What is IDEA 2004, or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004?
On November 19, 1975, Public Law 94-142 was enacted into law. Public Law 94-142 was called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. When the law was reauthorized in 1990, it was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). By passing Public Law 94-142, Congress intended that all handicapped children would have a right to education, and to establish a process by which State and local educational agencies may be held accountable for providing educational services for all handicapped children. U.S.C.C.A.N. 1975, pg. 1427. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 is in the United States Code, Volume 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. The regulations are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Volume 34, Part 300. The term handicapped was used in Public Law 94-142. The term handicapped was replaced by the term child with a disability in the statute and regulations. [Source: Wrightslaw: Special Education Law by Peter and Pamela Wrig
