Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in reintroducing bicameral legislation to ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fund the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). IDEA was passed 50 years ago, but it has never received the funding it is owed, so the IDEA Full Funding Act would put Congress on a fiscally responsible path to fully fund the program. While fully funding IDEA has been a decades-long fight, it is all the more important now that President Trump has vowed to dismantle the Department of Education, putting special education across the country at risk.
“Across Nevada, I have heard from the parents of children with disabilities, and all they want is for their children to have the same opportunities as any other child,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The government has already committed to fund the IDEA program, yet it has consistently failed to do so. This legislation fulfills the government’s promise and provides essential funding for schools across the Silver State.”
Under IDEA, the federal government committed to pay 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for special education; however, that pledge has never been met. According to the Congressional Research Service, current funding is at less than 12 percent, and the IDEA shortfall in the 2024-2025 school year nationwide was $38.66 billion. The IDEA Full Funding Act would require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending to finally meet our obligation to America’s children and schools.
This legislation is supported by a broad and diverse group of over 50 national organizations, including The School Superintendent Association (AASA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Occupational Therapy Association, Assistive Technology Industry Association, Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), Autism Society of America, Center for Learner Equity, Council for Exceptional Children, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Education Association, and The Arc of the United States.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has delivered critical support to students and schools across Nevada. Cortez Masto’s legislation to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools was included in the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law. In addition, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included three of Cortez Masto’s bipartisan bills to boost transportation safety for students, expand internet access for both rural and urban schools, and update old school infrastructure. The Senator has also championed bipartisan Reaching English Learners Act to create a competitive grant program to fund partnerships between institutions of higher education and high-need school districts to provide training for new English-language teachers.
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