This is a Senate resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was signed into law on November 29, 1975. The resolution recognizes how transformative IDEA has been for children with disabilities and their families over the past five decades.

Before IDEA became law, over one million children with disabilities were locked out of public schools entirely. Many were institutionalized or stuck in segregated, inadequate educational settings with no legal right to attend regular schools. IDEA changed everything by guaranteeing that every child with a disability has the right to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible—meaning students should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers whenever feasible.

The resolution highlights what IDEA accomplishes: it protects the rights of children with disabilities and their families, ensures parents have a real say in their child's education plan, supports early intervention services for infants and toddlers, and provides funding for evidence-based services and supports. The Senate is using this resolution to honor the millions of students who have benefited from IDEA, commend the educators, families, and advocates who have fought to make it work, and recommit to ensuring every child with a disability gets access to quality education.

A resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on November 29, 2025, and recognizing its transformative impact on the education of children with disabilities.