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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 11, 2013 04:29 PM |
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| From: | Representative J.P. Miranda |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Co-sponsorship - Resolution Urging U.S. Congress to Prevent Funding Reductions to Federal Impact Aid Program |
| In the near future, I am planning to introduce a resolution that will urge the United States Congress to prevent any further funding reductions to the federal Impact Aid Program. This program provides critical funding assistance to school districts across the United States that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property, or that have experienced increased expenditures due to the enrollment of federally-connected children. Such tax-exempt property includes military bases, Indian lands, low rent housing, and other federal property. Federally connected children include children of military personnel, children residing on Indian or Alaskan Native lands, children residing in federally subsidized housing projects or homeless housing on a military base, children of foreign diplomatic or military personnel, and children of parents who live or work on federal property. The Budget Control Act of 2011 established sequestration, which eventually resulted in an automatic cut of $1.2 trillion from the federal budget due to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction’s failure to reach a broader compromise on which cuts should be made by an established deadline. Consequently, Impact Aid, as the only current-year funded education program, was cut immediately on March 1, 2013, by $67.5 million in the middle of the 2012-2013 school year. This immediate cut occurred because funding from this program for the current school year is sent directly to school district’s bank accounts via electronic funds transfer, rather than being distributed through a state agency. In response to this immediate reduction in federal funding, Impact Aid recipient school districts have been forced to cut transportation, delay maintenance and technology upgrades, cut staff and professional development, reduce early childhood and enrichment programs, and close schools in some cases. My resolution will urge Congress to prevent further cuts to the Impact Aid program in the 2014 Fiscal Year budget. Please join me in helping to ensure that the students in the school districts receiving Impact Aid funding will be provided the quality education they deserve. |
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Introduced as HR638