Atlanta, Georgia – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr continues to attempt to maintain long-standing federal support for children with disabilities. This comes after a legal fight in many states that stopped changes to how those funds may be utilized.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was the main focus of the lawsuit. This is a federal law that helps make sure that K–12 schools provide accommodations and assistance to children with disabilities.
Carr said that the action was meant to stop a rule from the Biden administration that he and other state attorneys general said would have changed the legal definition of disability under Section 504. The proposed modification wanted to add “gender dysphoria” to that category, even though federal law already says that gender identity disorders that don’t come from physical impairments are not included. Carr said the action put important funding at jeopardy for families and schools that use 504 plans every day.
Funding from Section 504 is very important in Georgia classrooms because it helps children with many different types of disabilities. These plans allow children with learning or developmental problems like Down syndrome, dyslexia, autism, and others get the help and services they need. School districts use the money to make sure that all students can get an education and actively participate in school life.
“Our lawsuit was about one thing – fighting the Biden-Harris administration’s obsession with promoting a radical progressive transgender ideology at every turn,” said Carr.
“They tried to dismantle Section 504 by labeling ‘transgender dysphoria’ as a disability. We fought back to protect the funds that Georgia families have used for decades, and that’s exactly what we have done.”
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Carr and 16 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the administration’s approach to block the rule from going into force. That legal action succeeded in blocking the changes before they were implemented. As a result, existing Section 504 plans remained unchanged, and the flow of federal funds to support students with disabilities was preserved.
Carr added that the conclusion made sure that families and teachers who depend on the program will be stable. He said that without the court’s help, schools could have had to move resources around, which would have made things unclear for students who were already getting services. The attorneys general stopped the regulation, which Carr said was in line with decades of established practice under federal disability law.
The problem has come back up in federal policy more recently. The Trump administration has said that it will officially remove the Biden-era rule about gender dysphoria and Section 504. In response, Carr and 22 other attorneys general wrote a letter of support for the proposed reversal. They say that the measure would end the disagreement for good and keep disability funds safe.
Because of the legal challenge and the potential federal reversal, Section 504 will stay in effect as it has been used in the past. Carr added that this result gives him confidence that Georgia schools will keep giving students with disabilities the help and services they need. He stressed that the law’s main goal should be to help those with known disabilities and make sure they can get an education.
Attorneys general from more than 20 states joined Carr in submitting the comment letter, reflecting broad support for maintaining the current framework. They all agree that keeping Section 504 the way it is now protects both students and school systems and keeps important educational services running smoothly.
Find a copy of the comment letter here .
