---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 1431"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "1431"
heading: "Findings and policy"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/1431"
units:
  - "Chapter 33 — Education of Individuals with Disabilities"
  - "Subchapter III — Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities"
---

# §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](/usc/20/1432.md?p=3), 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](/usc/20/1401.md?p=29) and [related services](/usc/20/1401.md?p=26-A) 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](/usc/20/1401.md?p=31) 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](/usc/20/1401.md?p=31)—
  - (1) to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides [early intervention services](/usc/20/1432.md?p=4) for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;
  - (2) to facilitate the coordination of payment for [early intervention services](/usc/20/1432.md?p=4) from Federal, [State](/usc/20/1401.md?p=31), local, and private sources (including public and private insurance coverage);
  - (3) to enhance [State](/usc/20/1401.md?p=31) capacity to provide quality [early intervention services](/usc/20/1432.md?p=4) and expand and improve existing [early intervention services](/usc/20/1432.md?p=4) being provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and
  - (4) to encourage [States](/usc/20/1401.md?p=31) to expand opportunities for children under 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial [developmental delay](/usc/20/1432.md?p=3) if they did not receive [early intervention services](/usc/20/1432.md?p=4).

## Source credit

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

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 1431, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 631, as added Pub. L. 105–17, title I, § 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 106, set out findings and policy, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 108–446.

Another prior section 1431, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 631, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 184; Pub. L. 98–199, §§ 3(b), 11, Dec. 2, 1983, 97 Stat. 1358, 1369; Pub. L. 99–457, title III, § 308, Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1165; Pub. L. 100–630, title I, § 104(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3298; Pub. L. 101–476, title IV, § 401, title IX, § 901(b)(129)–(142), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1129, 1148; Pub. L. 102–119, §§ 9(a), (b), 25(a)(12), (b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 593, 594, 606, 607; Pub. L. 102–421, title II, § 202, Oct. 16, 1992, 106 Stat. 2165; Pub. L. 102–569, title IX, § 912(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4486; Pub. L. 103–73, title III, § 302, Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 736; Pub. L. 103–218, title IV, § 401, Mar. 9, 1994, 108 Stat. 95, related to grants for personnel training, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–17.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Subchapter effective July 1, 2005, see section 302(a) of Pub. L. 108–446, set out as a note under section 1400 of this title.