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Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986

Public Law 99-372 · S. 415 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 5, 1986 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Sponsor: Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-CT)

Cosponsors (21): Sen. Robert Stafford,

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act (the Act) to allow the court, in its discretion, to award a reasonable attorneys' fee as part of the costs to a parent or legal representative of a handicapped child or youth who is the prevailing party in any action or proceeding brought under specified civil action provisions of the Act.

Requires that such fee awards be based on rates prevailing in the community in which the action or proceeding arose for the kind and quality of the services furnished. Prohibits use of a bonus or multiplier in calculating such fee awards.

Prohibits such awards for services performed subsequent to the time of a written offer of settlement to a parent or guardian, if specified conditions exist, unless the rejection of the settlement order is substantially justified.

Provides for reduction of awards for unreasonable fees under specified circumstances.

Provides that nothing in the Education of the Handicapped Act shall be construed to restrict or limit the rights, procedures, and remedies under title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or other Federal laws redressing the right of handicapped children and youth, except that before the filing of a civil action under such laws seeking relief that is also available under certain provisions for assistance for education of all handicapped children specified procedures must be exhausted to the same extent as would be required had the action been brought under such provisions.

Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) study the impact of the attorneys' fees amendments made by this Act; (2) report to specified congressional committees by June 30, 1989; and (3) brief such committees on the status of the study by March 1, 1988. Lists data required to be included in such report.

Provides that such attorneys' fees amendments shall apply to actions and proceedings brought on or after July 4, 1984, and actions and proceedings brought prior to such date, which were pending on such date.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.

  1. Aug 5, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-372.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jul 25, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Jul 24, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  6. Jul 22, 1986FloorFloor · Committee on Rules Granted a Rule Waiving Certain Points of Order Against the Conference Report.
  7. Jul 17, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
  10. Jul 16, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers, Senate report and managers' statement and message on House action held at the desk.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-687 Filed in House.
  12. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-687 Filed in House.
  13. Jun 26, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  15. Dec 4, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Hatch; Weicker; Nickles; Kennedy; Kerry.
  16. FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendments. By Voice Vote.
  17. Nov 12, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Hawkins, Biaggi, Williams, Hayes, Martinez, Eckart (OH), Jeffords, Goodling, Coleman (MO), Bartlett.
  18. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
  19. FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  20. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  21. Aug 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  22. Jul 31, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
  23. Jul 30, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
  24. Jul 25, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  25. Jul 10, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  26. Jun 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  28. May 16, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  29. Mar 11, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  30. Feb 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.