agency acquires print instructional materials under section 1412(a)(23) of this title.
(B)Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require a local educational agency to coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center. If a local educational agency chooses not to coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center, the local educational agency shall provide an assurance to the State educational agency that the local educational agency will provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner.
(7)The local educational agency shall provide the State educational agency with information necessary to enable the State educational agency to carry out its duties under this subchapter, including, with respect to paragraphs (15) and (16) of section 1412(a) of this title, information relating to the performance of children with disabilities participating in programs carried out under this subchapter.
(8)The local educational agency shall make available to parents of children with disabilities and to the general public all documents relating to the eligibility of such agency under this subchapter.
(9)The local educational agency shall cooperate in the Secretary’s efforts under section 1308 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6398] to ensure the linkage of records pertaining to migratory children with a disability for the purpose of electronically exchanging, among the States, health and educational information regarding such children.
(b)(1)If a local educational agency or State agency has on file with the State educational agency policies and procedures that demonstrate that such local educational agency, or such State agency, as the case may be, meets any requirement of subsection (a), including any policies and procedures filed under this subchapter as in effect before the effective date of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, the State educational agency shall consider such local educational agency or State agency, as the case may be, to have met such requirement for purposes of receiving assistance under this subchapter.
(2)Subject to paragraph (3), an application submitted by a local educational agency in accordance with this section shall remain in effect until the local educational agency submits to the State educational agency such modifications as the local educational agency determines necessary.
(3)If, after the effective date of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, the provisions of this chapter are amended (or the regulations developed to carry out this chapter are amended), there is a new interpretation of this chapter by Federal or State courts, or there is an official finding of noncompliance with Federal or State law or regulations, then the State educational agency may require a local educational agency to modify its application only to the extent necessary to ensure the local educational agency’s compliance with this subchapter or State law.
(c)If the State educational agency determines that a local educational agency or State agency is not eligible under this section, then the State educational agency shall notify the local educational agency or State agency, as the case may be, of that determination and shall provide such local educational agency or State agency with reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
(d)(1)If the State educational agency, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing, finds that a local educational agency or State agency that has been determined to be eligible under this section is failing to comply with any requirement described in subsection (a), the State educational agency shall reduce or shall not provide any further payments to the local educational agency or State agency until the State educational agency is satisfied that the local educational agency or State agency, as the case may be, is complying with that requirement.
(2)Any State agency or local educational agency in receipt of a notice described in paragraph (1) shall, by means of public notice, take such measures as may be necessary to bring the pendency of an action pursuant to this subsection to the attention of the public within the jurisdiction of such agency.
(3)In carrying out its responsibilities under paragraph (1), the State educational agency shall consider any decision made in a hearing held under section 1415 of this title that is adverse to the local educational agency or State agency involved in that decision.
(e)(1)(A)A State educational agency may require a local educational agency to establish its eligibility jointly with another local educational agency if the State educational agency determines that the local educational agency will be ineligible under this section because the local educational agency will not be able to establish and maintain programs of sufficient size and scope to effectively meet the needs of children with disabilities.
(B)A State educational agency may not require a charter school that is a local educational agency to jointly establish its eligibility under subparagraph (A) unless the charter school is explicitly permitted to do so under the State’s charter school law.
(2)If a State educational agency requires the joint establishment of eligibility under paragraph (1), the total amount of funds made available to the affected local educational agencies shall be equal to the sum of the payments that each such local educational agency would have received under section 1411(f) of this title if such agencies were eligible for such payments.
(3)Local educational agencies that establish joint eligibility under this subsection shall—
(A)adopt policies and procedures that are consistent with the State’s policies and procedures under section 1412(a) of this title; and
(B)be jointly responsible for implementing programs that receive assistance under this subchapter.
(4)(A)If an educational service agency is required by State law to carry out programs under this subchapter, the joint responsibilities given to local educational agencies under this subsection shall—
(i)not apply to the administration and disbursement of any payments received by that educational service agency; and
(ii)be carried out only by that educational service agency.
(B)Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, an educational service agency shall provide for the education of children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, as required by section 1412(a)(5) of this title.
(f)(1)A local educational agency may not use more than 15 percent of the amount such agency receives under this subchapter for any fiscal year, less any amount reduced by the agency pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(C), if any, in combination with other amounts (which may include amounts other than education funds), to develop and implement coordinated, early intervening services, which may include interagency financing structures, for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade 3) who have not been identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.
(2)In implementing coordinated, early intervening services under this subsection, a local educational agency may carry out activities that include—
(A)professional development (which may be provided by entities other than local educational agencies) for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based academic instruction and behavioral interventions, including scientifically based literacy instruction, and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software; and
(B)providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports, including scientifically based literacy instruction.
(3)Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or create a right to a free appropriate public education under this subchapter.
(4)Each local educational agency that develops and maintains coordinated, early intervening services under this subsection shall annually report to the State educational agency on—
(A)the number of students served under this subsection; and
(B)the number of students served under this subsection who subsequently receive special education and related services under this chapter during the preceding 2-year period.
(5)Funds made available to carry out this subsection may be used to carry out coordinated, early intervening services aligned with activities funded by, and carried out under, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.] if such funds are used to supplement, and not supplant, funds made available under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for the activities and services assisted under this subsection.
(g)(1)A State educational agency shall use the payments that would otherwise have been available to a local educational agency or to a State agency to provide special education and related services directly to children with disabilities residing in the area served by that local educational agency, or for whom that State agency is responsible, if the State educational agency determines that the local educational agency or State agency, as the case may be—
(A)has not provided the information needed to establish the eligibility of such local educational agency or State agency under this section;
(B)is unable to establish and maintain programs of free appropriate public education that meet the requirements of subsection (a);
(C)is unable or unwilling to be consolidated with 1 or more local educational agencies in order to establish and maintain such programs; or
(D)has 1 or more children with disabilities who can best be served by a regional or State program or service delivery system designed to meet the needs of such children.
(2)The State educational agency may provide special education and related services under paragraph (1) in such manner and at such locations (including regional or State centers) as the State educational agency considers appropriate. Such education and services shall be provided in accordance with this subchapter.
(h)Any State agency that desires to receive a subgrant for any fiscal year under section 1411(f) of this title shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the State educational agency that—
(1)all children with disabilities who are participating in programs and projects funded under this subchapter receive a free appropriate public education, and that those children and their parents are provided all the rights and procedural safeguards described in this subchapter; and
(2)the agency meets such other conditions of this section as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(i)The State may require that a local educational agency include in the records of a child with a disability a statement of any current or previous disciplinary action that has been taken against the child and transmit such statement to the same extent that such disciplinary information is included in, and transmitted with, the student records of nondisabled children. The statement may include a description of any behavior engaged in by the child that required disciplinary action, a description of the disciplinary action taken, and any other information that is relevant to the safety of the child and other individuals involved with the child. If the State adopts such a policy, and the child transfers from 1 school to another, the transmission of any of the child’s records shall include both the child’s current individualized education program and any such statement of current or previous disciplinary action that has been taken against the child.
(j)(1)For any fiscal year for which the allotment received by a State under section 1411 of this title exceeds the amount the State received for the previous fiscal year and if the State in school year 2003–2004 or any subsequent school year pays or reimburses all local educational agencies within the State from State revenue 100 percent of the non-Federal share of the costs of special education and related services, the State educational agency, notwithstanding paragraphs (17) and (18) of section 1412(a) of this title and section 1412(b) of this title, may reduce the level of expenditures from State sources for the education of children with disabilities by not more than 50 percent of the amount of such excess.
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the Secretary determines that a State educational agency is unable to establish, maintain, or oversee programs of free appropriate public education that meet the requirements of this subchapter, or that the State needs assistance, intervention, or substantial intervention under section 1416(d)(2)(A) of this title, the Secretary shall prohibit the State educational agency from exercising the authority in paragraph (1).
(3)If a State educational agency exercises the authority under paragraph (1), the agency shall use funds from State sources, in an amount equal to the amount of the reduction under paragraph (1), to support activities authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.] or to support need based student or teacher higher education programs.
(4)For each fiscal year for which a State educational agency exercises the authority under paragraph (1), the State educational agency shall report to the Secretary the amount of expenditures reduced pursuant to such paragraph and the activities that were funded pursuant to paragraph (3).
(5)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a State educational agency may not reduce the level of expenditures described in paragraph (1) if any local educational agency in the State would, as a result of such reduction, receive less than 100 percent of the amount necessary to ensure that all children with disabilities served by the local educational agency receive a free appropriate public education from the combination of Federal funds received under this chapter and State funds received from the State educational agency.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsecs. (a)(2)(C)(ii), (f)(5), and (j)(3), is Pub. L. 89–10, Apr. 11, 1965, 79 Stat. 27, which is classified generally to chapter 70 (§ 6301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 6301 of this title and Tables. For the
Effective Date
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), (3), see section 302(a), (b) of Pub. L. 108–446, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1400 of this title.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 1413, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 613, as added Pub. L. 105–17, title I, § 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 73; amended Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1076(i), Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2091, related to local educational agency eligibility, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 108–446. Another prior section 1413, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 613, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 179; Pub. L. 93–380, title VI, §§ 614(c), (d), 615(b), (c), title VIII, § 843(b)(2), Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 581, 583, 611; Pub. L. 94–142, § 5(a), Nov. 29, 1975, 89 Stat. 782; Pub. L. 98–199, §§ 3(b), 7, Dec. 2, 1983, 97 Stat. 1358, 1359; Pub. L. 99–457, title II, § 203(b), title IV, § 405, Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1159, 1174; Pub. L. 100–630, title I, § 102(c), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3291; Pub. L. 101–476, title II, § 202, title IX, § 901(b)(47)–(58), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1111, 1144; Pub. L. 102–119, §§ 5, 25(a)(6), (b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 591, 606, 607; Pub. L. 103–382, title III, § 391(f)(2), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 4023, related to requisite features of a State plan, approval of State plan by Secretary, and participation of children with disabilities enrolled in private schools, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–17.
Amendments
2015—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 114–95 substituted “subject to the requirements of section 1412(a)(14) of this title and section 2102(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965” for “subject to the requirements of section 1412(a)(14) of this title and section 2122 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1413
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73