[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1906-S1907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Dodd, 
        Mr. Roberts, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Snowe, 
        and Mr. Reed):
  S. 466. A bill to amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act to fully fund 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for 
programs under part B of such Act; to the Committee on Health 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I join with nine of my colleagues today in 
introducing the ``Helping Children Succeed by Fully Funding the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.'' I am pleased that 
Senators Jim Jeffords, Ted Kennedy, Pat Roberts, Chris Dodd, Susan 
Collins, Tom Harkin, Olympia Snowe, Patty Murray, and Jack Reed have 
agreed to serve as original co-sponsors of this important legislation.
  This bill will have the Federal government fully meet its funding 
responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 
IDEA, for the first time since it was enacted in 1975. When Congress 
passed the IDEA a quarter of a century ago, it agreed that the Federal 
government would pay 40 percent of the cost of ensuring that all 
children, including those with disabilities, receive a free, 
appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. That 
is the laudable goal of the legislation, one we all share. Sadly, 
however, we have never in all these years met our funding commitment. 
Despite substantial progress over the last five years, Congress has 
never appropriated more than 15 percent of the cost of IDEA. The bill 
we introduce today will finally make good on Congress's commitment to 
fund 40 percent of the cost of educating children with disabilities. In 
so doing, it will strengthen the ability of States and local school 
districts in implementing IDEA and serve the children with disabilities 
who are covered by its provisions.
  Our IDEA full funding legislation is very simple. It would obligate 
Federal funds to increase funding under Part B of the IDEA program by 
annual increments of $2.5 billion until the full 40 percent share of 
funding is reached in fiscal year 2007. Last year, fiscal year 2001, 
Congress appropriated $6.3 billion for Part B. With these annual 
increments, the legislation would obligate an additional $37.5 billion 
over five years, or $52.4 billion over six years.
  Let me note that this legislation does not establish a new Federal 
mandate or entitlement, State and Federal courts and IDEA have already 
firmly established the right of a child with a disability to a free, 
appropriate education. The Federal government's failure for 25 years to 
contribute its share of these costs has simply shifted this Federal 
share onto State and local education agencies. Our bill will redress 
this failure: Federal funds will finally be provided to meet the 
Federal share.

[[Page S1907]]

  IDEA has been a great success. Prior to its enactment, only 50 
percent of students with disabilities were receiving an appropriate 
education, 30 percent were receiving inappropriate education services, 
and 20 percent were receiving no education services at all. Today the 
majority of children with disabilities are receiving an education in 
their neighborhood schools in regular classrooms with their non-
disabled peers. High school graduation rates have increased 
dramatically among students with disabilities, a 14 percent increase 
from 1984 to 1997. More students with disabilities are attending 
colleges and universities. And students who have been served by IDEA 
are employed at twice the rate of older adults who were not served by 
IDEA. IDEA has played a very important role in raising our nation's 
awareness about the abilities and capabilities of children with 
disabilities.
  Last November we celebrated IDEA's 25th anniversary. It is time to 
make good on our promise to fully fund this very worthwhile program, 
which is making such an important difference in the lives of so very 
many of our nation's children.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is an honor to join my colleagues 
Senators Chuck Hagel and Jim Jeffords in introducing the Helping 
Children Succeed by Fully Funding the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, IDEA--the hallmark of which is to put real dollars 
behind the goal of fully funding the IDEA.
  Congress owes the children and families across the country the most 
effective possible implementation of this legislation, and the federal 
funding support necessary to make it happen. For 25 years, IDEA has 
sent a clear message to young people with disabilities--that they can 
learn, and that their learning will enable them to become independent 
and productive citizens, and live fulfilling lives.
  Prior to 1975, 4 million disabled children did not receive the help 
they needed to be successful in school. Few disabled preschoolers 
received services, and 1 million disabled children were excluded from 
public schools. Now IDEA serves almost 6 million disabled children from 
birth through age 21, and every State in the Nation offers public 
education and early intervention services to disabled children. The 
record of success is astonishing.
  The drop out rate for these students has decreased, while the 
graduation rate has increased. The number of young adults with 
disabilities enrolling in college has more than tripled, and now more 
than ever disabled students are communicating and exploring the world 
through new technologies.
  These accomplishments do not come without financial costs, and it is 
time for Congress to meet its financial commitment to help schools 
provide the services and supports that give children with special needs 
the educational opportunities to pursue their dreams.
  Today we are introducing legislation to address that need and assist 
our schools to meet their responsibility to provide an equal and 
appropriate educational opportunity for children with disabilities. In 
my State of Massachusetts alone, this increase will provide $409 
million over the next 6 years to help meet that goal.
  Just as we are committed to increase funding for IDEA, we must be 
equally committed to the making sure that this law is implemented and 
vigorously enforced.
  Far too many students with disabilities are still not getting the 
educational services they are entitled to receive under the IDEA. We 
must never go back to the days when large numbers of disabled children 
were left out and left behind.
  I look forward to working with the Administration and all Members of 
Congress to enact this legislation. Fully funding IDEA moves us closer 
to ensuring the success of every child by supporting the great goal of 
public education--to give all children the opportunity to pursue their 
dreams.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I hope that this effort will be the 
culmination of our long-term efforts to fully fund the Federal share of 
the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
  Last Congress, Senator Jeffords and I twice offered budget amendments 
to fully fund IDEA, and I have offered many measures over the years to 
increase funding for IDEA. Of course, I also have worked closely with 
Senators Kennedy and Harkin on this issue, and I am thrilled to be 
joining today with the many other cosponsors of this bill, Senators 
Murray, Reed, Hagel, Roberts, Collins, and Snowe.
  The Helping Children Succeed by Fully Funding IDEA Act offers 
Congress the opportunity to fulfill our goal of funding 40 percent of 
the cost of educating children with disabilities and to strengthen our 
support for children, parents, and local schools. This act is quite 
simple, it directs the appropriation of funds for IDEA so that we will 
fully fund IDEA by 2007.
  When Congress passed IDEA in 1975, we set a goal of helping States 
meet their constitutional obligation to provide children with 
disabilities a free, appropriate education by paying for 40 percent of 
those costs. We have made great strides toward that goal in the last 
few years, having doubled Federal funding over the past 5 years. 
Nevertheless, we still only provide 15 percent of IDEA costs.
  In my own State of Connecticut, in spite of spending hundreds of 
millions of dollars to fund special education programs, we are facing a 
funding shortfall. In our towns, the situation is even more difficult. 
Too often, our local school districts are struggling to meet the needs 
of their students with disabilities.
  The costs being borne by local communities and school districts are 
rising dramatically. From 1992 through 1997, for example, special 
education costs in Connecticut rose half again as much as did regular 
education costs. Our schools need our help.
  Of course, no one in Connecticut, or in any State or community in our 
country would question the value of ensuring every child the equal 
access to education that he or she is guaranteed by our Constitution. 
The only question is how best to do that, and a large part of the 
answer is in this legislation. This legislation demonstrates that our 
commitment to universal access is matched by our commitment to doing 
everything we can to helping States and schools provide that access.
  And this amendment will help not only our children and schools, it 
will help entire communities, by easing their tax burden. By our 
failure to meet our goal of fully funding IDEA, we force local 
taxpayers--homeowners and small businesspeople--to pay the higher taxes 
that these services require. That is especially a problem in 
Connecticut, where so much of education is paid for through local 
property taxes.
  If we are going to talk about the importance of tax relief for 
average Americans, there are few more important steps we can take than 
passing this legislation. It will go far to alleviate the tax burden 
that these people and businesses bear today.
  Last year, the National Governors' Association wrote me that 
``Governors believe the single most effective step Congress could take 
to help address education needs and priorities, in the context of new 
budget constraints, would be to meet its commitment to fully fund the 
federal portion of IDEA.''
  Over the next 10 years, we're looking at a $2.7 trillion non-Social 
Security, non-Medicare surplus. I think that fully funding IDEA is one 
of the most productive ways that we can use a small part of that 
surplus.
  I ask that my colleagues seize this opportunity and support this 
amendment and choose to help our schools better serve children with 
disabilities, because I am tired of the false dichotomy that many 
people perceive between parents of children without disabilities and 
parents of children with disabilities.
  By fully funding the Federal share of IDEA, and easing the financial 
burden on states and schools, we can stop talking about ``children with 
disabilities'' and ``children without disabilities,'' and start talking 
instead about all children, period.
                                 ______