Sen. Van Hollen and Rep. Huffman Reintroduce IDEA Full Funding Act

Yesterday, the House and Senate both reintroduced the IDEA Full Funding Act, spearheaded by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). Sen. Van Hollen has helped lead legislation to fully fund IDEA since his time in the House of Representatives and has remained committed to its continuance. Congress first funded IDEA in 1975 to ensure that all children, regardless of (dis)ability, would have access to equitable educational opportunities and  committed to covering 40 percent of the additional cost associated with educating students with special needs.

In the 1997 reauthorization, the 40 percent of excess cost was changed to 40 percent of the National Average Per Pupil Expenditure (NAPPE) for every child enrolled in special education. While special education funding has received significant increases over the past 18 years, funding has leveled off and even been cut in recent years. The closest the federal government has come to reaching its 40 percent commitment was 18 percent in 2005. Prior to the pandemic, in fact, the federal share of IDEA had fallen to below 13 percent, leaving state and local education agencies on the hook for covering the chronic and pervasive federal shortfall. According to the National Education Association, the IDEA shortfall last year nationwide was $23.58 billion.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) includes a $2.5 billion increase for IDEA, bringing the federal share to 15.5 percent. This is a sizeable increase, but even still is not 40 percent of the 40 percent committed by Congress. By enacting the IDEA Full Funding Act, Congress is placed on a 10-year glide path to reach the full 40 percent commitment and thus ensure equitable education for all students. 

Fully funding IDEA is the top federal priority for AASA. Dan Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, joined over 97 national education organizations in support of the legislation, stating, "The IDEA Full Funding Act is a critical first step and the most significant thing Congress can do to honor their commitment to support not only students with disabilities, but all students in K-12 schools."

Read the press release by Sen. Van Hollen here. The full text for the IDEA Full Funding Act can be found here.