Special Education, Student Mental Health Lead Bynum’s Youth Agenda

U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.) unveiled a “K-30 agenda” on Jan. 26 to address affordability and access concerns she says she’s heard from young Oregonians in her first term.

Notable bills for education include a proposal that would instruct Congress to increase spending on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act program that provides funds for children with special needs.

Special education funding was a top priority for many education advocacy groups in the Oregon legislature in the last cycle. School districts across the state demanded changes to the 11% cap, which limits state special education funding to 11% of total enrollment even as many districts report higher percentages of at-need students. (The push to lift the cap was unsuccessful.)

In another nod to increased behavioral and mental health concerns in schools, Bynum is sponsoring a bill to establish more mental health service access to under-resourced school districts. It comes at a time when school districts nationwide are struggling to afford behavioral health services, especially after the federal government’s COVID-19 aid relief program expired in 2024.

Bynum, a first-term representative, flipped the 5th Congressional District blue in 2024, unseating former U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. She’s seeking reelection this November in a district where voter registration is split closely between parties, but where Republicans have struggled to recruit a plausible candidate.

The other 14 bills in Bynum’s K-30 agenda aim to help youth access a quality education, secure well-paying jobs, and afford homeownership. Many of them target relief for specific industries, and a number of them concentrate on rural support. “Millions of young Americans have done exactly what has been asked of them, but our country isn’t returning the favor,” she said.