20 USC § 1431 - Findings and policy

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s1431"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "20 USC § 1431 - Findings and policy"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
section_number: "1431"
section_name: "Findings and policy"
chapter_number: 33
chapter_name: "EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 631, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2744.)"
---


# § 1431. Findings and policy

**(a)** **Findings** Congress finds that there is an urgent and substantial need—

**(1)** to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize their potential for developmental delay, and to recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child’s first 3 years of life;

**(2)** to reduce the educational costs to our society, including our Nation’s schools, by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age;

**(3)** to maximize the potential for individuals with disabilities to live independently in society;

**(4)** to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities; and

**(5)** to enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care.

**(b)** **Policy** It is the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance to States—

**(1)** to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;

**(2)** to facilitate the coordination of payment for early intervention services from Federal, State, local, and private sources (including public and private insurance coverage);

**(3)** to enhance State capacity to provide quality early intervention services and expand and improve existing early intervention services being provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and

**(4)** to encourage States to expand opportunities for children under 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial developmental delay if they did not receive early intervention services.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 631, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2744.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 1431, , as added , , , set out findings and policy, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by .

Another prior section 1431, , , ; , §§ 3(b), 11, , , 1369; , , ; , , ; , title IX, § 901(b)(129)–(142), , , 1148; , §§ 9(a), (b), 25(a)(12), (b), , , 594, 606, 607; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , related to grants for personnel training, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Subchapter effective , see , set out as a note under .