June 2026 Policy News Round-Up
The Administration announced a sweeping plan to scatter special education and civil rights enforcement across other federal agencies, Senate Democrats and disability groups pushed back, a coalition including NCLD sued over withheld research funding, and the House advanced a leaner FY 2027 education budget. See what else NCLD engaged in this month!
NCLD, advocacy groups, and Senators Demand A Stop to the Dismantling of the Education Department
Following the June 16th Interagency Agreements (IAAs) announcement, which transfers the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ). NCLD strongly condemned the move, warning that neither HHS nor DOJ has the education-specific expertise needed to administer IDEA or investigate school-based civil rights complaints. NCLD CEO Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez said the changes would “create confusion, weaken accountability” for students and families, and NCLD is calling on Congress to suspend implementation of the agreements. More than 700 education, disability, parent, and civil rights groups have also publicly opposed the IAAs.
Senators Patty Murray, Tammy Baldwin, and Bernie Sanders also led all Senate Democrats in a letter to Secretary McMahon demanding the Administration halt the move. The senators argue the agreements are illegal, noting that Congress never granted the U.S. Department of Education (ED) authority to transfer special education, vocational rehabilitation, or civil rights enforcement responsibilities to other agencies, and that Section 512 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, explicitly bars such transfers absent specific transfer authority.
NCLD and Others Sue Over Nearly $2 Billion in Withheld Research Funding
On June 30th, NCLD, the Knowledge Alliance, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association filed suit in federal court against the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The lawsuit, brought with Protect Democracy and the Jacobson Lawyers Group, alleges that the Department and OMB are unlawfully withholding nearly $2 billion in congressionally appropriated funding for education research, data collection, and program evaluation, in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, the Antideficiency Act, and the separation of powers. NCLD CEO Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez said the data collected by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is essential to NCLD’s own State of Learning Disabilities research, noting the organization “cannot educate the public on kids with learning disabilities without the data coming from IES.” The suit also challenges a competitive-grant requirement tied to the Administration’s executive order ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in federal activities. Read the full complaint here.
House Appropriations Committee Advances a Budget Bill that Cuts Education
On June 9th, the House Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill on a 34–28 party-line vote. The bill provides $189.3 billion in total discretionary funding, $5.6 billion (3%) below the FY 2026 enacted level, and is explicitly framed by the Committee as an effort to “return education back to the States.” The bill next heads to the House floor; the Senate has not yet released its companion measure.
U.S. Department of Education Approves Indiana Waiver, Despite Objections from Advocacy Groups
On June 16th, ED approved Indiana’s request under the “Returning Education to the States” waiver program, making it the third state after Iowa and Louisiana to receive this ESEA flexibility. Indiana’s waiver goes further than the two approved earlier this year: in addition to consolidating state-level funds across Titles I-B, II-A, III-A, IV-A, and IV-B, Indiana is the first state permitted to pilot fund consolidation at the local level in up to 15% of its districts, and the first allowed to reweight its accountability system to give more weight to school-quality and student-success indicators relative to academic indicators. NCLD opposes this waiver. Back in March, NCLD joined EdTrust, National Parents Union, UnidosUS, and other education and civil rights advocacy organizations in a joint letter urging ED to deny Indiana’s request, warning that the state’s new menu-style accountability system lets schools mask meaningful measurement of reading and math proficiency, English language learners’ progress, and other key indicators, which would set a harmful precedent in schools nationwide. Find our joint statement here for more.
NCLD Closes Applications for the 2026 Everyday Champion Awards
Applications were open through June 30th for NCLD’s 2026 Everyday Champion Awards, which recognize K-12 educators who build strong relationships with students and families and help students with learning disabilities thrive. This year, NCLD introduced a new Educator Team Award, recognizing pairs or small groups of educators who collaborate to support students with learning disabilities, a category informed by findings in NCLD’s State of Learning Disabilities report that educator collaboration is foundational to supporting students with LD, even though less than half of educators report having enough time to collaborate. NCLD will award $5,000 each in three categories: K-5 Educator, 6-12 Educator, and the new Educator Team Award.
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.
ICYMI
- NCLD’s Young Adult Leadership Council and Family Council members joined staff on Capitol Hill for this year’s LD Day of Action, meeting with education leaders and lawmakers throughout the week—more highlights to come.
- A new Office of Civil Rights Watch tool continues to track the collapse in OCR enforcement with 112 resolution agreements reached in 2025, down from 1,299 in 2017, on the same $140 million budget.
NCLD’s Voice:
What We’re Reading:
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- Education Department Moves Special Ed. and Civil Rights to Other Agencies | Education Week
- States Are Failing to Meet Their Obligations to Students Under IDEA: An Analysis of State Monitoring Reports by the U.S. Department of Education | Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates
- More Students with Disabilities Were Educated in General Education Settings, but State Trends Varied Widely | U.S. Government Accountability Office
- Education Groups Sue for Access to Nearly $2B in Research Funds | K-12 Dive