How did Public Law 94-142 Come to Enact Special Education Laws

It is helpful to know how laws are named or referred to. Whenever an Act is passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, it is given a number, such as P.L. 94-142. “P.L.” stands for Public Law. The first set of numbers means the session of Congress during which the law was passed. For example, the 94 means the 94th session of the U.S. Congress. The second set of numbers identifies what number the law was in the sequence of passage and enactment during that session. Thus, the 142 means that this was the 142nd law that Congress passed and the President signed during the 94th session of Congress.

It is also important to understand that federal laws are often changed or amended regularly. Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), has had several amendments since its passage in 1975. Laws passed by Congress provide a general legal framework of policy related to a particular issue. Once a law is passed, Congress delegates the task of developing detailed regulations to guide the law’s implementation to an administrative agency within the Executive Branch. Federal regulations are detailed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR interprets the law, discusses each point of a law, and further explains it. Copies of most federal regulations are available in the public library. State agencies must comply with federal laws and regulations.

At the federal level, special education is an area in which elaborate sets of regulations exist. The regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for example, spell out the procedures and programming that must be provided to children and youth with disabilities for states to receive federal funds. States may go beyond what is required in the regulations. For example, some states have broader definitions of which children are entitled to special education and, thus, may include gifted children in their special education programming.