(a) Applicant and recipient responsibilities

(1) Development and assessment of projects

The Secretary shall require that an applicant for, and a recipient of, a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for a project under part B or C—

(A) involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project; and

(B) where appropriate, determine whether the project has any potential for replication and adoption by other entities.

(2) Additional responsibilities

The Secretary may require a recipient of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under part B or C to—

(A) share in the cost of the project;

(B) prepare any findings and products from the project in formats that are useful for specific audiences, including parents, administrators, teachers, early intervention personnel, related services personnel, and individuals with disabilities;

(D) collaborate with other such recipients in carrying out subparagraphs (B) and (C).

(b) Application management

(1) Standing panel

(A) In general

The Secretary shall establish and use a standing panel of experts who are qualified, by virtue of their training, expertise, or experience, to evaluate each application under part B or C that requests more than $75,000 per year in Federal financial assistance.

(B) Membership

The standing panel shall include, at a minimum—

(i) individuals who are representatives of institutions of higher education that plan, develop, and carry out high quality programs of personnel preparation;

(ii) individuals who design and carry out scientifically based research targeted to the improvement of special education programs and services;

(iii) individuals who have recognized experience and knowledge necessary to integrate and apply scientifically based research findings to improve educational and transitional results for children with disabilities;

(iv) individuals who administer programs at the State or local level in which children with disabilities participate;

(v) individuals who prepare parents of children with disabilities to participate in making decisions about the education of their children;

(vi) individuals who establish policies that affect the delivery of services to children with disabilities;

(vii) individuals who are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26 who are benefiting, or have benefited, from coordinated research, personnel preparation, and technical assistance; and

(viii) individuals with disabilities.

No individual shall serve on the standing panel for more than 3 consecutive years.

(2) Peer-review panels for particular competitions

(A) Composition

The Secretary shall ensure that each subpanel selected from the standing panel that reviews an application under part B or C includes—

(i) individuals with knowledge and expertise on the issues addressed by the activities described in the application; and

(ii) to the extent practicable, parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26, individuals with disabilities, and persons from diverse backgrounds.

(B) Federal employment limitation

A majority of the individuals on each subpanel that reviews an application under part B or C shall be individuals who are not employees of the Federal Government.

(3) Use of discretionary funds for administrative purposes

(A) Expenses and fees of non-Federal panel members

The Secretary may use funds available under part B or C to pay the expenses and fees of the panel members who are not officers or employees of the Federal Government.

(B) Administrative support

The Secretary may use not more than 1 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out part B or C to pay non-Federal entities for administrative support related to management of applications submitted under part B or C, respectively.

The Secretary may use funds made available to carry out part B or C to evaluate activities carried out under part B or C, respectively.

(d) Minimum funding required

(1) In general

Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall ensure that, for each fiscal year, not less than the following amounts are provided under parts B and C to address the following needs:

(A) $12,832,000 to address the educational, related services, transitional, and early intervention needs of children with deaf-blindness.

(B) $4,000,000 to address the postsecondary, vocational, technical, continuing, and adult education needs of individuals with deafness.

(C) $4,000,000 to address the educational, related services, and transitional needs of children with an emotional disturbance and those who are at risk of developing an emotional disturbance.

(2) Ratable reduction

If the sum of the amount appropriated to carry out parts B and C, and part E of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 [20 U.S.C. 9567 et seq.] for any fiscal year is less than $130,000,000, the amounts listed in paragraph (1) shall be ratably reduced for the fiscal year.