42 U.S.C. § 15099 — Evaluation

(a) In general: The Secretary must conduct a national evaluation of the state grant program created by this subchapter. (b) Purpose: (1) In general: The evaluation must check the status and effects of state efforts to build or expand statewide family support systems, in line with this subchapter. The Secretary must specifically look at the impact on families of children with disabilities, and recommend changes to this subchapter that would help states better meet its goals. (2) Information systems: The Secretary must work with states to build an information system. That system collects and reports — using information from the states — both descriptive and numeric information about the grant program's impact on: (A) families of children with disabilities, including unserved and underserved families; (B) access to and funding for family support services; (C) coordination and teamwork between agencies that provide these services; and (D) how much families are involved at every level of the statewide systems. (c) Report to Congress: No later than two and a half years after October 30, 2000, the Secretary must prepare and send a report on the evaluation's results to the relevant committees of Congress.