34 C.F.R. §§ 303.402–303.417

§303.402. Confidentiality.

34 C.F.R. § 303.402

The Secretary takes appropriate action, in accordance with section 444 of GEPA, to ensure the protection of the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and records collected, maintained, or used by the Secretary and by lead agencies and EIS providers pursuant to part C of the Act, and consistent with §§ 303.401 through 303.417. The regulations in §§ 303.401 through 303.417 ensure the protection of the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and records collected or maintained pursuant to this part by the Secretary and by participating agencies, including the State lead agency and EIS providers, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and 34 CFR part 99.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.403. Definitions.

34 C.F.R. § 303.403

The following definitions apply to §§ 303.402 through 303.417 in addition to the definition of personally identifiable information in § 303.29 and disclosure in 34 CFR 99.3:

(a)

Destruction means physical destruction of the record or ensuring that personal identifiers are removed from a record so that the record is no longer personally identifiable under § 303.29.

(b)

Early intervention records— mean all records regarding a child that are required to be collected, maintained, or used under part C of the Act and the regulations in this part.

(c)

Participating agency means any individual, agency, entity, or institution that collects, maintains, or uses personally identifiable information to implement the requirements in part C of the Act and the regulations in this part with respect to a particular child. A participating agency includes the lead agency and EIS providers and any individual or entity that provides any part C services (including service coordination, evaluations and assessments, and other part C services), but does not include primary referral sources, or public agencies (such as the State Medicaid or CHIP program) or private entities (such as private insurance companies) that act solely as funding sources for part C services.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.404. Notice to parents.

34 C.F.R. § 303.404

The lead agency must give notice when a child is referred under part C of the Act that is adequate to fully inform parents about the requirements in § 303.402, including—

(a)

A description of the children on whom personally identifiable information is maintained, the types of information sought, the methods the State intends to use in gathering the information (including the sources from whom information is gathered), and the uses to be made of the information;

(b)

A summary of the policies and procedures that participating agencies must follow regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention, and destruction of personally identifiable information;

(c)

A description of all the rights of parents and children regarding this information, including their rights under the part C confidentiality provisions in §§ 303.401 through 303.417; and

(d)

A description of the extent that the notice is provided in the native languages of the various population groups in the State.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.405. Access rights.

34 C.F.R. § 303.405

(a)

Each participating agency must permit parents to inspect and review any early intervention records relating to their children that are collected, maintained, or used by the agency under this part. The agency must comply with a parent's request to inspect and review records without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IFSP, or any hearing pursuant to §§ 303.430(d) and 303.435 through 303.439, and in no case more than 10 days after the request has been made.

(b)

The right to inspect and review early intervention records under this section includes—

(1)

The right to a response from the participating agency to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the early intervention records;

(2)

The right to request that the participating agency provide copies of the early intervention records containing the information if failure to provide those copies would effectively prevent the parent from exercising the right to inspect and review the records; and

(3)

The right to have a representative of the parent inspect and review the early intervention records.

(c)

An agency may presume that the parent has authority to inspect and review records relating to his or her child unless the agency has been provided documentation that the parent does not have the authority under applicable State laws governing such matters as custody, foster care, guardianship, separation, and divorce.

34 C.F.R. § 303.409

(a)

Each participating agency may charge a fee for copies of records that are made for parents under this part if the fee does not effectively prevent the parents from exercising their right to inspect and review those records, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b)

A participating agency may not charge a fee to search for or to retrieve information under this part.

(c)

A participating agency must provide at no cost to parents, a copy of each evaluation, assessment of the child, family assessment, and IFSP as soon as possible after each IFSP meeting.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.410. Amendment of records at a parent's request.

34 C.F.R. § 303.410

(a)

A parent who believes that information in the early intervention records collected, maintained, or used under this part is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of the child or parent may request that the participating agency that maintains the information amend the information.

(b)

The participating agency must decide whether to amend the information in accordance with the request within a reasonable period of time of receipt of the request.

(c)

If the participating agency refuses to amend the information in accordance with the request, it must inform the parent of the refusal and advise the parent of the right to a hearing under § 303.411.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.411. Opportunity for a hearing.

34 C.F.R. § 303.411

The participating agency must, on request, provide parents with the opportunity for a hearing to challenge information in their child's early intervention records to ensure that it is not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other rights of the child or parents. A parent may request a due process hearing under the procedures in § 303.430(d)(1) provided that such hearing procedures meet the requirements of the hearing procedures in § 303.413 or may request a hearing directly under the State's procedures in § 303.413 (i.e., procedures that are consistent with the FERPA hearing requirements in 34 CFR 99.22).

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.412. Result of hearing.

34 C.F.R. § 303.412

(a)

If, as a result of the hearing, the participating agency decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the privacy or other rights of the child or parent, it must amend the information accordingly and so inform the parent in writing.

(b)

If, as a result of the hearing, the agency decides that the information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy or other rights of the child or parent, it must inform the parent of the right to place in the early intervention records it maintains on the child a statement commenting on the information or setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the decision of the agency.

(c)

Any explanation placed in the early intervention records of the child under this section must—

(1)

Be maintained by the agency as part of the early intervention records of the child as long as the record or contested portion is maintained by the agency; and

(2)

If the early intervention records of the child or the contested portion are disclosed by the agency to any party, the explanation must also be disclosed to the party.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.413. Hearing procedures.

34 C.F.R. § 303.413

A hearing held under § 303.411 must be conducted according to the procedures under 34 CFR 99.22.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§303.414. Consent prior to disclosure or use.

34 C.F.R. § 303.414

(a)

Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, prior parental consent must be obtained before personally identifiable information is—

(1)

Disclosed to anyone other than authorized representatives, officials, or employees of participating agencies collecting, maintaining, or using the information under this part, subject to paragraph (b) of this section; or

(2)

Used for any purpose other than meeting a requirement of this part.

(b)

A lead agency or other participating agency may not disclose personally identifiable information, as defined in § 303.29, to any party except participating agencies (including the lead agency and EIS providers) that are part of the State's part C system without parental consent unless authorized to do so under—

(1)

Sections 303.401(d), 303.209(b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii), and 303.211(b)(6)(ii)(A); or

(2)

One of the exceptions enumerated in 34 CFR 99.31 (where applicable to part C), which are expressly adopted to apply to part C through this reference. In applying the exceptions in 34 CFR 99.31 to this part, participating agencies must also comply with the pertinent conditions in 34 CFR 99.32, 99.33, 99.34, 99.35, 99.36, 99.38, and 99.39; in applying these provisions in 34 CFR part 99 to part C, the reference to—

(i)

34 CFR 99.30 means § 303.414(a);

(ii)

“Education records” means early intervention records under § 303.403(b);

(iii)

“Educational” means early intervention under this part;

(iv)

“Educational agency or institution” means the participating agency under § 303.404(c);

(v)

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

Amendments

[76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, as amended at 79 FR 76097, Dec. 19, 2014]

§303.417. Enforcement.

34 C.F.R. § 303.417

The lead agency must have in effect the policies and procedures, including sanctions and the right to file a complaint under §§ 303.432 through 303.434, that the State uses to ensure that its policies and procedures, consistent with §§ 303.401 through 303.417, are followed and that the requirements of the Act and the regulations in this part are met.

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431 through 1444, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 60244, Sept. 28, 2011, unless otherwise noted.