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House sends memorial to Congress urging full IDEA funding
Summary
The House passed House Joint Memorial 11, urging Congress to meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding commitment (the 40% figure was cited); the memorial passed on a recorded vote (40–28, 2 absent).
On Feb. 10 the Idaho House passed House Joint Memorial 11, a resolution urging Congress to fulfill what the sponsor described as the federal commitment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to cover up to 40% of excess special-education costs.
Sponsor (Lawmaker, speaker 12) framed the memorial as a "collections notice" to the federal government and cited state school districts' shortfalls: "one particular school district in our state has over $35,000,000 in costs to pay for the education of special education children," the sponsor said, adding that federal contributions to that district were just over $4,000,000. The sponsor asked members to support the memorial to press Congress to fulfill promised funding.
Another member (Lawmaker, speaker 13) questioned the prudence of asking Congress for more funding given federal debt and raised concerns about mandating higher federal spending. The Chair ordered a recorded vote; the Clerk reported 40 ayes, 28 nays, and 2 absent and excused, and the memorial passed.
The memorial is nonbinding but signals state officials' expectations of increased federal support for special education. No additional funding or budget adjustments were authorized by the memorial.
