WASHINGTON — A legislative effort aimed at making the transition from high school to higher education significantly simpler and more affordable for students with disabilities is now one step closer to becoming federal law following a key vote in the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Senate approved the legislation this week, advancing a measure designed to help individuals with disabilities navigate the often complex process of selecting the right college and securing necessary accommodations once they enroll on campus. The proposal, officially known as the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE) Act, addresses long-standing hurdles that families and students face when moving from the K-12 public education system into colleges and universities.
At its core, the RISE Act requires higher education institutions to be significantly more transparent regarding their internal policies, procedures, and resources related to disability services. Furthermore, the measure introduces a crucial common-sense reform: it ensures that students who already possess official documentation of a disability can continue to use that same documentation when they transition to higher education. By doing so, the bill spares families from the substantial time, trouble, and expense of obtaining entirely new diagnostic testing upon entering college.
The financial and logistical burden of securing fresh evaluations has long been a major pain point for students and their families. Advocates and lawmakers backing the bill emphasize that a student’s medical or learning condition does not vanish or fundamentally alter the moment they receive a high school diploma.
“Students with disabilities shouldn’t have to pay for costly and duplicative testing to prove a disability that they’ve already documented,” said Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who is leading the legislative effort in the Senate. “My bipartisan RISE Act slashes red tape, removes unnecessary barriers and ensures students receive the support they support they need to succeed.”
The legislation boasts notable bipartisan backing in the upper chamber. In addition to Senator Banks, the bill is sponsored by Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., reflecting a shared recognition across political lines that the current system in higher education often creates needless obstacles for ambitious students pursuing post-secondary degrees.
The need for such reform is underscored by demographic figures across the nation’s public education system. Approximately 15 percent of all public school students nationwide are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). An additional 4 percent receive specialized services and accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In all of these cases, local educational institutions have already thoroughly documented the students’ disabilities and carefully assessed their unique support needs through the formal process of developing individualized education programs, commonly known as IEPs, or through specialized 504 plans.
Under the provisions of the RISE Act, colleges and universities across the United States would be legally required to accept documentation derived from an IEP, a 504 plan, or equivalent records that were utilized at any point during a student’s high school career as official proof of a disability. This eliminates the requirement that many institutions currently impose, which forces incoming freshmen to undergo fresh, privately funded psychological or educational evaluations simply to establish eligibility for standard classroom and testing accommodations.
Beyond easing documentation requirements, the legislation making its way through Congress contains additional provisions designed to improve transparency and institutional support. The bill requires universities to collect and publicly report comprehensive data concerning undergraduate students who receive disability services. Additionally, the measure includes authorized funding dedicated to technical assistance, which is intended to help institutions of higher education upgrade, expand, and generally improve the quality and accessibility of their campus disability support offices.
Disability advocacy organizations and education professionals have been actively lobbying for these systemic changes for over a decade. The rising momentum in Congress arrives at a time when a growing number of college students are actively seeking disability accommodations, signaling an increasing demand for accessible learning environments and robust support structures on modern campuses.
The frustration experienced by families navigating the current system has been a focal point for advocates who argue that higher education should be accessible to all qualified students regardless of administrative roadblocks.
“A student’s disability doesn’t change when they graduate from high school, so why should they have to prove it all over again?” said Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “Families shouldn’t have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on new evaluations. The RISE Act would help put an end to that unnecessary burden.”
With the Senate having cleared its version of the legislation, the bill now moves over to the House of Representatives for consideration during the final weeks of the legislative session. Lawmakers driving the companion effort in the House expressed optimism about the bill’s prospects, pointing to its history of broad bipartisan support and the ongoing discussions among members to secure a floor vote before the current session concludes.
“This legislation has long had bipartisan support in the House and I’m in conversation with my colleagues about how we can get it on the House floor for a vote during these last few weeks of Congress,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., who is leading the House effort alongside Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind. “I’m optimistic we will be able to get it passed on suspension or have it come up for a vote with bipartisan support.”
