FIRST REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 10

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY



1524L.01I

Whereas, the original passage of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 established a program of free appropriate public education to better enable students with disabilities to achieve their greatest potential; and



Whereas, IDEA also represented an advance in civil rights for disabled children through equal protection; and



Whereas, Missouri has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving our children with disabilities through provision of special education and related services to over 127,000 students (14.18 percent of public school enrollment); and



Whereas, the original intent of the 94th Congress was to fund IDEA at 40% of its cost, but funding has never exceeded 13%; and



Whereas, federal law requires school districts to meet federal standards, but Congress has not provided the promised funding necessary to achieve those standards; and



Whereas, Missouri and several other states have legal prohibitions on passing unfunded mandates to the local level and therefore must either make up the shortfall or ask local districts to do so and thereby risk litigation; and



Whereas, local districts must then cover the mandated expenses of special education and reduce funding for teachers, textbooks and supplies, building maintenance and repair, as well as meet the counterproductive reporting burden which severely reduces teacher availability:



Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-first General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge that before the 107th Congress considers any other education initiatives, that IDEA receive prompt and full funding, and the reporting requirements of IDEA be significantly reduced; and



Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and every member of the Missouri Congressional delegation.


Return to the Missouri House of Representatives