Legislative Affairs

1
Legislative Affairs

• Briefing on
• AUCD legislative activities
• Kim Musheno
• Joe Caldwell
• David Morrissey

2
FY 08 Appropriations

• Conference report on L-HHS-ED increases for DD
  programs
• UCEDD 4.4 to 37.6M
• DD Councils 5 to 77.3M
• PA 3 to 41.7M
• PNS 3 to 14.4M
• New F.S. Clearinghouse 2M

3
L-HHS-ED conference

• LEND 6 M to expand existing and add new
  programs
• MCH 10 M net increase to 683M
• NCBDDD 6.6 M to 131M
• NICHD 31.7 M to 1,286B
• Lifespan Respite 2 M for new law

4
DD Act

• Scheduled to be reauthorized, likely in Spring
• AUCD Recommendations
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, Pensions
  Committee
• House Energy and Commerce
• Some Parent Union opposition
• Need to educate Congress

5
DD Act Recommendations

• Expand to include life-long disabilities
• Double authorization for appropriations for UCEDD
• Add support for parents with disabilities
• Family Support option for systems change or
  demonstrations
• Continue and expand Title III
• Support SABE recommendations for Self-Advocacy

6
Anti-Class Action bill

• Rep. Frank bill (H.R. 3995) limits use of class
  action law suits to protect people in
  institutions
• co-sponsors Capuano (D-MA), Lynch (D-MA), Moran
  (D-VA), and Shea-Porter (D-NH)
• Need help educating Representatives

7
SCHIP Reauthorization
8
House and Senate bills passed in August
9
SCHIP Reauthorization

• Compromise bill (H.R. 3963) closer to Senate
  version
• Vetoed by President Bush early October
• Fell about 12 votes short in the House of the
  required 2/3 majority to override veto
• House Senate passed revised version on October
  25
• Still about 12 votes short in House
• Democratic leadership and House Republicans still
  negotiating
• May pass CR and extend debate into next year
• In additional money is not provide states will
  not have enough money to cover current kids
• Moratorium on Medicaid Rehabilitation and
  School-Based Services (until January 2010)
• Politics of larger healthcare debate and election
  year

10
New Dental Bills in the Works

• Childrens Dental Health Improvement Act
• Makes pediatric dental mandatory under SCHIP
• Grants for community dental services and oral
  health promotion, specifically mentioning
  services to children with Developmental
  Disabilities
• Essential Oral Health Care Act
• Increases federal match (FMAP) to states for
  dental services for children on SCHIP and
  Medicaid
• Tax credits to dentists for service to low-income
  patients
• Funding of Community Dental Health Coordinator
  training and programming
• SCHIP Reauthorization
• 200 Million for grants to states to improve
  dental care access through reimbursement rates
  and approved services expansions.
• At this time, this provision is uncertain, along
  with the rest of SCHIP

11
CLASS Act

• Community Living Assistance Services and Supports
  (CLASS) Act (S.1758/H.R.3001)
• Establishes national long-term care insurance
  program
• Voluntary payroll deductions
• Would provide a flexible cash benefit
• Individuals would not have to become impoverished
  to receive services and supports
• allow hiring of family caregivers
• Hearing held on July, 10 2007
• AUCD working in coalition to gain lead Republican
  co-sponsors and bi-partisan support

12
Community Choice Act

• (S.799/H.R. 1621)
• Senators Harkins (D-IA) and Specter (R-PA)
• Reps. Davis (D-IL) and Shimkus (R-IL)
• Correct the Medicaid institutional bias and
  provide equal access to community-based services
  and supports
• 19 Senate and 41 House co-sponsors
• Finance Committee hearing held in September
• New study by RRTC on Personal Assistance Services
  re-estimated costs at 1.43.7 billion compared
  with 10-20 billion estimate by CBO
• Chairman Baucus (D-MT) agreed to ask for new CBO
  score

13
National Family Caregiver Support Program

• Provides money to states to provide a range of
  family support activities (including respite)
• Authorized at 187 million (156.1 million FY07)
  
• Includes
• Caregivers older individuals (55 over)
• Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimers
• Grandparent caregivers
• Does not include aging caregivers of adults with
  disabilities (18-55)
• Report language in Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations
• Mary Beth Bruder (CT UCEDD)
• Tamar Heller (IL UCEDD)
• Working with Senator Mikulski (D-MD) on fix

14
Lifespan Respite Care Act

• Lifespan Respite Care Act
• (P.L. 109-442)
• December 2006
• Grants to states
• to develop statewide
• respite programs
• that serve all ages
• and disabilities
• Authorizes 40 million for FY08
• Currently 2 million in Labor-HHS-ED
  Appropriations

15
Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Prevalence increasing at epidemic proportions 1
  in every 150
• As a society, we are not yet prepared to help
  people with autism live with equality, dignity
  and independence
• Too few in the medical community have the
  knowledge to diagnosis autism at the earliest age
• Too few schools have the personnel who can
  effectively educate students with disabilities
• Too few employers are prepared to hire and
  support workers with autism

16
Expanding the Promise to Individuals with Autism
Act

• SENATE
• Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Wayne Allard
  (R-CO) introduced S. 937
• 11 co-sponsors (3R, 1 I, 7D)
• HOUSE
• Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ)
  introduced identical companion bill (H.R. 1881)
• 65 co-sponsors (17R, 50D)

17
Expanding the Promise Act

• Authorizes funding for demonstration and planning
  projects to expand services and supports for
  children and adults
• Grants to expand access to post-diagnosis care
  and to reduce delays in getting services
• GAO report on improving financing structure
• Interdisciplinary training of professionals who
  diagnose and treat individuals (UCEDDs)
• Other provisions to improve access to services
  for individuals with ASD and their families

18
Expanding the Promise - UCEDDs

• Authorizes 13.4 million in FY 08 to award
  supplemental grants to UCEDDs
• 200,000 for each of the 67 Centers to provide
  training, TA, dissemination, and services, and
  address the unmet needs of individuals with
  autism
• Authorizes 5 million to establish up to 4 new
  UCEDDs with a primary focus on providing
  interdisciplinary training and services for
  individuals with autism and related developmental
  disabilities.

19
Combating Autism Act

• President signed PL 109-416 last year
• Authorizes 168 million in FY08, 25 million more
  than FY07
• 114.5 for NIH research into causes, diagnosis,
  early detection, intervention, and treatment
• 16.5 million for the CDCs Disabilities
  Surveillance and Research Program
• 37 million to HRSA to increase awareness, reduce
  barriers to screening and diagnosis, promote
  evidence-based interventions for individuals with
  autism, and train professionals to utilize valid
  and reliable screening tools to diagnose autism
  and provide evidence-based interventions

20
Combating Autism Actand LEND

• Authorizes Secretary of HHS to expand existing or
  develop new interdisciplinary Leadership
  Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
  (LEND) programs
• To provide each of the existing 35 LENDs
  additional funding to train developmental
  pediatricians, clinical psychologists, and other
  diagnosticians and interventionists in the coming
  year and begin to develop programs in States that
  do not have one.

21
Empowering Children with Autism through Education
Act

• Rep. Yarmuth (D-KY) introduced H.R. 2609 on June
  7
• 16 co-sponsors
• Establishes a task force to identify and
  disseminate evidence-based educational strategies
  and promising best practices
• Task Force includes members of UCEDDs
• TA Clearinghouse
• Amendment to reauthorization of NCLB Act

22
Higher Education Act

• Senate unanimously passed HEA reauthorization
  bill
• (S. 1642) on July 24, 2007
• Title VII
• Expanded activities of current post-secondary
  demo projects for students with disabilities
• New demonstrations on postsecondary education for
  students with intellectual disabilities
• Coordinating Center
• Access to Pell grants, work study, and
  campus-based financial aid
• House Education Labor Committee
• Plan to introduce bill by end of month
• AUCD provided input into additional provisions on
  postsecondary education

23
No Child Left Behind

• Neither House or Senate have yet introduced
  reauthorization bills
• AUCD provided recommendations through CCD
• House Education Labor Committee released
  discussion draft in August
• CCD testimony at House hearing in September
• Main issue remains the inclusion of students with
  disabilities in the NCLB accountability system
• Controversial 2 rule on modified academic
  achievement standards (House bill could exclude
  up to 40 of students with disabilities)
• Serious concerns about discussions of using IEP
  as accountability measure
• Politically momentum has stalled this year and
  heading into election year next year

24
Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization

• Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization
• Includes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,but is
  currently stalled in House and Senate
• Rehabilitation Act
• Could move separately
• Senate HELP Committee drafting new bill
• Strong participation from advocates, CCD
• Includes amendments to strengthen youth
  transition and supported employment services

25
ADA Restoration Act

• After 17th Years of the ADA
• Restores the original intent of the ADA
• amends the definition of disability
• prevents courts from considering mitigating
  measures when deciding whether an individual
  qualifies for protection under the law
• keeps focus in employment cases on the reason for
  the adverse action
• 236 bipartisan co-sponsors in House
• Must be considered by four House committees and
  two Senate committees
• House Judiciary Committee held one hearing on the
  issue and may markup in mid-November
• House Education Committee possibly to hold a
  hearing in the beginning of the year and to begin
  pushing for Senate cosponsors
• Senate HELP Committee hearing on November 15

26
Crime Victims with Disabilities

• Matthew Shepherd Local Law Enforcement Hate
  Crimes Prevention Act
• Adds disability to list of protected classes
  under the federal hate crimes statute
• Provides additional funds to states to prosecute
  hate crimes
• Senate passed in September as amendment to the
  Department of Defense authorization bill
• House passed Defense bill without provision
• Conference bill? Veto?
• Crimes Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act
• Title IX of the Crime Control and Prevention Act
  (S. 2237).
• To increase awareness, investigation,
  prosecution, and prevention of crimes against
  individuals with a disability, including
  developmental disabilities, and improve services
  to those who are victimized
• AUCD, with help of SIG, provided significant
  input
• Research grant program to collect data for DOJ
  National Crime Victims survey UCEDDs
  specifically named

27
Action Center
28
Action Center
29
Action Center Activity

• Total Number Messages Sent in 2007 652
• Top 5 Alerts of 2007
• Rank Title Messages Activists
• Labor, HHS, Education Funding 111 messages 55
  activists
• Convention on the Rights of Personswith
  Disabilities 93 messages 23 activists
• Funding for Lifespan Respite Care Act 66
  messages 18 activists
• Community Choice Act 48 messages 16 activists
• UCEDD and LEND FY08 Appropriations 42
  messages 33 activists

30
Action Center Activity

• Top 5 States Sending Alerts in 2007
• Rank Title Messages Activists
• New Jersey 65 messages 16 activists
• Colorado 63 messages 3 activists
• New York 53 messages 20 activists
• Pennsylvania 35 messages 13 activists
• TIE
• North Carolina 34 messages 12
  activistsTennessee 34 messages 15 activists

31
Resources

• Check out AUCDs Action Center for
• Action alerts and sample letters
• Contact info on congressional delegation
• Co-sponsorship status of elected officials
• Read full text of legislation of interest
• Read In Brief for legislative updates
  http//www.aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id164