House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2020 Funding for IDEA and EHDI
May 15, 2019
The House Appropriations Committee approved a funding bill, which includes historic increases for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and level funding for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for fiscal year (FY) 2020. 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 increased funding for IDEA:
- by $1 billion for IDEA Part B (State Grants), reflecting the largest increase to the program in more than a decade
- by $21.3 million for IDEA Part C (Infants and Toddlers); and
- a $7.2 million increase to assist states in making free appropriate public education available to children with disabilities ages 3 through 5 through preschool grants.
The funding bill also includes level funding for EHDI programs, including $10.76 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $17.8 million for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants to support state-based EHDI systems.
The U.S. Senate is further behind in the appropriations process. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) has indicated that he is waiting to see if congressional leaders can reach a bipartisan and bicameral agreement on spending levels before Senate appropriators begin marking up FY 2020 appropriations legislation.
There is still time to contact your Senators and ask them for funding support for IDEA and EHDI in FY 2020!
Questions?
Please contact Erik Lazdins, ASHA’s associate director of federal affairs, at elazdins@asha.org.
