House Passes FY 2021 Funding Bill; Includes IDEA, EHDI, and Research Funding
August 1, 2020
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a funding bill, which includes increases for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), level funding for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs, and increased research funding for fiscal year (FY) 2021. Thanks to ASHA Advocates for taking action on these important issues!
The appropriations measure includes funding for programs within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The House funding bill includes IDEA funding increases of:
- $193.5 million for IDEA Part B (State Grants) for a total of $12.96 billion;
- $4.8 million for IDEA Part C (Infants and Toddlers) for a total of $481.8 million; and
- $3.5 million for preschool grants for a total of $397.6 million.
The bill also includes level funding for EHDI programs resulting in $10.76 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for surveillance and technical assistance and $17.8 million for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants to support state based EHDI systems. In addition, the bill includes a $4.2 million increase to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) for a total of $494.9 million, and level funding for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) for a total of $111.9 million. In addition, the House adopted several amendments that would ensure that local school districts are able to be flexible in making their own decisions regarding resuming the 2020-2021 school year and that federal funds are not diverted from public education.
As of right now, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has not marked up any of its bills for FY 2021. The Senate process has largely been held up due to a lack of agreement between Republicans and Democrats on what amendments will be offered in committee.
There is still time to ask your Senators for funding support in FY 2021. Click on a link below to visit ASHA's take action site and send a prewritten message today!
Questions?
Contact Erik Lazdins, ASHA's associate director of federal affairs, at elazdins@asha.org.
