S. 4676
Introduced in Senate · June 13, 2026June 3, 2026
Mr. Markey (for himself and Mrs. Capito) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To promote and ensure delivery of high-quality special education and related services to children and youth who are blind or visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, or deafblind through instructional methodologies meeting their unique language and learning needs, to enhance accountability for the provision of such services, and for other purposes.
1. Short title; references; table of contents; 2. Purposes; 3. Findings; 4. Definitions; TITLE I—IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING, OR DEAFDISABLED; 101. Identifying children and youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafdisabled; 102. State plans; 103. Evaluations; 104. Individualized education program team; 105. Consideration of special factors; 106. Monitoring; 107. Continuum of service delivery options; 108. Technical assistance for parents and educators of children and youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafdisabled; 111. Qualified personnel; 112. Natural environment; 113. Content of plan; 121. Personnel development to improve services and results for children with disabilities; TITLE II—IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED; 201. Identifying children and youth who are blind or visually impaired; 202. State plans; 203. Evaluations; 204. Consideration of special factors; 205. Technical assistance for parents and educators of children and youth who are blind or visually impaired; 206. Related services; 207. Personnel development to improve services and results for children with blindness or visual impairment; 208. Clarifying eligible users of accessible instructional materials; 209. Content of plan; 211. Center establishment and mission; 212. Administration; eligibility; governance; structure; 213. Activities; 214. Authorization of appropriations and carryover; 215. Relationship to other programs and activities; TITLE III—IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAFBLIND; 301. Identifying children and youth who are deafblind; 302. Related services; 303. State plans; 304. Evaluations; 305. Consideration of special factors; 306. Technical assistance for parents and educators of children and youth who are deafblind; 307. Conforming regulations; 311. Content of plan; 321. Personnel development to improve services and results for children with disabilities; ensuring sufficient teachers of children who are deafblind, interveners, and early intervention specialists
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,