Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act
Sponsored By: Representative McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]
Introduced
Summary
Language-accessible specialized education for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, deafblind, blind, or low vision is the bill's central aim. It tightens rules on identification, evaluation, state planning, personnel, and early intervention and creates a federal center to fund research and training.
Show full summary
- Children and families: States must identify and evaluate children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, deafblind, blind, or low vision and submit state plan addenda within two years. The law requires services tailored to language and developmental needs, including ASL instruction, Braille, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, intervener services, and family supports.
- Educators, interpreters, and state agencies: The bill expands personnel preparation and licensure rules for educational interpreters and interveners, updates IEP requirements to ensure direct language access, and adds data collection and monitoring with policy guidance refreshed at least every five years.
- National center and research: The Anne Sullivan Macy Center in the Department of Education will fund research, continuing education, enrichment projects, and higher education programs. Contracts must run at least 5 years. Appropriations are authorized as necessary and must be maintained or increased for at least four subsequent years with carryover capped at 15 percent.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Stronger IEP rules for sensory kids
If enacted, evaluations and IEPs for children who are blind, deaf, or deafblind would require stronger, research-based assessments. IEPs would presume Braille instruction for blind students unless specific assessments show it is not appropriate and the parent gives written informed consent to withhold Braille. Schools would have to assess language skills including American Sign Language and provide direct language access where appropriate. Related services would explicitly include vision rehabilitation therapy and intervener services for deafblind children. Early intervention rules would allow specialized programs that use a child's primary language and require ongoing language goals. The Secretary would publish definitions for deafblindness and intervener services within one year.
More training for sensory specialists
If enacted, federally supported personnel programs would have to prepare more teachers and specialists for children with sensory disabilities. That includes teachers of the deaf, teachers for blind students, teachers for deafblind students, early-intervention specialists, qualified interveners, and licensed educational interpreters. Training would cover Braille, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, life skills, and career education. This is meant to increase the supply of qualified staff who serve these children.
New national center for visual disability
If enacted, the Department of Education would establish the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence. The Secretary could contract with a consortium for at least five years to run the Center. The Center would fund research, teacher training, enrichment projects for children who are blind or visually impaired, and support higher-education programs that train specialists. Appropriations are authorized as "such sums as may be necessary," must be kept at that level or increased for four subsequent years, and unspent funds could carry over but no more than 15% each year. Funds from this Act could not supplant certain existing centers and projects.
School placement and closure rule
If enacted, States would have to ensure a full continuum of school placements for children with disabilities. That includes regular classes, special classes, specialized schools, home instruction, and hospital or institutional instruction. The bill would treat a State's closure, consolidation, or merger of a specialized blind or deaf school as a reduction in State financial support that could mean the State fails to meet conditions for federal assistance. This aims to preserve families' access to specialized options.
State plans for sensory-disabled children
If enacted, each State would have two years to file an addendum to its IDEA plan describing how it finds and serves children who are blind, deaf, or deafblind. The addendum must show how the State ensures valid evaluations, enough qualified staff statewide, Braille and assistive technology access, orientation and mobility, and career education. For deaf children, the plan must show access to American Sign Language unless parents expressly waive it. The plan must also ensure these children receive special education and not only Section 504 services.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]
KY • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]
FL • R
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]
IL • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2]
MN • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]
TX • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
PA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
NY • R
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
CT • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
GA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
NY • R
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Riley (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
AL • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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