The Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act (HR2035, S995) passed in the Senate last week. The authorization levels have been changed to $10 million annually through FY 2025 ($40 million over 4 years). This is considerably less than as introduced and the House-passed bill from last July ($200 million over five years), and even less than reauthorization bills introduced in past Congresses ($75 million over five years). The next step is that the Senate-passed bill will go to the House for a final vote and to come to a final agreement on funding levels.
Plain Language:
This bill passed helps family caregivers of children and adults with disabilities for 4 years.
What this means to you:
Lifespan Respite Care programs are systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs. Such programs assist in the development of respite care supports at the state and local levels.
Contact your Members of Congress to thank them for passing this important piece of legislation: United States Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Vocational Rehabilitation
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) submitted a notice of interpretation (NOI) in the Federal Register. They are seeking to:
Clarify current policy regarding the use of Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) funds reserved for the provision of pre-employment transition services to pay for auxiliary aids and services needed by all students with disabilities in order to access or participate in required pre-employment transition services under section 113(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; and
Announce a change in policy with respect to additional VR services needed by eligible students with disabilities that may be paid for with Federal VR grant funds reserved for the provision of pre-employment transition services and the circumstances under which those funds may be used to pay for those additional VR services.
Plain Language:
The government is asking for public comment on how money can be used to pay for job skill training services for students with disabilities.
What this means to you:
Share your expertise on the impacts of pre-employment transition services and the impacts of these proposed policy changes.
After last Saturday's South Carolina primary, activist Tom Steyer and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg have dropped out of the Democratic presidential race.
Tomorrow is "Super Tuesday," when fourteen states (plus American Samoa and Democrats Abroad) will hold their presidential primaries, more states than any other single day in the primary calendar. More than one-third of Democratic delegates will be awarded from these states, so the presidential race could look very different by the end of the week.
Disability Policy Seminar
Registration now for the Disability Policy Seminar and the AUCD Emerging Leaders Policy Forum! Learn more information about the events.
You do need to register for both events if you plan to attend the Sunday AUCD Policy Forum before DPS.
Check out AUCD's new policy resource, a one-page fact sheet to help explain AUCD's policy efforts, and engage with us today!
AUCD Disability Policy Fellowship
Applications are open for the full year (June 2020-May 2021) AUCD Disability Policy Fellowship. Persons with disabilities or family members, and persons from culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Tuesdays With Liz:Nutrition with Carol Curtin
Keeping a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. LEND and UCEDD Director Dr. Carol Curtin of the Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School speaks to Liz about her work with the Healthy Weight Research Network. Learn more at www.hwrn.org.
A network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
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