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Congress
On February 26, members in both chambers return to Capitol Hill from a ten-day recess with four weeks left to put together a massive fiscal year (FY) 2018 spending bill by March 23 to avoid another government shutdown. The package with will cover all remaining appropriations for FY18 in an omnibus bill.
Budget & Appropriations
Program funding - LEND
The President's FY 2019 Budget Request eliminates funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Autism CARES Act programs. This $47 million cut includes the $31.3 million appropriation for LEND programs. This means, the national network of LEND programs that has, for over 30 years, provided advanced training to students and fellows from a broad array of professional disciplines in the identification, assessment, and treatment of children and youth with a wide range of developmental disabilities would be eliminated.
LEND directors, health professionals, trainees, families and allies should educate their Members of Congress about why this training program is important for your community and why it must not be eliminated. Please use the AUCD Action Center to send an email (which you can personalize) to your Members of congress advocating for and/or educating about the importance of LEND.
Program funding - UCEDD
The President's FY 2019 Budget Request cuts the funding for UCEDDs by $6 million from $39 to $33 million, or more than 15%. In fact, a $5.5 million increase over the expected FY 2018 level is needed to meet the growth of scope of work as related to assisting states to effectively implement recently enacted Federal laws, and the growth of need around autism, Zika and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
UCEDD directors, health professionals, trainees, families and allies must educate their Members of Congress about why this training program is important and how it serves your state. Please use the AUCD Action Center to send an email (which you can personalize) to your Members of congress advocating for and/or educating about the importance of UCEDD.
Hearing
Tomorrow, March 6, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee (Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla.) of House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on the "FY2019 Budget Request - Department of Labor."
Health Care
Strengthening Long-Term Services and Supports: Reform Strategies for States
Tomorrow, March 6, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is hosting a webinar to discuss policy strategies, operational steps, and federal and state authorities that leading states have used to increase access to community-based care and improve integration of LTSS with other Medicaid and Medicare-covered services. This webinar will also highlight opportunities and challenges that states faced in pursuing different reforms to help guide policymakers that are seeking to improve care delivery, person-centeredness, and cost-effectiveness of Medicaid LTSS. Click here for more information.
Hearing - Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
On March 6, the House Constitution and Civil Justice subcommittee (part of the House Judiciary Committee) will hold a hearing on "Examining Class Action Lawsuits Against Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities". Witnesses include: March Bryant ("Mother and RN"), Caroline Lahrmann ("Mother and former President of VOR"), Peter Kinzler ("Father and Attorney"), and Alison Barkoff ("Sister and Co-Chair of Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities").
Money Follows the Person (MFP)
We applaud all advocates for their continued engagement around the important MFP program. This week is crucial for advocates to continue educating Members of Congress on the positive impact this program has had on the lives of people with disabilities. It is AUCD's hope that MFP will be included in the March 23 omnibus appropriations package. Senators Portman (R-OH) and Cantwell (D-WA) introduced bipartisan legislation (EMPOWER Care Act - S. 2227) to improve and extend the program for five years; Representatives Guthrie (R-KY) and Dingell (D-MI) will be introducing a companion bill this week! This week includes three days of action - March 7 National call in-day, March 8 National social media day, March 9 Email you Members of Congress day. Please use this toolkit for talking point, email template, tweets, and more. For more information, please contact Christine Grosso.
Also see letters to leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee expressing strong support for extending MFP singed by over 76 national organizations representing individuals with disabilities, older adults and health plans, and 264 state and regional organizations across 42 states.
ADA Education and Reform Act (H.R. 620)
On February 16, ADA Education and Reform Act bill passed by a vote of 225-192. AUCD is very concerned that this bill would negatively impact people with disabilities and the efforts to ensure communities are inclusive and accessible. Senators Bob Casey, Chuck Schumer, Tammy Duckworth, Maggie Hassan, Elizabeth Warren, and Chris Van Hollen issued this statement on their concerns; similarly a letter from 236 organizations was sent to congressional leadership in opposition to the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017. AUCD encourages advocates to educate their Senators on the importance of the ADA, a law that has now been in place for over 25 years. The ADA website https://adata.org/ provides information and free resources to business owners and the general public addressing some of the misinformation about perceived burden on accessibility.
Education
Publication of Significant Disproportionality Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
A notice of proposed rulemaking was issued that would postpone by two years the compliance date for implementing efforts to correct disparate treatment of students of color with disabilities; this would postpone the requirements of states needing to identify school districts that are in need of resources to address gross inequities. Comment deadline is May 13, 2018. You can learn more about concerns from the Education and Workforce Committee regarding the "Rollback of Civil Rights for Students with Disabilities, Students of Color".
Dignity in Schools Campaign and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is hosting a webinar tomorrow, March 6, about the federal school discipline guidance to help schools prevent and address discipline practices that discriminate against students of color. Register here.
Hearing
Tomorrow, March 6, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education will hold a hearing on "Strengthening Welfare to Work With Child Care."
2018 Disability Policy Seminar
Please remember to register for the Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) and the AUCD Trainee Summit, which will take place on Sunday, April 22! DPS is a great opportunity to learn about disability policy, advance the grassroots movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, advocate for access to health care, community living supports and civil rights, share your story with Members of Congress, and more. Remember to schedule meetings with your Senators and Representatives before you come to DC (tips sheets on how to do this will be shared soon).
Please save the date: Trainee orientation webinar - April 2nd at 3:30-4:30pm EST - which will highlight what you can expect, how you should prepare, and an opportunity to ask questions!
Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All
The Tuesdays with Liz series is taking a break while Liz Weintraub is on detail working with the Senate Aging Committee. Tuesdays with Liz will return to a regular taping schedule and new episodes will air in the late Spring when Liz returns to AUCD. Until then, we will be highlighting some of our favorite Tuesdays with Liz episodes from this past year here and on social media at @AUCDnews.
This week, we'd like to take you back to when Liz interviewed fellow self-advocate Evan Nodvin about why it matters to him to be able to live in and be a part of his community, and the role Medicaid plays in and be a part of his community, and the role Medicaid plays in enabling his independence.
For more from AUCD, follow @AUCDNews and like AUCD on Facebook
For updates from our Executive Director Andy Imparato, follow @AndyAUCD.
For definitions of terms used in In Brief, please see AUCD's Glossary of Legislative Terms
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