PRINTER'S NO. 2208
No. 227 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY FLICK, FICHTER, TIGUE, SCHRODER, YUDICHAK, ADOLPH,
BAKER, BARD, BARRAR, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BENNINGHOFF, BUNT,
CLARK, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, CURRY, DAILEY, DeWEESE, FARGO,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY,
HESS, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MASLAND, McCALL,
MUNDY, NAILOR, PESCI, PLATTS, READSHAW, ROBINSON, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHULER, SHANER, SNYDER, STERN, STEVENSON,
STURLA, E. Z. TAYLOR, TRELLO, VAN HORNE, WILLIAMS, WILT,
YOUNGBLOOD AND ZIMMERMAN, AUGUST 23, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, AUGUST 23, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing Congress to fully fund the Individuals with
2 Disabilities Education Act.
3 WHEREAS, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
4 (Public Law 91-230, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.) was first enacted
5 in 1970 as the Education of the Handicapped Act (Public Law 91-
6 230, 84 Stat. 175); and
7 WHEREAS, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
8 protects the rights of children with disabilities to be educated
9 in the least restrictive environment through a continuum of
10 appropriate services and placements; and
11 WHEREAS, Beginning in 1996, educators and lawmakers saw
12 congressional reauthorization as an opportunity to make changes,
13 particularly in the area of giving local school districts more
14 flexibility to reduce costs and to discipline disabled students
1 whose misconduct jeopardizes school safety or unreasonably
2 disrupts classroom learning; and
3 WHEREAS, Despite the omnibus changes made during the 1997
4 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization,
5 superintendents and local school boards of directors are gravely
6 concerned about potential cost increases related to conforming
7 to the new law and its implementing regulations; and
8 WHEREAS, Added procedural requirements and timelines and
9 operational difficulties may be encountered by school entities
10 in complying with the new law, particularly its very complex and
11 detailed implementing regulations; and
12 WHEREAS, Assuring that appropriate procedural safeguards
13 remain in place for the disabled children is expected to further
14 exacerbate the already high per pupil costs for special
15 education; and
16 WHEREAS, When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
17 was created, the Congress of the United States promised to
18 provide 40% of its funding, but the $4 billion appropriated in
19 fiscal year 1997-1998 paid for less than 9% of the program; and
20 WHEREAS, The lack of an adequate and appropriate Federal
21 fiscal commitment leaves State and local taxpayers bearing a
22 disproportionate share of the costs to comply with these Federal
23 mandates; therefore be it
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize
25 Congress to fully fund its obligations under the Individuals
26 with Disabilities Education Act; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
28 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
29 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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