In conjunction with Disability Awareness Month, State Senator Scott Wilk has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 19, a measure that calls upon the United States Congress to fully honor its commitment to funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

“This resolution urges the federal government to provide what was promised; essential funding,” said Wilk. “Generations of children have gone without while the federal government looks the other way. It is time for the feds to provide what was promised.”

Beginning with the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Congress wished to ensure children with disabilities have free and appropriate education available to them.

Additionally, the 1975 bill set up a mechanism to fund a matching program that would help pay for those specialized education services.

“In 2004, Congress went even further and enacted the IDEA Act, which set a minimum of 40 percent federal fund-matching for the average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools to pay for services for children with disabilities,” said Wilk. “That act has yet to be fully funded.”

Wilk’s call to action stems from a lack of funding from the federal government as noted by the Legislative Analyst’s office, which posits that the federal government only fulfilled on 10 percent of its fund-matching program.

“The IDEA act was a promise, not a suggestion. I hope that this resolution will send a message to our federal counterparts that California and its children with disabilities rely on their help to fund educational opportunities,” concluded Wilk. “California’s message is clear today – if the federal government continues to break its promises it will continue to have real, harmful impacts on the lives of many of our children.”

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