H.R. 4602: Defending Special Education Students and Families Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-12-07 · Education · Latest: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-12-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Defending Special Education Students and Families Act of 2017

Plain summary

Defending Special Education Students and Families Act of 2017 This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to authorize appropriations for grants to assist states in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities. For FY2018-FY2022, the bill authorizes specified amounts. For FY2023 and each subsequent fiscal year, the bill authorizes amounts using a specified formula. The bill also amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to modify the discretionary spending limits for FY2018-FY2021. For each fiscal year, the bill decreases the limit for security spending by a specified amount and increases the limit for nonsecurity spending by the same amount. The nonsecurity spending increases are the same amounts as are authorized in the bill for additional funding under the IDEA in those fiscal years.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Defending Special Education Students and Families Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr4602.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr4602 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115