Protecting Students with Disabilities Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2913 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2913

To prohibit the use of appropriated funds to eliminate, consolidate, or 
  otherwise restructure any office within the Department of Education 
    that administers or enforces programs serving individuals with 
                             disabilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Ms. Alsobrooks (for herself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Kaine, Mr. 
 Wyden, Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit the use of appropriated funds to eliminate, consolidate, or 
  otherwise restructure any office within the Department of Education 
    that administers or enforces programs serving individuals with 
                             disabilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Students with 
Disabilities Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Section 603 of the Individuals with Disabilities 
        Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1402) explicitly states that the 
        Office of Special Education Programs shall be housed within the 
        Department of Education and tasked with administering and 
        carrying out programs and activities concerning the education 
        of children with disabilities.
            (2) Section 3 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
        702) explicitly states that the Rehabilitation Services 
        Administration shall be housed within the Department of 
        Education and tasked with administering and carrying out 
        programs and activities concerning workforce investment 
        activities of individuals with disabilities.
            (3) The executive branch does not have the unilateral 
        authority to alter this statutory framework. This Act reaffirms 
        Congress's intent and ensures compliance with existing 
        statutes.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION.

    None of the funds made available by Acts making appropriations may 
be used to--
            (1) eliminate, consolidate, or otherwise restructure any 
        office within the Department of Education that administers or 
        enforces programs serving individuals with disabilities, 
        including such programs under the Individuals with Disabilities 
        Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Rehabilitation Act 
        of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), or any other applicable 
        Federal laws;
            (2) terminate, reassign, or alter the responsibilities of 
        any personnel of any such office, such that statutory 
        obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
        Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 
        (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), or any other applicable Federal laws 
        are not met; or
            (3) contract with, or delegate to, any entity outside of 
        the Department of Education to administer or enforce such 
        programs.
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