CEC Policy Insider

Call to Action

As a reminder, CEC has developed a Call-to-Action so members can engage in a final push on Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 spending through a letter-writing campaign. The template letter calls for spending increases to the following programs:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States Program (Part B)
• IDEA Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program (Part C)
• IDEA Preschool Program (Part B Section 619)
• IDEA National Activities (Part D)
• National Center for Special Education Research, within the Institute for Education Sciences
• Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act

It is not too late to join in this call to action! Until FY 2020 spending is finalized, this letter is timely and relevant. Act now!

DEC Launches Campaign for Early Childhood Funding Bill

Last week, CEC’s Division for Early Childhood successfully launched an online campaign in support of the Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act (H.R. 4107), a bill to restore full funding for young children with disabilities. While over 400 emails were sent through the “flood their inbox” campaign, Congress still needs to hear from you! Visit CEC’s Legislative Action Center (LAC) and ask your Representative to cosponsor the bill now. To learn more and send your email, visit the LAC today! 

Tell Congress to Cosponsor - Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act (H.R. 4107)

This summer, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced the Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act (H.R. 4107), a bipartisan bill to restore full funding for education and services for children with disabilities. This bill runs parallel to the widely supported bipartisan, bicameral IDEA Full Funding Bill (H.R. 1878). H.R. 4107 has 51 associations and organization that have pledged their support for the measure.

Currently, IDEA Part C and Section 619 Preschool Programs serve over 1.16 million children. The bill includes authorization levels for IDEA Part C and Section 619 Preschool Grant Programs and authorizes a five year glide path to full funding. During the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) advocates informed their members of Congress about the state of early intervention and preschool special education programs in the nation and urged them to cosponsor the bill to ensure that young children receive the services necessary for improved educational, behavioral and developmental outcomes. The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) Executive Director, Peggy Kemp applauds the bill and was quoted in Representative DeSaulnier’s H.R. 4107 press release saying, “Fully funding these programs under IDEA is essential to ensuring high-quality services for young children birth through five years with disabilities and their families. We are fully committed to working with these IDEA champions to make these funds a reality.”

Visit CEC’s Legislative Action Center to urge your member of the U.S. House of Representatives to prioritize the needs of young children with disabilities and their families and cosponsor H.R. 4107. Take action today!

 

Federal Budget Deadline Looming

Will there be a government shutdown or will Congress pass another continuing resolution (CR)? The present CR expires on January 19^th and it is unlikely that Congress will be able to reach a long-term spending deal by Friday. The CR is funding government operations at 2017 levels and is the third CR since the fiscal year began on October 1, 2017. Standing in the way of a final spending deal includes negotiations on: sequester-level caps for defense and NDD funding for FY 2018, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Protection for “DREAMERS” and border wall funding, and expiring authorization for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), to name a few. It is rumored that Republicans would agree to attaching a long-term authorization of CHIP to the funding deal in order to garner needed votes from Democrats.

All advocates need to take action NOW! CEC urges Congress to permanently eliminate the sequester-level discretionary caps and maintain parity by matching any increases in the defense caps with equal increases in the NDD caps. Congress must eliminate the sequestration caps to make investments in both defense and NDD programs, including education, which are essential to our nation's security and prosperity.

Tell Congress to:

1. Repeal the Budget Control Act sequester-level caps and
2. Significantly increase the federal education investment to maximize opportunities for children and youth and their families, schools and programs, and our nation.

Ensure investments are made for education programs, especially special and gifted education and early intervention, and visit CEC's Legislative Action Center to send a letter today!

Tell Congress to Invest in Education Programs for Children with Exceptionalities NOW!

Congress is back in session after the election and the FY2017 appropriations bill is on their agenda among other important issues. The Congress approved a continuing resolution (CR) through December 9 before leaving Washington for the election. It is not clear the route to a final appropriations bill. Several options are being considered including: all "remaining" bills (mini-buses); mini-buses for some bills but a CR for the whole year for other bills; or another short-term CR until spring for all remaining bills, but it seems unlikely that President Obama would sign such a bill.

 

Whatever the path to a final spending bill, WE NEED EVERY CEC VOICE to join this advocacy campaign and send a letter to all their members of Congress during the final weeks of November. Our window of opportunity is short. The CR ends on December 9, 2016. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee proposed bills cut or level fund many special and gifted education programs. The House and Senate bills offer modest increases to IDEA Part B. Both bills level fund Part B Section 619 and Part C. The House bill proposes significant cuts to Part D Programs including: State Personnel Development, Technical Assistance and Dissemination, Personnel Preparation and Technology and Media Services. If these programs are cut it is unlikely that there will be any new grant competitions in FY2017. Both bills level fund Research in Special Education Programs in NCSER and Javits Gifted and Talented Grants. These funding levels are far below the actual need.

 

TAKE ACTION! NOW is the time to tell your elected officials how important special and gifted education and early intervention funding is to you, children and youth, and your programs. Use CEC's Legislative Action Center to contact Congress - it only takes a few minutes!

 

Write your members of Congress NOW!