TASH cosponsors Congressional briefing on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
TASH partnered with the National Education Association (NEA) in hosting a Capitol Hill briefing for Congressional staff on January 12, titled “50 Years of IDEA: The Right to a Free Appropriate Public Education”. Michael Brogioli, Executive Director of TASH, was a panelist alongside Bonita Williams, Stephanie Gawlinski, Dr. Kim Pinckney and Valerie C. Williams. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) was the Congressional sponsor and provided opening remarks. The panel stressed the critical role the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) plays in implementing the goals of IDEA, and stressed that IDEA is a landmark civil rights law that greatly impacts students with disabilities and their families, and that dismantling the Department of Education, including its civil rights enforcement capacity, could have a devastating impact on students with disabilities. Panelists urged Congress to bolster, not dismantle, the Department of Education and to support and strengthen funding for IDEA. Read Brogioli’s full statement here.
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Left to right: Bonita Williams, moderator, NEA; Stephanie Gawlinski, special educator, Montgomery County Public Schools; Dr. Kim Pinckney, parent of a student with disabilities; Valerie C. Williams, former director, Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP); Michael Brogioli, Executive Director, TASH; at the podium: Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA). |
Appropriations
The current Continuing Resolution (CR) that is funding the federal government expires at the end of January. This creates significant time pressure on Congress to either pass another CR or complete full-year appropriations bills. In early January, the House passed three government spending bills to fund the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Interior, and Justice, as well as an Energy-Water bill.
Congressional leaders in both chambers are working on funding packages. Programs affecting people with disabilities will be included in the Labor–Health and Human Services–Education (LHHS) appropriations bill. That legislation is expected to be considered later in the process, alongside the Defense appropriations bill.
Affordable Care Act Tax Credits
There is ongoing congressional interest in extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which expired at the end of 2025 and have contributed to sharp increases in health insurance premiums.
- The House recently passed a bill to extend the ACA subsidies for three years, with bipartisan support that included 17 Republicans.
- The bill currently lacks sufficient support to pass in the Senate.
- Several senators, including Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH), are working on alternative proposals to continue the credits.
Millions of people with disabilities and their families rely on these subsidies to maintain access to affordable health coverage. The expiration of the credits has already resulted in significantly higher monthly costs for many consumers.
GAO Report on Healthcare Accessibility
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report examining the barriers people with disabilities face when accessing health care in the United States.
The report looks at problems in:
- medical facilities
- medical equipment
- technology used in health care
- provider training, communication, and bias
Because the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not currently collect national data directly from people with disabilities about accessibility, GAO also identified major gaps in federal data collection and offered recommendations to address them.
ABLE Accounts
More people are now eligible for ABLE accounts. Eligibility has expanded from those who acquired a disability before age 26 to those who became disabled by age 46, due to the ABLE Age Adjustment Act. The annual contribution limit has also increased from $19,000 to $20,000.
ABLE accounts, created in 2014, allow people with disabilities to save money — up to $100,000 — without losing eligibility for key benefits like Social Security and Medicaid.
New Legislation to Watch
Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act (H.R. 6951)
Sponsor: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
This bill would end the federal requirement that forces states to seek repayment from the families and estates of deceased Medicaid recipients who received long-term care services.
H.R. 6932
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI)
This legislation would rescind unobligated fiscal year 2026 funds from the Department of Education and transfer them to states under Section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
BRIDGE for Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act (H.R. 6799)
Sponsor: Rep. Young Kim (R-CA)
This bill would eliminate waiting periods for disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for individuals diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
S. 3589
Sponsor: Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN)
This legislation would ensure that students with disabilities and their families receive essential information to help them choose the right college and succeed once enrolled.
New Toolkit: Responding to Medicaid Work Requirements:
The Arc has released a toolkit to help self advocates and advocates understand and respond to the new federal Medicaid “community engagement” (work reporting) requirements created by Public Law 119-21. This resource explains how work requirements are structured, highlights the risks they pose for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and caregivers, and offers advocacy tools, customizable letters, fact sheets, and guidance for engaging with state policymakers to protect coverage and prevent unnecessary loss of Medicaid benefits.
To learn more about TASH’s policy positions and sign on letters and for other advocacy resources, visit our Advocacy Tools & Resources page.
Washington Update logo image credit: Romain Pontida, Creative Commons, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic, some modifications.