FTCE Exceptional Student Education (ESE) K-12 Practice Test

In which law were amendments made to allow parents to recover attorney's fees after a due process hearing?

1. Education of the Handicapped Act

2. Public Law 99-372

3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

4. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

The correct answer is: Public Law 99-372

The correct answer is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law includes provisions that allow parents to seek reimbursement for attorney's fees when they prevail in a due process hearing concerning their child's education. The intention behind this amendment was to ensure that families have fair access to legal representation and resources to advocate for their children's educational rights, reinforcing the educational entitlements set forth in IDEA. The other options, while significant in the landscape of special education law, do not specifically address the recovery of attorney's fees in the context of due process hearings. For instance, the Education of the Handicapped Act served as a predecessor to IDEA and laid foundational protections for students with disabilities but did not include those specific amendments. Public Law 99-372 focused on certain funding issues related to individuals with disabilities, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination based on disability but does not encompass the same provisions regarding attorney’s fee recovery after due process hearings as IDEA does.