Looking Back At 2004,
Looking Ahead To 2005
Happy Holidays From CEC!
As we come to the close of 2004,
CEC's Policy and Communication Services would like to wish everyone a happy
and joyous holiday season! We would also like to look back at 2004 and look
ahead to 2005.
The most critical issue that CEC focused on in 2004 was passage of IDEA reauthorization.
At the beginning of the year, it did not look as though Congress would reauthorize
IDEA, given the calendar, the other important issues facing Congress, and the
spirit of partisanship that prevented many bills from making their way through
conference. However, in May, the Senate passed S. 1248, and after about a month-long
conference committee session, both the House and Senate passed the compromise
IDEA bill on November 19. CEC was present at the ceremony when President Bush
signed the legislation into law on December 3. The new IDEA reauthorization
bill is now Public Law 108-446.
From the beginning of the IDEA reauthorization process, CEC provided recommendations
and resources to Members of Congress and their staffs. Indeed, many of CEC recommendations
were included in the final law. To see CECís IDEA recommendations, timeline,
and summary and analysis of the new IDEA law, visit CECís home page at www.cec.sped.org
.
CEC is also pleased that Congress reauthorized the Assistive Technology Act
(ATA). The Council for Exceptional Children played a vital role in the development
and drafting of the new assistive technology law. CEC made numerous recommendations
to Congress on assistive technology (AT) reauthorization legislation in conjunction
with its Technology and Media (TAM) Division, many of which are included in
the new law. Those recommendations can be found below. CEC also served as a
member on a panel that featured other groups and associations invited by the
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to provide input
on the reauthorization legislation. In addition, CEC provided recommendations
on for AT reauthorization as a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.
On June 14, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4278, its bill to
reauthorize the ATA of 1998. The Senate introduced S. 2595, its own, and different,
bill to reauthorize the ATA on June 24, 2004, but the Senate did not take any
action it. The House and Senate agreed to pass one non-controversial, bi-partisan
bill that would not have to go to a conference committee. Many significant pieces
of legislation that had passed both chambers of Congress that required going
to a conference committee sometimes never made it into, or out of, a conference
committee simply due to politics. Neither the Senate nor the House wanted that
to happen with AT reauthorization, so the Senate reworked the House-passed H.R.
4278 and passed it on September 30. The House then passed the new Senate bill
on October 8, and this bill became Public Law 108-364, the new ATA. To read
CECís summary of ATA reauthorization, go to http://www.cec.sped.org/pp/CEC_AT_Update_110304.pdf
.
For 2005, CECís Policy and Communication Services will focus on monitoring and
providing input on the following issues surrounding special and general education:
… Regulations for the implementation of the new IDEA,
… Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act,
… Head Start reauthorization,
… Perkins Vocational Education Act reauthorization,
… Revisions or improvements to No Child Left Behind,
… Programs affecting students with gifts and talents,
… Workforce Investment Act,
… Child Care and Development Block Grants, and
… Budget and appropriations issues.
CEC is grateful for the work Congress and the Administration accomplished during
2004, but we also realize that much work lies ahead in 2005. Please be assured
that CEC will continue to provide policy updates throughout 2005 on issues that
matter to its members.
CEC would also like to thank its CAN coordinators for their grassroots advocacy
in the past year. Your voice, through letters, emails, and phone calls to members
of Congress made a real difference in influencing legislation on Capitol Hill.
CEC depends on your leadership and appreciates your efforts.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
© 2004 ConnSENSE
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