Federal Legislation & News
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Amici File Brief in the 5th Circuit in Support of Parent’s Win in U.S. District Court
COPAA and The Texas Organization of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (TOPAA) filed an amicus brief in the 5th Circuit in North East ISD v. I.M. on Friday, April 11, 2025. IDEA mandates that children with disabilities receive a FAPE tailored to their unique academic...
Students, additional parents join lawsuit challenging Department of Education’s abandoning of civil rights investigations
On April 10, 2025 multiple parents and students, including COPAA members, from various states across the country have joined a federal lawsuit that seeks to restore the functions of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and reverse recent...
White House Directs Federal Agencies to Bypass Public Notice Process
In a memo to Federal Agency heads last week, the White House instructed agencies to undertake a 60-day review process to “identify unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations” and take immediate steps to eliminate and/or finalize rules “without notice and comment”,...
House ED Committee Blocks Move to Divulge ED Reorganization Plans
On Wednesday, April 9, the House Education and Workforce Committee voted along party lines to adversely report H. Res. 237, a resolution to require the Administration to provide documentation of their plans to reorganize the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The...
Court Pauses ED’s DEI Directive Requiring State Certification of Compliance
On April 10, a U.S. District Court required the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to temporarily halt any action related to a directive issued on April 3. The new certification required States to sign an assurance to document that all K-12 schools comply with...
Students with disabilities lost a helpful program to DOGE cuts
NPR If you visit the website for Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), you'll find a "Wall of Receipts" listing more than 7,000 federal contracts it has terminated. Little detail is provided, besides the "savings" from each cancellation, and it's...
Disability Advocates Tell Appropriators: Do Not Move IDEA to HHS or Dismantle ED
On Friday April 4, COPAA along with 47 disability advocacy partners in the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) sent a letter to Capitol Hill asking Senate and House appropriations and authorizing committee leaders to “take no action” through the Fiscal...
9.5 million students with disabilities affected by Trump’s education cuts, senators warn
13newsnow.com Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have joined 19 other lawmakers in the Senate in signing a letter addressed to the U.S. Secretary of Education, expressing their concern that without the Department of Education, students with disabilities will...
Dems, advocates challenge Trump’s HHS move
POLITICO President Donald Trump wants to move a crucial program for children with disabilities into the Department of Health and Human Services. Special education advocates and Democrats warn that his plan is illegal, Chelsea reports with POLITICO’s Mackenzie Wilkes....
‘Really scared’: Parents of kids with disabilities confront Education Department chaos
Idaho Capital Sun As President Donald Trump takes drastic steps to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, disability advocates are worried about whether the agency can carry out its responsibilities to serve students with disabilities. Representatives of several...