Bill Text: MI SR0099 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-13 - Referred To Committee On Appropriations [SR0099 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-SR0099-Introduced.html
senate resolution no.99
Senators Bayer, Polehanki, McMorrow, Moss, Wojno, Santana, Bullock, Brinks, Irwin, Alexander, Theis, LaSata, Bumstead, Geiss and Chang offered the following resolution:
Whereas, Children with disabilities deserve quality education to develop skills so they can fully participate in social, economic, and political life. However, these children face significant barriers to education and are more likely to be out of school. Ensuring access to education is the best way to help children with disabilities realize their full potential; and
Whereas, Congress has established that equal access to education for students with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy by passing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Congress states in the law that disability is a natural part of the human experience, and the IDEA is meant to ensure equality of opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for all individuals with disabilities; and
Whereas, While the IDEA has resulted in increased access to education for millions of students, the Act remains dangerously underfunded. In the original 1975 legislation, Congress promised to cover 40 percent of the extra cost of special education services required by the Act. However, the federal government is currently covering only 14.6 percent of the cost, despite a 25 percent increase in the number of students served; and
Whereas, The IDEA Full Funding Act (S. 866) would fully fund the IDEA at the 40 percent level that was originally promised. Passage of this legislation would ensure that the federal government is paying for its fair share of the cost of special education services and would alleviate the financial burden on individual school districts; and
Whereas, Students and teachers suffer when Congress fails to live up to its funding commitment. School districts are forced to cover the costs with a scarcity of resources and must sometimes divert funds away from other programs that serve all students. In addition, school districts have less funding for teacher salaries and classroom resources, making it more difficult to recruit and retain high-quality teachers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act so that children with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunity; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
