CEC Policy Insider

House Education Spending Bill to be Marked up Today; COVID Relief Bill Could be Drafted in July

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee began considering spending bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, which begins on October 1.

The marathon markup schedule will result in all 12 appropriations bills being considered at the subcommittee level by the end of the day on Wednesday. On Thursday, the full Appropriations Committee will begin the markup process and topline funding levels for all bills will be revealed.

While it is unlikely that education will see a significant increase this year, CEC and its members have impressed upon lawmakers the importance of robust funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Simultaneously, the Senate continues to solidify its approach to a new COVID-19 relief bill. Momentum has been building to include funding within that package to specifically address the emergency education funding needs brought on by the pandemic.

Action Alert

CEC members and partners have been actively engaged since the pandemic began. As a result, the U.S. Senate has introduced a bill, the Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act (S.4100), which reflects our funding requests. That is the power of advocacy.

As the Senate begins to put pen to paper on a possible next COVID-19 package, now is the time to amplify the message that emergency funding for IDEA is needed. Please go to CEC’s Legislative Action Center to take action today.

Action Alert: Senators Introduce Bills to Provide Emergency IDEA Funding

Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act

Last night, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Chris VanHollen (D-MD) introduced the Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act. The bill would provide one-time emergency funding to support Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill acknowledges the disproportionate impact that in-person school and program closures has had on many children with disabilities and the unprecedented budget challenges brought on by the pandemic. It provides emergency IDEA funding to address these issues by specifically providing $11 billion for grants to states, $400 million for preschool grants, $500 for programs for infants and toddlers and $300 million for personnel development.

These funding levels largely reflect the funding request CEC put forward in March, which over 5,000 grassroots advocates supported through the CEC Legislative Action Center.

To view the Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act, go here.

Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act along with 15 of her Senate colleagues. That bill would provide $345 billion in additional funding to the Education Stabilization Fund, authorized through the CARES Act. It also provides $11.9 billion in dedicated emergency IDEA funding but fails to include funding for personnel development.

Both bills are partisan Democrat bills in a Republican-controlled Senate, so they are unlikely to pass. However, they are markers for Democrat priorities on the next COVID-19 package.

To view the Coronavirus Childcare and Education Relief Act, go here.

Action Alert

Over 5,000 grassroots advocates such as yourself wrote to Congress to request emergency IDEA funding, and your message was heard! That is the power of advocacy.

As the Senate begins to put pen to paper on a possible next COVID-19 package, now is the time to amplify the message that emergency funding for IDEA is needed. Please go to CEC’s Legislative Action Center to take action today!

 

$13.2 Billion in K-12 Emergency Relief Funds Begins to Flow to States

In late April, the Department of Education announced the availability of $13.2 billion in K-12 relief funds to states in a streamlined application process. Just over half of states have taken advantage of the funds allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the CARES Act for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

As allowed by the CARES Act, states are eligible for funding equal to their current annual Title I allocation and are required to distribute 90 percent of the funds directly to school districts. All K-12 funding may be flexibly used to support state and district educational needs.

To date, about $6.7 billion has been disbursed to 25 states and, as of this week, 32 states have applied for their share to help K-12 schools. The application deadline is July 1.

Action Alert

As states determine how to spend down their Education Stabilization Fund allotments, your urgent action is needed to ensure this new federal stimulus funding is used to support special education. Please contact your state to urge use of the education stimulus funds to support special education teachers, specialized support personnel and their students.

To take action, go here.

To learn more and to view the state allocations table go here.

Senate Democrats Urge Congress to Support IDEA in Next COVID-19 Package

Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is leading a letter to Senate Leadership requesting that future COVID-19 relief packages continue to protect the rights of students who experience disabilities and provide additional funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) so that educators are able to effectively serve students.

The letter, which has the support of 23 Senators, emphasizes IDEA’s core tenets and lifts up the innovative ways that educators have pivoted instruction and services to ensure student needs are met during the pandemic. Finally, the letter urges Congress to infuse at least $11.9 billion in emergency funding into IDEA.

To view the letter, go here.

Why This Matters to CEC Members

CEC is joining with partners in the field to work toward emergency funding that will support education spending broadly and IDEA spending specifically. Our Members have championed this by making a strong call for more support, and our efforts are working!

Action Alert:

Congress has heard our call for emergency IDEA funding and is beginning to join our chorus. Now is the time to amplify this message to galvanize large-scale support within Congress. Please follow the simple prompts on CEC’s online platform to add to the more than 5,000 letters your colleagues have sent to Congress in support of emergency IDEA funding.

CEC encourages you to share this alert with your friends and on social media. You do not need to be a CEC member to join us in action.

Bipartisan Senators Release IDEA Principles for COVID-19 Response

Last week, Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) wrote to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos outlining bipartisan principles they believe should guide any temporary waivers granted under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during the COVID-19 crisis.

The principles acknowledged that:

• Students with disabilities have a right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) and services must be provided.
• FAPE, parent engagement, and due process rights cannot be waived, and only narrowly targeted timeline flexibilities should be considered.
• Congress and the U.S. Department of Education must continue their oversight duties to ensure schools meet their obligations under IDEA.
• The U.S. Department of Education must provide robust technical assistance to accompany any timeline extensions; and that Congress must provide $10 billion in emergency IDEA funding.

Why This Matters to CEC Members

The principles are noteworthy because of their bipartisan nature and the fact that both Senators sit on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where they are considered special education leaders within their respective caucuses. Furthermore, they were able to come to a consensus that the special education field will need additional funding to respond to the crisis.

Grassroots advocacy, led by CEC members, was attributed to coming to that agreement, and likely impacted the negotiated dollar amount.

Action Alert:

We know that your grassroots advocacy is working! To keep up the drum beat for emergency IDEA funding, please follow the simple prompts on CEC’s online platform to add to the approximately 5,000 letters your colleagues have sent to Congress in support of emergency IDEA funding.

CEC encourages you to share this alert with your friends and on social media. You do not need to be a CEC member to join us in action.

To view the letter, go here.