DREDF eNews Volume 2, No. 3 February 13, 2009 In This Issue The Stimulus Compromise Bill: Funding for Special Education Dear Friends, Good News from Washington DC! The House and Senate Conference Committee have agreed on a final version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The House Committee on Rules will have the Conference Report with the compromise bill language on its website today. http://www.rules.house.gov/ The good news for students with disabilities and disadvantaged youth is that the bill preserves Maintenance of Effort and Supplement not Supplant requirements. Thank you for taking action! There is $12.2 billion in new funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and $13 billion for Title 1 of Elementary Schools Education Act (ESEA). The funds will be available to the states over two years beginning in 2009. These additional funds for K-12 special education bring the federal government's share of special education funding to its highest level ever. Parents, family members, and advocates did make a difference in how this bill turned out for children. Thank you. If you made a call to a member of the Conference Committee please consider sending an email thanking them for the outcome. Members have email forms on their websites: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) http://speaker.house.gov Representative Charlie Rangel (NY) www.house.gov/rangel/ Representative David Obey (WI) www.obey.house.gov/ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) http://reid.senate.gov/ Senator Daniel Inouye (HI) http://inouye.senate.gov/ Senator Max Baucus (MT) http://baucus.senate.gov/ Resources House Committee on Rules Conference Report http://www.rules.house.gov/ Thank you for acting on behalf of children with disabilities and educationally disadvantaged children. Donate http://www.dredf.org/donate.shtml Combined Federal Campaign #11944 Contact Us mailto:info@dredf.org http://www.dredf.org 2212 Sixth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 510-644-2555 DREDF is grateful to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefits Program for a grant to support this newsletter. Copyright 2009