HR 370 — A Resolution recognizing November 29, 2025, as the "50th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   2612

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 370
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY D. MILLER, BENHAM, BRENNAN, VENKAT, HADDOCK,
        RIVERA, PROBST, McNEILL, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, GALLAGHER AND
        BELLMON, NOVEMBER 17, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, NOVEMBER 17, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing November 29, 2025, as the "50th Anniversary of the
 2      Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Prior to the passage of the Individuals with
 4   Disabilities Education Act, many schools refused to enroll
 5   students with disabilities or lacked the resources and guidance
 6   to provide an inclusive, appropriate education, which severely
 7   limited academic opportunities for these students; and
 8      WHEREAS, During the 1970s, it was estimated that more than 1
 9   million students with disabilities were fully excluded from the
10   education system, and many more were being denied an appropriate
11   education, causing advocates to urge congressional action; and
12      WHEREAS, On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed
13   into law the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which
14   was renamed in 1990 as the Individuals with Disabilities
15   Education Act; and
16      WHEREAS, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
17   guarantees a free and appropriate public education to all
 1   students with disabilities in every public school throughout the
 2   50 states; and
 3         WHEREAS, This landmark act contains many important provisions
 4   to achieve this goal, including requirements for states to
 5   identify, locate and evaluate all students in need of special
 6   education services, procedural safeguards to protect the rights
 7   of children with disabilities and their families and the
 8   creation of individualized education programs to establish
 9   measurable academic goals for students and define services that
10   a school will provide for a student in need of special education
11   services; and
12         WHEREAS, The act also ensures that children with disabilities
13   receive early intervention services from birth to five years of
14   age, at no cost to their families; and
15         WHEREAS, Federal funding is allocated through the Individuals
16   with Disabilities Education Act to assist states and schools
17   with providing necessary services to students with disabilities;
18   and
19         WHEREAS, To be eligible for services under the Individuals
20   with Disabilities Education Act, a student must meet 1 of the 13
21   disability categories defined under the act and be in need of
22   special education services; and
23         WHEREAS, According to the National Center for Education
24   Statistics, the number of students being served under the
25   Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reached an all-time
26   high of 7.5 million as of the 2022-2023 school year; and
27         WHEREAS, During the 2022-2023 school year, students with
28   disabilities made up 21% of Pennsylvania's public school student
29   population, which was the highest percentage among the 50
30   states; and

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1      WHEREAS, For 50 years, the Individuals with Disabilities
2   Education Act has protected and created new opportunities for
3   our most vulnerable students by ensuring their right to a free
4   and appropriate public education; therefore be it
5      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
6   November 29, 2025, as the "50th Anniversary of the Individuals
7   with Disabilities Education Act" in Pennsylvania.




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