---
type: "LegalText"
title: "20 U.S.C. § 1403"
description: "Abrogation of State sovereign immunity"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
chapter_number: "33"
chapter_name: "EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES"
section: "1403"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 1403"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc20@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s1403"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-20/usc20.xml"
source_hash: "737555f77e8115bda76c13e84b5341fe1724114f6cf617dd05945738153b57e2"
raw_snapshot_hash: "6022872c5d6a3398d1728f82f8cefcb58db9f5ff548e2a636450be1e4a8bb052"
text_hash: "413d25586dcc79ba5b0e309e5b285b7deb58f417321d4d535768d182e1ed0689"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 20 U.S.C. § 1403 - Abrogation of State sovereign immunity

## Text

(a) In general A State shall not be immune under the 11th amendment to the Constitution of the United States from suit in Federal court for a violation of this chapter.

(b) Remedies In a suit against a State for a violation of this chapter, 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 the suit against any public entity other than a State.

(c) Effective date Subsections (a) and (b) apply with respect to violations that occur in whole or part after October 30, 1990.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 604, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2659.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 1403, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 604, as added Pub. L. 105–17, title I, § 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 47, related to abrogation of State sovereign immunity, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 108–446. Another prior section 1403, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 604, as added Pub. L. 101–476, title I, § 103, Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1106, related to abrogation of State sovereign immunity, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–17. Another prior section 1403, Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 604, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 177; Pub. L. 93–380, title VI, § 613, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 580; Pub. L. 94–273, §§ 3(14), 13(2), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 376, 378; Pub. L. 98–199, § 4, Dec. 2, 1983, 97 Stat. 1358, established the National Advisory Committee on the Education of Handicapped Children and Youth, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–457, title IV, § 407, Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1177.