Senator Chris Van Hollen for the CEC Impact Award

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has been selected by the Board of Directors as a recipient of the CEC Impact Award. The CEC Impact Award recognizes an individual or community/corporate organization that has had an impact on CEC’s strategic work.

Senator Van Hollen is a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, beginning his work on disability-related issues as a Maryland General Assembly member in response to constituent stories. During his time at the General Assembly, he was particularly touched by self-advocates and organizations including Jubilee and The Arc. Without any strong personal connections to people with disabilities, the constituents who appealed to him impacted him on a personal level and compelled him to take on a leadership role in support of disability rights.

Senator Van Hollen views funding programs that support people with disabilities as an issue of fairness, and thus, has been a true champion for fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In his second term in Congress in 2005, he became the Democratic lead sponsor of the IDEA Full Funding Act in the House of Representatives. At the time, Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) was the lead sponsor. Upon Bass’s retirement, Van Hollen became the primary lead of the House bill in 2007. 

Upon winning his Senate seat in 2016, Van Hollen became the bill champion in the Senate. His office works closely with CEC during the biannual drafting of the Full Funding Act, including seeking technical assistance on the bill language and timing of introduction. His office also has a strong relationship with the IDEA Full Funding Coalition (of which CEC is a co-chair) and was instrumental in supporting a briefing last fall in the U.S. Capital, where the Senator offered introductory remarks.

Of the IDEA Full Funding Act, Senator Van Hollen remarks, “Providing our children equal access to a quality education helps ensure every student has a fair shot at success. But for decades the federal government has fallen short of its funding commitment to IDEA – leaving students with disabilities at a disadvantage year after year. Our bill will put us on a path to honor our promise to students with disabilities and ensure they receive the first-rate education they deserve. It will also better ensure that school systems have sufficient resources to meet the needs of all their students.”