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Policy & Advocacy | December 4, 2025

November 2025 Policy News Round-Up

IDEA celebrated its 50th anniversary, the government reopened, and the Trump Administration took steps toward dismantling the Department of Education, again. See what else NCLD is tracking this month.

U.S. Department of Education Moves Critical Programs to Other Agencies Through Interagency Agreements

The Trump Administration announced the launch of six interagency agreements (IAAs) to “break up the federal education bureaucracy and move closer to the Administration’s promise to return education to the states”.  Impacted offices include the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, moving to Department of Labor; the Office of Postsecondary Education, moving to the Department of Labor; Native American Education programs, moved to the Department of the Interior; foreign medical accreditation oversight, moved to the Department of Health and Human Services; the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, moved to the Department of Health and Human Services; and International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs, moved to the State Department. While activities related to the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) currently remain at USED, moving these programs will harm all students, including those with disabilities, because it creates inefficiencies and silos in the implementation of programs. USED holds institutional knowledge and expertise in education that is critical for ensuring education programs run smoothly and effectively. Moving programs to multiple agencies puts those efforts at risk, and this action indicates potential future shifts for programs that remain at USED. Read NCLD’s full statement here. 

Government Shutdown Ends After 43 Days

After 43 days of a government shutdown, Congress passed a bill funding the federal government through January 30. The shutdown disrupted federal education funding and programs, adding to the backlogs facing Department of Education employees returning from furlough. It did nullify the October Reduction in Force at the U.S. Department of Education, including at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The bill reopening the government provides a temporary fix for federal funding until Congress returns to finalize its budget early next year.

IDEA Celebrates 50 Years

November marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A bipartisan resolution marking the occasion was introduced in the House of Representatives on December 2, and in the Senate, led by Senators Van Hollen and Cassidy and Representatives Huffman, GT Thompson, Scholten, and James. Over the past five decades, IDEA has expanded educational access for students with disabilities and created greater educational equity for students across the country. While there is much to celebrate around the progress made over the past 50 years, the anniversary also highlighted persistent gaps and room for growth, including underfunding, personnel shortages, and disproportionality in identification and discipline. National PTA hosted a webinar for the occasion, including Nicole Fuller, NCLD’s Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy, as a panelist and Lizeth LoCicer, who also serves on NCLD’s Family Leadership Council, as the moderator.

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. Send a message to your Members of Congress about the staffing levels at the U.S. Department of Education.

ICYMI 

  • NCLD hosted its 2025 annual benefit in New York City on November 20. The benefit honored this year’s Anne and Allegra Ford Scholarship Winners, Everyday Champion Award Winners, Corporate Award Winner MillerKnoll, and Champion Award Winner Busy Phillips.
  • The U.S. Treasury Department is requesting comments on the implementation of the new K-12 federal tax credit program, as outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, by December 26.

What We’re Reading: