Congress moves to triple federal special education funding by 2035
H.R. 2598 — IDEA Full Funding Act · Filed by Jared Huffman (D-CA) · 171 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 2, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to gradually increase federal funding for special education services from 4.5% of the national average per-pupil expenditure in 2026 to 40% by 2035, with both authorized and appropriated amounts rising each year. The bill directly funds special education services for children aged 3–21 with disabilities, shifting more of the cost burden from states and school districts to the federal government.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a phased increase in federal appropriations for IDEA Part B special education services, moving toward full federal funding (40% of per-pupil costs) by 2035. This is a straightforward appropriations and authorization amendment.
What the text implies
- The bill includes a 'cut-as-you-go' offset requirement (Section 3), meaning Congress must identify spending cuts or revenue increases elsewhere to pay for the new appropriations—the bill does not specify what those offsets are, leaving the fiscal mechanism incomplete.
- The funding formula ties appropriations to the 'average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary schools and secondary schools in the United States,' which fluctuates annually; this creates year-to-year volatility in the federal commitment unless Congress acts to stabilize it.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
school districts and public schools (increased federal revenue); families with children with disabilities (reduced local tax burden and improved service availability