This bill was sure a quiet one. It is known as the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004". From what I can see it started out as the Childern Medication Safety Act.
Essentially keeping any school that receives puplic funding from requiring parents to put their kids on neuropsych drugs. The first I heard of it today was on Sean Hannity's show when he was talking to Kelly Preston (John Travolta's Wife)
When I got home went right to the web, very interesting piece of legislation passed by large numbers of both parties. Doesnt this really muddy the waters, and a little bit scarry at the same time. I have good and bad feelings about this bill.
This is within one step of taking the medical decision making process out of the parents hand as well. Dont get me wrong I think it is totally inappropriate for a school system to demand your child take any drug including immunizations, which this bill did not stop, in order to attend the school.
The bill has some new things in it that might help us but boy goes to show you what the government can do, also in my mind deepend the Lyme Conspiracy.
I spent more time reading this bill. It is a real bad bill. It has destroyed the IEP process, and there is more on the horizon. The bothersome part is that the Senate passed this bill 97-3. Republicans liked it because it allowed them to save money, Democrats liked it because of their beloved tacher Unions, amazing how such diverse drivers passed this bill.
Posted by Barrie (Member # 1796) on :
I work in the schools and attend IEP meetings weekly and didn't even know about this bill. So, it has not changed one thing with the IEP process in our school district. I just wanted to add my two cents for any parents going through the IEP process,so they are not scared to death. OF course, I can't speak for any other school district then my own in Maryland. We have never ever forced any child to take a medication, except immunizations, which isn't even up for discussion. Some suffer terribly until the parents finally do medicate and then ask themselves why they didn't before. But, at our school, not one child who has come up for IEP,has been refused whether they take any medicine or not. I haven't even heard anyone say that the IEP process will be changed and things will be done differently. I do work with a great group of people who want the best for the kids. Every school is different and some parents do have to fight harder ,but it hasn't changed anything with our IEP process much less destroyed it. From one who is involved in the IEP process,it may be a bad bill but, it hasn't changed a thing at our school.
Posted by hwlatin (Member # 4123) on :
Provisions of the bill will take effect in July this year, the entire bill will go into effect by December this year.
The states are in the process of making procedure changes, I have seen some of these new procedures online.