Education of the Deaf Act of 1986
Public Law 99-371 · S. 1874 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 4, 1986 · Education
Sponsor: Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-CT)
Cosponsors (13): Sen. Robert Stafford, Sen. Ted Kennedy,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 - Title I: Gallaudet University - Part A: Gallaudet University General Authority - Continues Gallaudet College as a chartered, corporate body under the name of Gallaudet University (the University), in order to provide education and training to deaf individuals. Sets forth provisions dealing with such University's property rights and Board of Directors (the Board).
Part B: Kendall Demonstration Elementary School - Authorizes the Board to maintain and operate the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (Kendall School).
Part C: Model Secondary School for the Deaf - Authorizes the Board, in accordance with a specified agreement with the Secretary of Education (the Secretary), to maintain and operate a model secondary school for the deaf (model secondary school), primarily for residents of the District of Columbia and nearby States. Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report to the Congress.
Title II: National Technical Institute for the Deaf - Authorizes the Secretary to continue agreements with an institution of higher education to maintain and operate a National Technical Institute for the Deaf (the Institute). Requires the Secretary to give preference to institutions which are located in metropolitan industrial areas. Provides for the recapture of Federal financing funds under certain circumstances.
Title III: Commission on Education of the Deaf - Establishes a Commission on Education of the Deaf (the Commission) to make a study of the quality of elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education furnished to the deaf. Requires the Commission to submit interim reports and a final report to the Congress. Provides for the termination of the Commission 90 days after the submission of its final report.
Title IV: General Provisions - Requires that an independent audit be made of the programs and activities of the University and of the Institute.
Requires an annual report to the Secretary from the Board.
Provides for the appointment of a liaison for educational programs for the deaf in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the Department of Education in order to facilitate the activities related to the institutions mentioned in this Act and other postsecondary institutions for the deaf.
Establishes the Gallaudet University Federal Endowment Fund.
Establishes the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Endowment Fund.
Repeals: (1) the Federal laws chartering Gallaudet College and authorizing the Kendall School; (2) the Model Secondary School for the Deaf Act; and (3) the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Act.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1987 through 1991 for the University, the Kendall School, the model secondary school, and the Institute. Authorizes appropriations, limited to a specified amount, for the Commission.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Disability Policy Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Aug 4, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-371.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 23, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 17, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 26, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- May 6, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Apr 29, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Mar 19, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Feb 25, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Nov 21, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.