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Requires special education funds under IDEA to follow eligible children to the school they attend—public, private, or home school. For public school students, funds go to the local school district. For eligible children in private or home schools, funds are provided via education savings accounts (ESAs) with defined allowable uses. Parents must be notified annually, and states must collect data on the program. Also amends Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, but the uploaded text does not include the details of that amendment.
Amend Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by adding new text at the end (the actual added text is not included in the uploaded section).
Adds a new subsection titled “611 Funds to follow the student” to Part A of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
State educational agency (SEA) shall allocate grant funds provided under this Act, to ensure funding follows eligible children (whether learning in person or remotely) to the public school, private school, or home school they attend, notwithstanding other law and to the extent permitted under State law.
SEA shall allocate funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) in the State based on the number of eligible children enrolled in the public schools operated by each LEA.
SEA shall allocate funds directly to eligible children residing in the State who are enrolled in private schools or home schools through education savings accounts.
Families of children eligible under IDEA would gain more flexibility in where and how special education funds are used. Parents of private and home school students could tap an ESA for specified education-related expenses, while public school students’ services would continue to be funded through their local district. Annual parent notifications aim to improve awareness, and required data collection would support transparency and program oversight.
States and school districts would need to implement new processes to allocate funds and manage ESAs, including tracking allowable uses and reporting data. This could shift administrative workload and require new systems. Private schools and homeschool families could see expanded access to IDEA-funded services, while public school systems may need to adjust budgeting and service coordination as some funds move with students into nonpublic settings.
Adds a new provision (titled '611 Funds to follow the student') to Part A of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requiring State educational agencies to allocate IDEA grant funds so that funding 'follows' eligible children to the public school, private school, or home school they attend, authorizing education savings accounts for private/home-schooled eligible children, specifying allowable uses, data collection and annual notification requirements, distribution rules, and rules of construction.
Adds a new provision at the end of Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (chapter beginning at 20 U.S.C. 7801).
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced March 21, 2025 by Charles Roy · Last progress March 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House