Federal:
IDEA Fairness Restoration Act Introduced
Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas introduced the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act. This bill, would allow prevailing parents to recoup their expert costs in litigation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The bill would restore Congress’ original intent in granting parents the ability to recover their attorneys’ fees and costs when they prevail in IDEA cases.
Parents prevail in IDEA cases when they show that the school district provided an education that failed to meet its legal obligations. But while they can recover their attorneys’ fees, they cannot recover their expert witness costs as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in Arlington Central School District v. Murphy (2006). The IDEA Fairness Restoration Act would override the Supreme Court’s decision and help even the playing field for parents of children with disabilities.
Woodsmall Law Group thanks Congressman Van Hollen and Congressman Sessions for introducing this very important legislation. While the introdcution of this bill is a solid first step, there is much more that must be done to make this a reality. You can help! Here's how:
(1) Call 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Representative’s Office, When you are connected, ask for the Education aide. (To find your Congressional Representative’s name, go to http://www.house.gov/ and use the locator in the upper left corner)
(2) Fax your Representative. You can find your Representative’s fax number on his/her webpage at http://www.house.gov/
(3) Email your Congressperson, http://www.house.gov/writerep/
(4) If you are unable to make long distance phone calls and do not have access to email, please call your local Congressional office. Go to the “Blue Pages” in your local phone book and look in the federal government section for the phone number.
After you contact your Congressional Representative, help your friends and family members write letters and make telephone calls, too!
The IDEA Fairness Restoration Act goes far to remedy the gross imbalance of resources between parents and school districts. We thank Congressman Van Hollen and Congressman Sessions for their dedication to the rights of children with disabilities.
Legislative Update
Communicating with your legislator
Writing Letters:
When writing to elected officials, address the letter to "The Honorable First Name Last Name," followed by the legislature name, then the city, state, and zip code. Start your letter with the person's title, then their name. For example:
For U.S. Congressional representatives:
Dear Representative First Name Last Name
For U.S. Senators:
Dear Senator First Name Last Name
For California Assemblymembers:
Dear Assemblyman (or Assemblywoman) First Name Last Name
For example:
The Honorable Jane Doe
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative Doe:
You can mail or fax your letter. If you want to influence your representative's vote on a particular piece of legislation, it's best to fax so it reaches them in time.
Phone Calls
Phone calls are a very effective way to let your legislator know how you feel. Every office has trained staff assigned to take constituent phone calls and keep track of comments, which are then given to the legislator every day and before votes.
E-mails
Sadly, due to the high volume of form e-mails, this is not the most effective method for communicating with your representative. Also, some offices are more e-mail friendly than others. To combat form e-mails, most legislators now suggest that constituents visit their individual web page and fill out a contact form. This is a much better way to communicate than sending e-mail to his/her e-mail address. Links to individual websites are provided below.
U.S. Senators
Every state has two Senators. Both are your representatives. The address for both Senators is: U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510.
The Senate website is:
Senator Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
(213) 894-5000 in Los Angeles
FAX (213) 894-5042
boxer.senate.gov/contact
Senator Dianne Feinstein
(202) 224-3841
(310) 914-7300 in Los Angeles
FAX (202) 228-3954
feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
U.S. Representatives
The address for all U.S. Representatives is: U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515. If you don't know your representative, visit www.house.gov
and enter your zip code.
California State Senate
The address for all state representatives is: State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Sacramento area codes are 916.If you do not know your state representatives, visit www.assembly.ca.gov
and click on "Find My District."
Attorneys & Advocates
Serving the Special Needs Child
2600 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Marino, California 91108
(626) 440-0028
