December 4, 2025
Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Reed, Mr. King, Mr. Markey, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Warren, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Kim, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Luján, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Collins, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Slotkin, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Smith, Mr. Fetterman, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on November 29, 2025, and recognizing its transformative impact on the education of children with disabilities.
Whereas, on November 29, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94–142; 89 Stat. 773), which was later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.);
Whereas, prior to the enactment of IDEA, more than 1,000,000 children with disabilities were excluded from public schools, and many children with disabilities were institutionalized or received inadequate or segregated education;
Whereas IDEA established the right of every child with a disability to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, fundamentally transforming the educational landscape for millions of students;
Whereas IDEA affirms and protects the rights of children with disabilities and their families, ensuring access to educational opportunities and procedural safeguards;
Whereas IDEA supports the development and implementation of statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, and interagency systems of early intervention services for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children with disabilities and their families;
Whereas IDEA ensures parents are meaningful partners with educators in determining the individualized education program or early intervention services a child needs;
Whereas IDEA provides the necessary tools to improve educational access and opportunity through systemic supports and improvement activities, parent training, coordinated research and personnel preparation, technical assistance, dissemination of best practices, and access to accessible assistive technology and other supports; and
Whereas Congress appropriates funding annually for Part B, C, and D programs of IDEA, which support the full range of evidence-based services and supports for students with disabilities, families, educators, States, and localities: Now, therefore, be it
That
the Senate—
(1)
recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) and its enduring legacy and impact;
(2)
honors the millions of infants, toddlers, children, and youth who have benefited from IDEA;
(3)
commends the educators, families, advocates, and policymakers who have worked to uphold, advance, and ensure students benefit from IDEA; and
(4)
reaffirms its commitment to carrying out IDEA to ensure that every child with a disability has access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to thrive.