Congress Set to Update Special Ed. Law

Congress is poised to approve the first major changes to special education in seven years, updating a landmark law that now serves 6.7 million children. House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on the terms of a bill after weeks of closed-door talks and nearly two years of debate in Congress, aides close to the discussions said Tuesday. The bill aims to boost discipline in class, better identify children with disabilities, get help to students earlier and reduce lawsuits by parents. It also reaffirms the federal government's commitment to pay its share of expenses without locking in mandatory spending. "Passage of this bipartisan agreement will cap more than two years of work," Sen. Judd Gregg, Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said in an interview. Getting this far has been a chore. The House passed its bill 19 months ago and the Senate passed its version in May. Both sides are eager to finish during this week's lame duck session, knowing they would have to start over in a new Congress. [more]