In your work on the conference committee developing the final version of HR
1350, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorisation, I
hope that you'll work to strengthen provisions for inclusion of children with
disabilities and protections against their removal from classrooms.  The House
version of HR 1350 removes fundamental protections that prevent arbitrary
removal of children from the classroom.  The Senate bill is better, but still
does not prevent unnecessary exclusion of children with disabilities.

Please keep the manifestation determination in any IDEA bill.  Children with
disabilities need to stay in their classrooms, and learn with their peers.
Under the House bill, children could be removed for any conduct violation - no
matter how minor, even if it were a manifestation of the disability, and even
if the child doesn't understand what (s)he did wrong.  Children with diabetes
could be removed for eating in class; children with autism for being unable to
sit still.

The Senate bill keeps the manifestation review, but weakens it unacceptably.
For example, the manifestation team would no longer consider the child's IEP
and placement. If the problem is with the IEP and/or placement, it can be
easily fixed with proper supports, instead of removing the child entirely.  The
Senate version also allows school districts to defer the review until after the
child has been removed from the classroom.