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Policy & Advocacy | May 8, 2026

April 2026 Policy News Round-Up

Millions of education research dollars remain unspent, Secretary McMahon heads to the Hill, the Justice Department delays web accessibility requirements, and Congress introduces bills impacting students with disabilities. See what else NCLD engaged on this month. 

$77  Million Left Unspent on Special Education Research

A recent analysis of public documents shows that approximately $289 million of the $768 million that Congress appropriated for education research through the Institute for Education Sciences will not be spent and is at risk of expiring when the current fiscal year ends on September 30th. Roughly 85% of the $77 million designated for special education research remains unspent and there are no federal notices or documents, as there usually would be, detailing plans to launch grant competitions and spend it. NCLD is pushing members of Congress to exert pressure on the Office of Management and Budget to obligate this funding for this important research. Join NCLD in this effort by emailing your members of Congress today. 

Secretary McMahon Testifies on the President’s Proposed Budget

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified in front of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Activities (LHHS-ED) on April 28th to present the President’s proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Secretary McMahon was asked by a number of Senators about her plans to move programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Secretary McMahon continued to indicate that ED was still looking to move programs under IDEA to other agencies. The Secretary was also asked about the Office of Civil Rights not reaching resolution agreements in just 1% of pending cases in 2025. This includes 0 cases resolution agreements in for sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion or restraint, racial harassment, or discriminatory school discipline—despite 2,705 pending cases across these categories. Watch the full hearing here.  

NCLD has advocated against cuts and consolidations to education programs and sent a letter to House and Senate LHHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee leadership.

DOJ Delays Web Accessibility Deadline

On April 20th, just four days before the implementation deadline for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II regulations for web accessibility finalized in 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule that will delay the deadline to comply to April 2027 for entities serving more than 50,000 and April 2028 for all other entities. These regulations require that web content and mobile applications are fully accessible, adopting WCAG version 2.1 as the technical standard. It is concerning that the notice states that during the extension period, DOJ will consider issuing a new opportunity for the public to comment on the substance of the 2024 final rule and any proposed changes. While this applies to both K-12 and higher education, this change will be particularly impactful for disabled college students and access to online coursework so the delay is disappointing. See a statement from the Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education, which NCLD co-convenes here.

Congress Introduces and Advances Legislation

The Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act was introduced in the Senate. This bill (S.4297), led by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Hirono (D-HI) would repeal the new federal K-12 tax credit program that was enacted into law last summer as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill is endorsed by 163 national and state organizations, including NCLD, and NCLD’s CEO, Dr. Jackie Rodriguez, was quoted in the press release: 

“We commend Senators Kelly and Hirono for their leadership in introducing the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act. Their efforts would repeal the federal tax credit program that will funnel billions of dollars to private schools that are not held to the same legal obligations to protect students with disabilities, jeopardizing their academic and social emotional growth. NCLD firmly opposed this program when it became law last summer. We urge members of Congress to support this legislation and ensure federal funds come with the protections all students deserve.”

A Stronger Workforce for America Act was advanced in the House Education and Workforce Committee on a party-line vote. While NCLD supports efforts to improve the workforce development system, this bill (H.R.8210), we oppose the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and the move of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) programs (Title II of WIOA) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. Additionally, all references of universal design for learning that were included in A Stronger Workforce for America Act last Congress have been removed from H.R.8210 . 

Advocacy Opportunities

NCLD’s Action Center enables you to contact your Members of Congress and make your voice heard on issues important to students with disabilities. NEW on the Action Center: Tell your members of Congress to save education research funding!

ICYMI 

  • A California version of the RISE Act (AB 1713) made progress with a successful hearing and a passing vote from the legislature’s higher education committee. It still needs to be passed by the full legislature to become law.
  • The disability rights community celebrated “National Assistive Technology Awareness Day” on April 22, 2026. The day was officially recognized by a Senate Resolution. 
  • Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hosted a roundtable on supporting students with dyslexia. Read NCLD’s response here. 
  • NCLD provided feedback on comp centers priorities (link to FR submission)

NCLD’s Voice:

What We’re Reading: