The Secretary of Education shall establish a central clearinghouse for information and resource availability for individuals with disabilities which shall provide information and data regarding—

(1) the location, provision, and availability of services and programs for individuals with disabilities, including such information and data provided by State workforce development boards regarding such services and programs authorized under title I of such Act; [1]

(2) research and recent medical and scientific developments bearing on disabilities (and their prevention, amelioration, causes, and cures); and

(3) the current numbers of individuals with disabilities and their needs.

The Commissioner may assist the Secretary of Education to develop within the Department of Education a coordinated system of information and data retrieval, which will have the capacity and responsibility to provide information regarding the information and data referred to in subsection (a) of this section to the Congress, public and private agencies and organizations, individuals with disabilities and their families, professionals in fields serving such individuals, and the general public.

The office established to carry out the provisions of this section shall be known as the “Office of Information and Resources for Individuals with Disabilities”.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary.

(Pub. L. 93–112, § 15, formerly § 13, as added Pub. L. 105–220, title IV, § 403, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1113; renumbered § 15, Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 402(a)(1)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–412; amended Pub. L. 113–128, title IV, § 407(b), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1639.)