Federal lawmakers are considering taking up legislation that would amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a move that disability advocates fear could open the door to broader changes amid an already tumultuous time for special education.
Advocates say they are alarmed that the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, known as HELP, is weighing whether to move forward on multiple bills that would amend the IDEA.
“Given the current climate and recent actions at the Department of Education that have raised serious concerns regarding enforcement, oversight, and civil rights protections, we believe reopening IDEA poses a substantial risk to students with disabilities and their families,” members of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities’ Education Task Force recently wrote in a letter to leaders of the Senate panel.
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In particular, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the HELP committee, is keen to move forward with his 21st Century Dyslexia Act, a bipartisan bill that would classify dyslexia as its own category under IDEA, according to Delancy Allred, public policy manager at the Autism Society of America and a co-chair of the CCD Education Task Force. Other bills altering IDEA are up for consideration too, she said.
“We worry if this were to happen, other members of Congress would try to include other changes to IDEA through amendments of the bills,” Allred said.
The idea of opening up the landmark special education law to changes is coming at a particularly uncertain moment for programs serving students with disabilities. The Trump administration has cut special education and civil rights staff at the Department of Education and has made clear its intent to move special education oversight to a different federal agency.
With that in mind, advocates said this is not the time to move forward with any legislation that would reopen or amend IDEA.
“In this political climate, and with the Department of Education in such upheaval, it’s not in our kids’ best interest to start debating IDEA right now,” said Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, or COPAA, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of students with disabilities and their families. “One amendment for a narrow bill such as the dyslexia one can turn into many amendments if the bill reaches the floor. Our focus is on implementation of the law and educating our kids.”
The Senate HELP committee has not publicly announced a hearing on any of the IDEA bills and Cassidy’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the plans.
