The Autism CARES Act - which has expanded research and coordination, increased public awareness and surveillance, and expanded interdisciplinary health professional training, including LENDs, to identify and support children and youth with Autism and their families - will sunset (expire) on September 30, 2019, without a successful reauthorization. Bills to reauthorize the Act have been introduced (S. 427, HR. 1058). Currently 25 Senators and 124 Representatives have joined as co-sponsors. A hearing in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday June 25th, at 10 a.m. Amy Hewitt, UCEDD/LEND Director of the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota,will testify as a witnesson the benefits and impacts of Autism CARES.
Contact your Congressional delegation and make sure they are engaged in the reauthorization. Check the House List and if your Representative has not yet co-sponsored call them and ask them to do so. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 (voice) or 202 224-3091 (TTY)
Sample Script: "I am [Name] from [City]. I have seen the impact of Autism CARES and the lives changed because of this important legislation. I urge you to support H.R: 1058."
Check the Senate List and if one or both of your Senators has not yet co-sponsored call them and ask them to do so. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 (voice) or 202 224-3091 (TTY)
Sample Script: "I am [Name] from [City]. I have seen the impact of Autism CARES and the lives changed because of this important legislation. I urge you to support S.427."
Budget/Appropriations
The House continues to vote on amendments to HR 2740, the four-bill (DoD, Energy & Water, Labor/HHS/Education, State/Foreign Ops) appropriations "minibus." Following HR 2740, the House will next take up H.R. 3055 - the second FY20 "minibus" which will include another four bills - Commerce/Justice/Science, Agriculture, Mil Con/VA and the Transportation/HUD bills. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) will mark up the President's $4.5B border supplemental request. SAC Chairman Richard Shelby also reiterated that the Senate will likely 'deem' a topline spending level for FY20 appropriations bills after lawmakers return from the July Fourth recess, unless a spending caps deal is struck before then.
Healthcare
Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019 (HR 3253) passedon June 18th, having been introduced by Congresswoman Dingell (D-MI) and Congressmen Guthrie (R-KY). It would provide for certain extension with respect to Medicaid programs under the Social Security Act. It would fund 4.5 years of Money Follows the Person (MFP) and Spousal Impoverishment Protections. The bill now moves to the Senate.
What This Means to You:
MFP has allowed people with disabilities to transition from institutions back into the community. There are currently 43 states and the District of Columbia participating in the MFP demonstration grants increasing the use of home and community-based services (HCBS).
People with disabilities receiving HCBSs could be at risk of losing Medicaid eligibility without spousal improvement protections - which allows for a spouse to keep a share of the couple's income and assets to meet their needs without risking Medicaid eligibility.
Action Step:
Contact your Representative and thank them for supporting this bill.
Contact your Senators asking them to support this bill.
Education
The GAO issued a report on the underreporting of restraints and seclusions (RS) on a national level and aims to help prevent underreporting of RS in the upcoming 2017-2018 CRCD report before it publishes. Based on GAO's performance audit, GAO offers four recommendations to the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in order to make future RS data are more complete and accurate; the DOE agreed with all but the last recommendation and explained that the first recommendation would not be possible for the 2017-2018 school year, since most districts have already submitted their data. For more details on these recommendations, read the full report here.
Campaign 2020
This week begins the first Democratic debates. The charts below include candidates' positions on disability issues.
The first debate on Wednesday, June 26, in Miami will include:
Your voice is needed to ensure that disability policy is part of the campaign.
For candidates who are currently in office, share and elevate their position on key disability legislation as noted in the chart. Tip: You can and should ask them to support bills of importance.
Check out the campaign website of each candidate (links provided); use the sites to submit questions about disability policy. For example, "How will you be ensuring that your campaign fully includes people with disabilities and intentionally speaks to people with disabilities?"
In recognition of Pride Month, Liz chats with Mara Keisling, founding Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, about the intersection between trans rights and disability rights. Visit https://transequality.org/ to learn more about the National Center for Transgender Equality.
A network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
