Congressman Platts Introduces H.R. 2616, Requesting an Improvement in Funding of Education for Children with Disabilities

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19) has introduced House of Representatives Bill 2616 (H.R. 2616), the "Forty-in-Four Act," calling for a reform of the funding practices for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The "Forty-in-Four Act" would make IDEA funding mandatory, removing it from the annual federal budget process. Currently the funding for IDEA is discretionary, and the federal government is funding approximately 15% of the average costs which school districts incur in educating children. H.R. 2616 would gradually increase IDEA funding from the 15% to a full 40% in four years.

The IDEA program was created in 1975 to ensure that all children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, would receive a free public education. Although IDEA and the programs offered through it are critically important to countless disabled students, such programs are very expensive. When the program was implemented, Congress authorized the federal government to pay up to 40% of the national per pupil expenditure on education to help each state pay the excess cost of educating children with disabilities. However, the federal government has never come close to funding the program at that level.

"A reform of the IDEA funding is needed," asserts Congressman Platts. "If the federal government paid its fair share of the costs of the special education mandate, not only would special needs students benefit, but our schools would have significantly greater resources to reduce class sizes, improve school facilities, provide local tax relief, and otherwise redirect local resources to areas based on local need."

The bill will now be assigned to review by the Education Committee. If it is voted out of committee, it will be presented to the House of Representatives for a vote. If passed from the House, the bill would then go to the Senate for consideration.