NAPT Call to Action

• By: admin
• On: 07/14/2022 14:03:04
• In: Federal Updates

Specifically, NAPT® joins with other education and related service organizations in supporting the passage of HR5984/S3213, currently pending before the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for action. This legislation would provide permanent, mandatory funding for special education and related services for children with disabilities.
  
Until full funding is established, NAPT® believes Congress must provide increased and robust investment in IDEA through annual appropriations. The federal government has never funded the program at the 40% level as guaranteed in the statute. Chronic underfunding at the federal level translates to an unfunded mandate at the state and local level, leaving states and local school districts responsible to cover the costs of special education and related services with state and local dollars. It's time for the federal government to make good on this matter.
  
“It's so important that our government support and assist the work that local schools are doing to ensure that children with disabilities are receiving their special education and related services. This includes the related service transportation which includes procurement of specialized equipment, expanded routing, and training for our bus drivers and attendants,” noted NAPT® President Rick Grisham.
  
NAPT® Special Needs Consultant, Dr. Linda Bluth, noted that “transportation is the individualized education program related service that provides access to eligible education for children with and disabilities. Fully funding IDEA is one means to ensuring that the costs associated with transportation are shared fairly by our federal government. This is an issue that has been unresolved for many years, and we are hopeful that will change soon.”

ACT NOW: Tell Congress to fully fund IDEA.