As reported in the national news, the President signed HR 1 into law on July 4th, giving Republicans the legislative win they sought to accomplish in the first half of the 119th Congress. Specific to education, HR 1 includes an amended version of the Educational Choice for Children Act—a federal voucher initiative— that will now provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit (up to $1700 for individuals) when states opt for a scholarship program (with no protections for IDEA-eligible children). The final bill also lacks funding or time on the total annual federal subsidy toward the scholarship provision, which means it could run well into the multiple billions each year. To pay for the new provisions, the law cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, which may limit access to early intervention and school-based services, and cuts $300 billion from student loan programs, impacting Pell Grant eligibility, access to federally subsidized student loans, and more. As COPAA members know, we have been and remain extremely concerned about the impacts of HR 1 on children with disabilities and retaining access to all of the rights and opportunities eligible children and parents receive under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as well as states/districts having adequate resources to fund IDEA-services and supports.
COPAA joins Public Funds Public Schools and Urges Montana Court to Strike Down Harmful Voucher Law
Montana Quality Education Coalition et al. (MQEC) v. State of Montana et al. is a case challenging Montana’s voucher program for students with disabilities. In 2023, the Montana Legislature established a statewide Education Savings Account (ESA) voucher program...
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