The Secretary, in accordance with part C of the Act, makes grants to States (from their allotments under section 643 of the Act) to assist each State to maintain and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system to provide early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

In order to be eligible for a grant under part C of the Act for any fiscal year, a State must meet the following conditions:

(a) Assurances regarding early intervention services and a statewide system. The State must provide assurances to the Secretary that—

(1) The State has adopted a policy that appropriate early intervention services, as defined in § 303.13, are available to all infants and toddlers with disabilities in the State and their families, including—

(i) Indian infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families residing on a reservation geographically located in the State;

(ii) Infants and toddlers with disabilities who are homeless children and their families; and

(iii) Infants and toddlers with disabilities who are wards of the State; and

(2) The State has in effect a statewide system of early intervention services that meets the requirements of section 635 of the Act, including policies and procedures that address, at a minimum, the components required in §§ 303.111 through 303.126.

(b) State application and assurances. The State must provide information and assurances to the Secretary, in accordance with subpart C of this part, including—

(1) Information that shows that the State meets the State application requirements in §§ 303.200 through 303.212; and

(2) Assurances that the State also meets the requirements in §§ 303.221 through 303.227.

(c) Approval before implementation. The State must obtain approval by the Secretary before implementing any policy or procedure required to be submitted as part of the State's application in §§ 303.203, 303.204, 303.206, 303.207, 303.208, 303.209, and 303.211.

Each State that receives funds under part C of the Act must ensure that any State rules, regulations, and policies relating to this part conform to the purposes and requirements of this part.

(a) General. A State is not immune under the 11th amendment of the Constitution of the United States from suit in Federal court for a violation of part C of the Act.

(b) Remedies. In a suit against a State for a violation of part C of the Act, remedies (including remedies both at law and in equity) are available for such a violation to the same extent as those remedies are available for such a violation in a suit against any public entity other than a State.

(c) Effective date. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section apply with respect to violations that occur in whole or part after October 30, 1990, the date of enactment of the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990.

(a) General. If the Secretary determines that a program authorized under part C of the Act will be improved by permitting program funds to be used to acquire appropriate equipment or to construct new facilities or alter existing facilities, the Secretary may allow the use of those funds for those purposes.

(b) Compliance with certain regulations. Any construction of new facilities or alteration of existing facilities under paragraph (a) of this section must comply with the requirements of—

(1) Appendix A of part 36 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly known as the “Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities”); or

(2) Appendix A of subpart 101-19.6 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly known as the “Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards”).

Each recipient of assistance under part C of the Act must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment, qualified individuals with disabilities in programs assisted under part C of the Act.

Each statewide system (system) must include, at a minimum, the components described in §§ 303.111 through 303.126.

Each system must include the State's rigorous definition of developmental delay, consistent with §§ 303.10 and 303.203(c), that will be used by the State in carrying out programs under part C of the Act in order to appropriately identify infants and toddlers with disabilities who are in need of services under part C of the Act. The definition must—

(a) Describe, for each of the areas listed in § 303.21(a)(1), the evaluation and assessment procedures, consistent with § 303.321, that will be used to measure a child's development; and

(b) Specify the level of developmental delay in functioning or other comparable criteria that constitute a developmental delay in one or more of the developmental areas identified in § 303.21(a)(1).

Each system must include a State policy that is in effect and that ensures that appropriate early intervention services are based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable, and are available to all infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, including—

(a) Indian infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families residing on a reservation geographically located in the State; and

(b) Infants and toddlers with disabilities who are homeless children and their families.

(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, each system must ensure the performance of—

(1) A timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation of the functioning of each infant or toddler with a disability in the State; and

(2) A family-directed identification of the needs of the family of the infant or toddler to assist appropriately in the development of the infant or toddler.

(b) The evaluation and family-directed identification required in paragraph (a) of this section must meet the requirements of § 303.321.

Each system must ensure, for each infant or toddler with a disability and his or her family in the State, that an IFSP, as defined in § 303.20, is developed and implemented that meets the requirements of §§ 303.340 through 303.345, and that includes service coordination services, as defined in § 303.34.

Each system must include a comprehensive child find system that meets the requirements in §§ 303.302 and 303.303.

Each system must include a public awareness program that—

(a) Focuses on the early identification of infants and toddlers with disabilities; and

(b) Provides information to parents of infants and toddlers through primary referral sources in accordance with § 303.301.

Each system must include a central directory that is accessible to the general public (i.e., through the lead agency's Web site and other appropriate means) and includes accurate, up-to-date information about—

(a) Public and private early intervention services, resources, and experts available in the State;

(b) Professional and other groups (including parent support, and training and information centers, such as those funded under the Act) that provide assistance to infants and toddlers with disabilities eligible under part C of the Act and their families; and

(c) Research and demonstration projects being conducted in the State relating to infants and toddlers with disabilities.

Each system must include a comprehensive system of personnel development, including the training of paraprofessionals and the training of primary referral sources with respect to the basic components of early intervention services available in the State. A comprehensive system of personnel development—

(a) Must include—

(1) Training personnel to implement innovative strategies and activities for the recruitment and retention of EIS providers;

(2) Promoting the preparation of EIS providers who are fully and appropriately qualified to provide early intervention services under this part; and

(3) Training personnel to coordinate transition services for infants and toddlers with disabilities who are transitioning from an early intervention service program under part C of the Act to a preschool program under section 619 of the Act, Head Start, Early Head Start, an elementary school program under part B of the Act, or another appropriate program.

(b) May include—

(1) Training personnel to work in rural and inner-city areas;

(2) Training personnel in the emotional and social development of young children; and

(3) Training personnel to support families in participating fully in the development and implementation of the child's IFSP; and

(4) Training personnel who provide services under this part using standards that are consistent with early learning personnel development standards funded under the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care established under the Head Start Act, if applicable.

(a) General. Each system must include policies and procedures relating to the establishment and maintenance of qualification standards to ensure that personnel necessary to carry out the purposes of this part are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained.

(b) Qualification standards. The policies and procedures required in paragraph (a) of this section must provide for the establishment and maintenance of qualification standards that are consistent with any State-approved or State-recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the profession, discipline, or area in which personnel are providing early intervention services.

(c) Use of paraprofessionals and assistants. Nothing in part C of the Act may be construed to prohibit the use of paraprofessionals and assistants who are appropriately trained and supervised in accordance with State law, regulation, or written policy to assist in the provision of early intervention services under part C of the Act to infants and toddlers with disabilities.

(d) Policy to address shortage of personnel. A State may adopt a policy that includes making ongoing good-faith efforts to recruit and hire appropriately and adequately trained personnel to provide early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities, including, in a geographic area of the State where there is a shortage of such personnel, the most qualified individuals available who are making satisfactory progress toward completing applicable course work necessary to meet the standards described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

Each system must include a single line of responsibility in a lead agency designated or established by the Governor that is responsible for the following:

(a)(1) The general administration and supervision of programs and activities administered by agencies, institutions, organizations, and EIS providers receiving assistance under part C of the Act.

(2) The monitoring of programs and activities used by the State to carry out part C of the Act (whether or not the programs or activities are administered by agencies, institutions, organizations, and EIS providers that are receiving assistance under part C of the Act), to ensure that the State complies with part C of the Act, including—

(i) Monitoring agencies, institutions, organizations, and EIS providers used by the State to carry out part C of the Act;

(ii) Enforcing any obligations imposed on those agencies, institutions, organizations, and EIS providers under part C of the Act and these regulations;

(iii) Providing technical assistance, if necessary, to those agencies, institutions, organizations, and EIS providers;

(iv) Correcting any noncompliance identified through monitoring as soon as possible and in no case later than one year after the lead agency's identification of the noncompliance; and

(v) Conducting the activities in paragraphs (a)(2)(i) through (a)(2)(iv) of this section, consistent with §§ 303.700 through 303.707, and any other activities required by the State under those sections.

(b) The identification and coordination of all available resources for early intervention services within the State, including those from Federal, State, local, and private sources, consistent with subpart F of this part.

(c) The assignment of financial responsibility in accordance with subpart F of this part.

(d) The development of procedures in accordance with subpart F of this part to ensure that early intervention services are provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families under part C of the Act in a timely manner, pending the resolution of any disputes among public agencies or EIS providers.

(e) The resolution of intra- and interagency disputes in accordance with subpart F of this part.

(f) The entry into formal interagency agreements or other written methods of establishing financial responsibility, consistent with § 303.511, that define the financial responsibility of each agency for paying for early intervention services (consistent with State law) and procedures for resolving disputes and that include all additional components necessary to ensure meaningful cooperation and coordination as set forth in subpart F of this part.

Each system must include a policy pertaining to the contracting or making of other arrangements with public or private individuals or agency service providers to provide early intervention services in the State, consistent with the provisions of part C of the Act, including the contents of the application, and the conditions of the contract or other arrangements. The policy must—

(a) Include a requirement that all early intervention services must meet State standards and be consistent with the provisions of this part; and

(b) Be consistent with 2 CFR part 200, as adopted at 2 CFR part 3474.

Each system must include procedures for securing the timely reimbursement of funds used under part C of the Act, in accordance with subpart F of this part.

Each system must include procedural safeguards that meet the requirements of subpart E of this part.

(a) Each statewide system must include a system for compiling and reporting timely and accurate data that meets the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section and §§ 303.700 through 303.702 and 303.720 through 303.724.

(b) The data system required in paragraph (a) of this section must include a description of the process that the State uses, or will use, to compile data on infants or toddlers with disabilities receiving early intervention services under this part, including a description of the State's sampling methods, if sampling is used, for reporting the data required by the Secretary under sections 616 and 618 of the Act and §§ 303.700 through 303.707 and 303.720 through 303.724.

Each system must include a State Interagency Coordinating Council (Council) that meets the requirements of subpart G of this part.

Each system must include policies and procedures to ensure, consistent with §§ 303.13(a)(8) (early intervention services), 303.26 (natural environments), and 303.344(d)(1)(ii) (content of an IFSP), that early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities are provided—

(a) To the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments; and

(b) In settings other than the natural environment that are most appropriate, as determined by the parent and the IFSP Team, only when early intervention services cannot be achieved satisfactorily in a natural environment.