ConnSENSE

Senate Concludes First Day of IDEA Debate

May 12, 2004

The Senate today began debate on S. 1248, the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization bill. During debate, the Senate approved an amendment sponsored by Senator Clinton and passed another sponsored by Senators Murray and DeWine, but it failed to pass an amendment that would guarantee IDEA full funding.

The full funding amendment, sponsored by Senators Hagel and Harkin and strongly supported by CEC, would have funded IDEA at an additional $2.2 billion per year for 8 years until full funding was reached in 2012. The final vote on the Hagel-Harkin amendment was 56-41. Under Senate rules, the amendment needed 60 votes to pass. Instead, the Senate approved an amendment by Senator Gregg to provide annual authorized funding levels for IDEA that essentially maintains the funding status quo.

Next, the Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Senator Clinton that will add the Department of Education as a key partner in the development and execution of the National Children's Study. The amendment was approved during debate on S. 1248. During her statement in support of her amendment, Senator Clinton mentioned CEC, which supported the Clinton amendment.

The National Children's Study was authorized by The Children's Health Act of 2000. Currently, all the key federal departments with jurisdiction over children's health and welfare, including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are sponsors and partners in the completion of this critical study -- except for the Department of Education.

The National Children's Study will provide the most comprehensive examination to date of the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of children, from birth until age 21, across the United States. The overarching goal of the study is to improve the health and well-being of all children, although children with disabilities will be a special focus of the investigation. The National Children's Study will be one of, if not the, richest resources for answering questions related to disabled children's health and development and will form the basis of child health guidance, interventions, and policy for generations to come. Yet schools, where children spend more time than any place other than their homes, are not integrated into this investigation. It is important that the Department of Education participate in this study. CEC supports inclusion in the National Children's Study, but wants assurances that sufficient resources are in place for the Department of Education to participate in the study.

The Clinton amendment was approved by voice vote.

The Senate then approved an amendment sponsored by Senators Murray and DeWine that will provide improved access to a high-quality education for homeless and foster children with disabilities and children with disabilities in military families. Senator Murray also thanked CEC when she spoke in support of her amendment.

The Murray/DeWine amendment would improve special education for homeless and foster children with disabilities and children with disabilities in military families by:

The Murray amendment was also approved by voice vote.

The Senate will continue debating S. 1248 on Thursday, May 13, when it will vote on an amendment sponsored by Senator Santorum to reduce paperwork. The Senate will then vote on final passage of the bill. Stay tuned either on C-SPAN2 on your television or at www.cspan.org on your computer to follow the IDEA debate in the Senate.