House defeats IDEA voucher amendments

5/6/03 -- The House of Representatives passed a bill to reauthorize the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) April 30 that includes many improvements to the special education program sought by NSBA. Two amendments to incorporate private school vouchers into the program failed to pass.

The Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act (H.R. 1350) was passed by a vote of 251 to 171.

NSBA Associate Executive Director Michael A. Resnick says, "NSBA is absolutely delighted that the House has moved to increase the effectiveness of IDEA through the passage of HR.1350, along with a solid bipartisan rejection of two voucher measures that would be wasteful and would lack accountability."

"However, we do feel the bill is flawed by its failure to include mandatory funding," Resnick says. NSBA will urge the Senate to include mandatory funding for IDEA in its bill.

One of the voucher amendments, introduced by Rep. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), would have allowed the parents of children with disabilities to request vouchers to pay for tuition at unregulated private schools without any guarantees that the private schools would provide the services necessary for such children.

The House also rejected a similar amendment introduced by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.).

The House did not make any major changes to the bill approved last month by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Among the bill's provisions supported by NSBA:

• Procedures relating to the discipline of special education children would be simplified.

• Governors would be allowed to set caps on attorney fees.

• Due process provisions would be improved.

• School districts would have greater authority to use federal funds for pre-referral services.