Government Relations Action Alert

Call Your Representative TODAY and ask him/her to OPPOSE H.R. 1350

The IDEA Reauthorization Bill — National Call-In Day Tuesday, April 29

April 25, 2003

Issue at Hand

The House Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 1350, “Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act” on April 10, 2003. The bill is scheduled for consideration by the full House of Representatives tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30, 2003. H.R. 1350 includes a number of changes about which NASW, and many other member organizations of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD, http://www.c-c-d.org), have concerns. A number of these issues are listed below, under “Background Information.”

In response to the Committee’s passing of H.R. 1350, the CCD Education Task Force is planning a coordinated Hill day to oppose the bill. This morning, NASW will join other CCD organizations in visiting the office of every Member of the House of Representatives to deliver a packet of letters, written by the individual organizations, opposing the bill. The Hill day’s theme is “H.R. 1350: a Bad I.D.E.A.” In support of this action, NASW has joined CCD in coordinating a national call-in day for parents, students, teachers, related services personnel, and their advocates. NASW members are encouraged to join others across the country in participating in today’s national call-in day by contacting your Representative via telephone, fax, or e-mail today, Tuesday, April 29, and asking that he/she oppose H.R. 1350.

Action Needed

Contact Your Representative

Tell your Representative’s office that, as a constituent and member of the National Association of Social Workers, you are requesting that he/she oppose the passage of H.R. 1350, the IDEA reauthorization bill.

You can find your Representative’s phone and fax numbers by visiting the House of Representatives’ Web site at http://www.house.gov You may also send an e-mail to your Representative through Congress Web, on the NASW Web site. Do this by going to: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp

Background Information

Unfortunately, the IDEA Reauthorization bill currently before the House of Representatives has too many problems to be made acceptable by amendments offered on the House Floor. Therefore, NASW is opposing H.R. 1350. It is anticipated that Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Gregg (R-NH) will introduce a compromise IDEA bill in the Senate in the near future.

NASW’s concerns about H.R. 1350 include:

Lowering of Standards for Related Services Personnel
H.R. 1350 increases professional development and training of general and special education teachers. However, it removes the current requirements that related services personnel standards be based on the highest requirements in the state applicable to a specific profession or discipline. This means that states will be able to lower the standards they use when hiring school social workers. Currently, states can look to the federal government for guidance when drafting their standards. Under the proposed bill, though, they could claim that the federal government does not force them to adhere to these standards.

Discipline-Removal of Functional Behavioral Assessments and Plans
The proposed bill will allow school districts to use one disciplinary policy for all students, regardless of disabilities, which may include removing a student from the school. Although the bill does not allow for cessation of services—requiring instead that a student be moved to an Interim Alternative Education Placement (IAEP), the bill does not require a manifestation determination, functional behavioral assessment (FBA), or behavior intervention plan (BIP) when a student is removed from school.

Three-Year IEP Option
In its current form, H.R. 1350 will allow schools to offer three-year IEPs if the parent and school agree it is appropriate. While there appear to be benefits to this concept, NASW joins others in its support of a pilot program that would allow further study of it. An annual review will be required of the three-year IEPs and short-term objectives will still be included until the 2005-2006 school year.

To read more about NASW’s legislative initiatives regarding education and the reauthorization of IDEA, please refer to:https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/education.asp You may also contact Ann Bradford, senior government relations associate, at 202-336-8237 or abradford@naswdc.org