McMahon Unveils HHS, DOJ Special Education Overhaul as Trump Seeks $500 Million Funding Increase
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 16
McMahon Unveils HHS, DOJ Special Education Overhaul as Trump Seeks $500 Million Funding Increase
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 16
Summary
More than 8 million people served under IDEA would be affected by a new Education Department partnership with HHS and DOJ aimed at streamlining special education services and tightening disability-rights enforcement.
Over 1,000 parents, educators and state officials told McMahon that families still face delays, bureaucracy and high personal costs to secure services already guaranteed under federal law.
HHS will help support administration of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, while DOJ will work with Education's Office for Civil Rights on complaint reviews, investigations and resolutions.
McMahon said IDEA protections and civil-rights obligations will remain unchanged, with OSERS and OCR keeping their independent statutory roles despite the interagency restructuring.
Trump's FY2027 budget seeks a special-education increase of more than $500 million, after the administration announced a separate $144 million boost for IDEA programs last month.