Parent Network of Western New York (PNWNY) recognizes that too many children and youth with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to receiving the services, supports, and educational opportunities they need to succeed. While these challenges require attention, transferring the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not a meaningful solution.
Congress specifically entrusted ED with administering the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enforcing Section 504 protections, overseeing vocational rehabilitation programs, and safeguarding the civil rights of students with disabilities. Over decades, Congress has built an integrated framework that connects education, transition planning, workforce preparation, and employment outcomes.
Moving OSERS to HHS places education and transition programs within an agency primarily focused on health care, weakening coordination among schools, vocational rehabilitation services, postsecondary education, and employment supports. Separating OSERS from the broader education system also undermines IDEA’s fundamental principle that students with disabilities should be educated alongside their peers and have access to the same academic standards, opportunities, and accountability systems.
Likewise, transferring the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice could delay the resolution of discrimination complaints, reduce access to specialized expertise in education and disability law, and discourage some families from seeking assistance.
Congress intentionally created a continuum of supports that serves individuals with disabilities from early intervention through education, transition, and employment. Moving OSERS to HHS and OCR to DOJ would fragment this coordinated system and threaten decades of progress for students with disabilities and their families.
PNWNY stands with our colleagues and implores Congress to refuse the transfer of these Offices, maintaining the Department of Education’s mandated roles to ensure laws and programs for students with disabilities continue to provide opportunities, inclusion, and success in their education.
