|
ABLE Age Adjustment Act
On Wednesday June 22, 2022, the Senate Finance Committee met to mark-up the Enhancing American Retirement Now Act (EARN Act), which is a part of the larger retirement reform bill (SECURE 2.0). The ABLE Age Adjustment Act was included in the EARN Act as part of the mark-up. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act will increase the age eligibility for ABLE accounts from 26 to 46, giving millions of people with disabilities the chance to save money without losing eligibility for federal benefits. ABLE accounts are tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities to save money, while not disqualifying them from federal benefits like Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. AUCD signed on to this Statement for the Record from the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities.
Plain Language
The Senate Finance Committee met to discuss the EARN Act. The Committee included the ABLE Age Adjustment Act in the EARN Act. ABLE accounts are savings accounts for people who develop their disability before the age of 26, and they allow people to save money without risking losing federal benefits such as Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. The Able Age Adjustment Act would increase the age of eligibility to 46, giving more people access to these accounts.
What It Means For You
If you acquired a disability between the ages of 26 and 46, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act will make you eligible for ABLE accounts. This will allow you to save money without risking losing access to federal benefits.
Action Steps
Learn more about ABLE accounts at the ABLE National Resource Center. Read a summary of the bill. Next step is to try to increase the number of co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Call your Representatives and educate them about the importance of ABLE accounts for those ages 26-46. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Senate HELP Committee Passes Bill Banning the Use of Electrical Stimulation Devices
On June 14, 2022, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements Act of 2022 (FDASLA Act) (S. 4348). The bill was passed with the inclusion of an amendment from Senator Murphy (D-CT) that would prohibit the use of electrical stimulation devices that are used to limit a person’s aggressive or self-injurious behavior at one school in Massachusetts.
Plain Language
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed a bill that bans the use of devices that are used to control behavior.
What It Means For You
Congress is one-step closer to banning the use of electrical stimulation devices used to control behavior. They are currently used at one school in Massachusetts.
Action Steps
Call your Senators to educate them on the importance of passing the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements Act of 2022 with this amendment. You can reach your Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Request For Information from the Office of Disability Employment Policy Regarding the Current Population Survey
The Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor is requesting information from the public about a planned Disability Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a source of detailed information on the employment status of persons with disabilities. The Disability Supplement to the CPS is expected to be fielded in 2024. This Supplement will provide an opportunity to reconsider the questions asked as part of the CPS in light of the socioeconomic changes that have taken place since the development of the current set of questions more than ten years ago. Comments to the Request for Information will inform decisions regarding the topics, questions, and response options included in the Supplement. The deadline to submit comments on the proposed revisions to the Supplement is August 8, 2022.
Plain Language
The Office of Disability Employment Policy is requesting feedback from the public about the data it collects about the employment of people with disabilities. Comments are due by August 8, 2022.
What It Means For You
This is an opportunity to provide input into the data collected as part of the Disability Supplement by CPS. The Supplement provides important data regarding the status of employment for people with disabilities.
Action Steps
Review the Request for Information. All comment submissions must include the agency name and Regulatory Information Number (RIN 1230–ZA01) for this Request for Information. Submit comments by August 8, 2022 to www.regulations.gov.
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, which includes significant measures to curb gun violence. The bill will close the “boyfriend loophole”, implement red flag laws, improve background checks, and more. The bill also includes significant investments for mental health services for children and family.
Plain Language
President Biden signed a bill to address gun violence on June 25, 2022. The bill takes steps to address gun violence.
What It Means For You
Congress has taken steps to address gun violence in local communities.
Action Steps
Read summary of the bill or the full text of the bill.
U.S. Department of Education Issues 2022 Determination Letters on State Implementation of IDEA
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education issued the 2022 determination letters on state implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Part B and Part C. The IDEA requires the Department to issue an annual determination, based on the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR), which evaluates the State’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describes how the State will improve its implementation. In 2022, the Department is continuing using both compliance and results data to issue its determinations. A State’s determination may be: Meets the requirements and purposes of IDEA; Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of IDEA; Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA; or needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA. Given the impact of COVID-19, the Department did not issue a determination of “Needs Intervention” to any State because the States’ SPP/APR data collections for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019 and FFY 2020 were impacted by COVID-19.
Plain Language
The U.S. Department of Education released a report on how states are doing implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
What It Means For You
The 2022 state determinations for IDEA Part B and Part C provide you a picture of how your state is doing implementing IDEA.
Action Steps
Read the 2022 determinations for the States on their implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Part B and Part C.
Tuesdays with Liz: Did you know that Liz has a YouTube Channel?
'Tuesdays with Liz' is a weekly video series highlighting current issues in disability policy. It is hosted by Liz Weintraub, a long-time disability advocate, and produced by AUCD.
You can help spread her message by:
- Subscribing to the Tuesdays with Liz YouTube Channel!
- Liking videos on the channel
- Making comments on the channel
For more from AUCD, follow @AUCDNews and like AUCD on Facebook
For definitions of terms, please see AUCD's List of Policy Definitions
|
