IDEA: Senate Bill is Out!

[Guest guest]

Hi all.  The bill is out, it's over 400 pages long.  The following alert

tells you how to see the bill, and how to send in your comments.  Time is short,

so look for future alerts from organizations that will be analyzing the bill. 

I will send alerts to my lists, but you can also get the latest info at <A

HREF= " www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com " >

www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com</A>, a short, parent-friendly website created by

parents

for parents on IDEA reauthorization issues.  We update at least daily so the

latest info is right at your fingertips!  Here's the first alert regarding the

senate bill:

IDEA Rapid Response Network (RRN)

Briefing  #28   June 12, 2003

TO JOIN THE RRN: Send an email to preserveIDEA@... and we'll add you

to our distribution list.  To read earlier Briefings, visit www.dredf.org.

Please forward this briefing to others who want to work to protect IDEA.

BI-PARTISAN SENATE BILL: The Senate version of the Reauthorization of the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be introduced today,

June 12, 2003. The bill will be available for review in both PDF and WORD

document formats on the HELP Committee website later today. To access the

bill, go to the HELP Committee homepage (http://health.senate.gov/) and

select the " Schedule " page:

(http://health.senate.gov/calendars/all.html).

DREDF will be analyzing the bill over the next few days and sending out our

response, and other organizations will be doing the same.

This makes the timing of the June 17 rally very good.  The Senate HELP

Committee has announced available meetings for parents next week (see the

memo below from Connie Garner and Annie White, HELP Committee Staff).

Please visit them if you are going to be in Washington.

HELP COMMITTEE PARENT FEEDBACK MEETINGS:

**IDEA FEEDBACK MEETINGS ANNOUNCEMENT/JUNE 16-19, 2003**

TO: Interested Groups

FROM: Annie White and Connie Garner, Senate HELP Committee

SUBJECT: IDEA Feedback Meetings

DATE: June 12, 2003

The Senate version of the Reauthorization of the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act will be introduced today, June 12, 2003. We plan

to have the bill available for review in both PDF and WORD document formats

on the HELP Committee website today. To access the bill, go to the HELP

Committee homepage (http://health.senate.gov/) and select the " Schedule "

page (http://health.senate.gov/calendars/all.html).

As promised, we will be conducting bipartisan feedback meetings to give

groups and individuals the opportunity to comment on the bill. Meetings will

be scheduled in 20-MINUTE INTERVALS, from 10:00 am - noon, and 1 pm - 6 pm

on the following days:

Monday, June 16, 2003

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Thursday, June 19, 2003

In the HELP Committee Conference room, 428 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Please contact Bishop at: idea_feedback@..., or

202-224-6770 to schedule a meeting. Please request a specific date and time,

and provide the number of people attending, group/organization name, and

contact information (email address and phone number) for the person

scheduling the meeting (in the subject line of the email, type: " -

IDEA Feedback Meeting. " He will confirm the meeting via email/phone or to

re-schedule.

We encourage groups with similar interests schedule meetings together, if

possible. Meeting times will be scheduled on a first-come/first-serve basis,

and the 20-minute time limit will be strictly enforced.

We will also receive responses to the bill via email at:

idea_feedback@..., or fax at: 202-228-0929. Emailed and faxed

responses should be sent to the attention of and titled " Annie and Connie -

IDEA Reauthorization Feedback. " *Please note that the email address and fax

number will only be available from Thursday, June 12, 2003 through Friday,

June 20, 2003.

Sandy, Illinois (alpy2@...)

<A HREF= " www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com " >www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com</A> (IDEA

reauthorization)