Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Thursday that Senate Joint Resolution 8 (SJR 8) has passed the Assembly Committee on Education, officials said.  

SJR 8 would urge the United States Congress fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a program focusing on disabled students, according to a statement from Wilk’s office. 

“One of the most essential functions of government is to provide quality education to every child,” said Wilk. “But the federal government is withholding their share of special education funding, which puts a heavy burden on our schools and makes things worse for all students.”

In 1975, Congress passed the Education for Handicapped Children Act — which was rewritten and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 — requiring all public schools to provide certain special education services, according to officials.  

When the act was passed, Congress pledged to fund 40 percent of its mandate, but has never met that mark, instead providing about 15 percent of the necessary funds for school districts today, according to officials. 

This means the districts and the state have been forced to do more with less, straining to fund the mandates, Wilk said.

This year, United States Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, introduced S. 866 to provide greater special education funding for schools, allowing Congress to meet its original 40 percent mark by the year 2029, according to officials. 

SJR 8 encourages Congress to pass S. 866 in the interest of students across California and the nation.

“Congress must keep its promise and provide adequate funding for all students,” Wilk said. “I’m thankful to the committee for its support. I hope Congress hears our message and passes S. 866 so that all children have an opportunity for a quality education.”

The joint resolution is expected to be presented to the president and vice president of the United States, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, the chair of the Senate Committee on Budget, the chair of the House Committee on Budget, the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations, the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, each senator and representative from California in Congress, and the United States secretary of education.

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