CEC Policy Insider

Fiscal Year 2020 Spending Finalized Ahead of Holiday Break

Last week, Congress finalized and President Trump signed into law Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 spending, nearly three months into the fiscal year. The deal includes $49 billion in increased funding that was agreed to under a bipartisan budget deal, signed into law in July. Education spending will get a $1.3 billion increase, reaching a total of $72.8 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education.

All of the programs that CEC advocates on behalf of saw an increase. Details are as follows:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States Program (Part B) will receive a $400 million increase, for a total of $12.76 billion.
• IDEA Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program (Part C) will receive a $7 million increase, for a total of $477 million.
• IDEA Preschool Program (Part B Section 619) will receive a $3 million increase, for a total of $394 million.
• IDEA National Activities (Part D) will receive a $6.5 million increase, for a total of $250 million.
• National Center for Special Education Research within the Institute for Education Sciences will receive a $500,000 increase, for a total of $56.5 million.
• Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act will receive a $1 million increase, for a total of $13 million.

CEC would like to acknowledge the hard work of members who visited the Legislative Action Center this year to push for increased funding. We look forward to keeping up the drum beat next year.

Read the Labor-H bill here. 

Read the Labor-H report here. 

Congress Positioned to Finalize FY 2020 Spending Before December 20 Deadline, IDEA to Get a Boost

Nearly three months after the start of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, Congress and the White House have reached an agreement on spending bills and begun to move forward with approving the measures. The 12 spending bills have been broken into two packages, or “minibuses.” The deal honors the $49 billion in increased funding that was agreed to under a bipartisan budget deal signed into law in July. Education spending will get a $1.3 billion increase, reaching a total of $72.8 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

All of the programs that CEC advocates on behalf of saw an increase. Details are as follows:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States Program (Part B) will receive a $400 million increase, for a total of $12.76 billion.
• IDEA Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program (Part C) will receive a $7 million increase, for a total of $477 million.
• IDEA Preschool Program (Part B Section 619) will receive a $3 million increase, for a total of $394 million.
• IDEA National Activities (Part D) will receive a $6.5 million increase, for a total of $250 million.
• National Center for Special Education Research, within the Institute for Education Sciences will receive a $500,000 increase, for a total of $56.5 million.
• Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act will receive a $1 million increase, for a total of $13 million.

Additionally, the bill includes language that instructs the ED and other agencies on matters pertaining to CEC’s policy priorities. A few examples are:

Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Program: Congress requests ED to use funds to “increase the number of grants that assist schools in the identification of, and provision of services to, gifted and talented students who may not be identified and served through traditional assessment methods, such as children with disabilities, English learners, children of color, and economically disadvantaged students.”

Special Education Teacher Shortages: Congress requests a report from the Government Accountability Office on “…factors contributing to school districts' challenges with teacher recruitment and retention.” The report is to also include a review and analysis of challenges with recruitment and retention of “special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and teacher aides; the extent to which licensure requirements are waived or modified to address shortages; and geographic and demographic characteristics of districts facing the greatest challenges or shortages, including rural and urban areas,” and to make recommendations on “potential Federal interventions to improve teacher recruitment and retention.”

Medicaid: Congress advises the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to coordinate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide technical assistance to reduce administrative barriers for providing health services in coordination with schools.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the two minibuses. The Senate is expected to clear the spending measures and President Trump is expected to sign them into law before the current spending deal expires at midnight on December 20.

Congratulations to the field for its continued pressure on appropriators to increase spending for students with exceptionalities. Your ongoing advocacy is critical, and we thank you for your hard work.

Read the Labor-H bill here. 

Read the Labor-H report here. 

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!

 

Announcing Part C Child Find Self-Assessment

The Child Find Self-Assessment (CFSA) is a tool that state Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C programs can use to enhance their child find efforts. Developed by the OSEP in partnership with the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, the CFSA can help states identify strategies to promote efficiency in their Part C child find systems, with the goal of ensuring infants and toddlers eligible for services are referred and enrolled. The CFSA is organized in four sections and includes information on IDEA requirements specific to child find, best practices in child find, technical assistance and resources, and OSEP policy letters and guidance related to child find.