Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act (Special Education for Deaf/Blind Students)
Current understanding
Proposed federal legislation that would amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to strengthen requirements for educating deaf, blind, and deafblind children. Key provisions include penalties for states that close specialized schools serving these populations, funding for teacher training grants in low-incidence disabilities, and establishment of an Anne Sullivan Macy Center on visual disability education within the U.S. Department of Education. The bill is at the introduced stage.
Evidence log
- 2025-03-25 — Protecting Students with Disabilities Act: cross-connection with protecting-students-with-disabilities-act: Both statutorily reinforce IDEA implementation — HR2333 by locking in DOE enforcement personnel, and the Cogswell-Macy Act by strengthening IDEA’s specialized-instruction requirements for deaf/blind students. (novelty: 2)
- 2026-03-25 — Protection and Advocacy for Student Success Act: cross-connection with protection-advocacy-student-success-act: Both address federal support for students with disabilities in K-12 education, with P&A grants providing advocacy infrastructure alongside targeted special-education services. (novelty: 2)
- 2025-12-11 — Keeping All Students Safe Act: cross-connection with keeping-all-students-safe-act: Both address civil rights of students with disabilities in schools — restraint/seclusion limits versus special education service delivery. (novelty: 2)
- 2026-06-08 — Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act: 2025 — HR9195 (Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act) introduced; would expand IDEA special education identification, evaluation, and services for deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, visually impaired, and deafblind children, and establish an Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education. (novelty: 3) (novelty: 3)