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Autism CARES 2019: Push for movement before expiration
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 and need co-sponsors (HR. 1058, S. 427). We are pushing hard for action before the July 4th recess to ensure reauthorization happens before expiration. Currently 22 Senators and 108 Representatives have joined as co-sponsors.
Action Steps:
- 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 [State]. I have seen the impact of Autism CARES and the lives changed because of this important legislation. I urge you to support and co-sponsor 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 and co-sponsor S.427."
- If you are in a district where your members are already co-sponsors, educate members of your social circle who live in other areas and ask them to call. Your story and ask can help others become engaged.
Employment
Issues around disability employment are getting increased attention in Washington. This is an important time for you to share your voice and experience with the administration and with your Congressional delegation.
Section 14(c)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is hosting a national online dialogue until June 14th to gather perspectives on Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. AUCD has joined the dialogue and posted organizational comments.
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act authorizes employers who hold a certificate from the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to pay wages that are less than the federal minimum wage to workers who have disabilities for the work being performed.
To date the comments do not proportionally reflect the positive experiences people with disabilities are having with competitive integrated employment.
Action Step:
- Share your thoughts via this site before June 14th. To guide you, a video tutorial explaining the process for submitting comments has been made by the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE). Please consider:
- Sharing your individual stories about employment in all settings for people with disabilities.
- Sharing your thoughts on supports needed to increase workforce participation of people with disabilities.
- Sharing your experience as an employer.
The Transformation to Competitive Employment Act
The Transformation to Competitive Employment Act (S.260 and H. 873) was introduced last January. The bill would assist employers providing employment under special certificates issued under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to transform their business and program models to support individuals with disabilities to transition to competitive integrated employment, and would phase out the use of 14 (c) certificates. AUCD's support for the bill can be found here.
Action Steps:
Movement will likely come from the House first; your Representative needs to hear from you.
- 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 [State]. I support changing our employment support system for people with disabilities so that all American's can contribute to their communities. I urge you to support and co-sponsor H.R: 873."
CAPABILITY Act of 2019
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) introduced the Customized Approaches to Providing and Building Independent Lives of Inclusion for Transition-aged Youth Act of 2019, also known as the CAPABILITY Act of 2019 (H.R.3070). The bill would fund grants that help Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism transition from school to the workforce by creating customized work opportunities, expanding fair-wage jobs in integrated workplaces and creating programs that help teach independent-living and job skills.
HealthCare
The Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on health care extenders on Tuesday, June 4. This hearing was an important set in the reauthorization of many expiring bills. Topics covered include:
- H.R. 1767, the "Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act"
- H.R. 1943, the "Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2019"
- H.R. 2328, the "Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019"
- H.R. 2668, the "Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2019"
- H.R. 2680, the "Special Diabetes Programs for Indians Reauthorization Act of 2019"
- H.R. 2815, the "Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2019"
- H.R. 2822, the "Family-to-Family Reauthorization Act of 2019"
- H.R. 3022, the "Patient Access Protection Act"
- H.R. 3029, the "Improving Low Income Access to Prescription Drugs Act of 2019"
- H.R. 3030, the "Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Extension Act of 2019"
Action Step:
- Share with your members how these programs impact your work and your life.
Tuesdays with Liz: Lisa Carey on Applying Research to Classrooms
Liz chats with Lisa Carey, Assistant Director of the Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, about applying brain research in educational settings to better enable students with disabilities to learn.
To check out the blog Lisa Carey mentions in this interview, visit https://www.kennedykrieger.org/stories/linking-research-classrooms-blog.
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