February 5, 2024 | Vol. MMXXIII | Issue 84

Budget and Appropriations

On January 7th, President Biden and Congressional Leaders released a bi-partisan topline agreement on funding levels for Fiscal Year 2024 that includes $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary (NDD) funding and $886.3 billion in defense funding. With these topline agreements in place, the House of Representatives and Senate can move forward with finalizing all twelve of the appropriations bills. It has been reported that Leadership has also come to agreement on how to allocate the funding amongst the twelve appropriations bills, 302bs, although those funding levels are not public. The Appropriations Committee and subcommittees are now working to draft the twelve appropriations bills.

Congress passed, and the President signed, another continuing resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2024. A CR continues last year’s funding at the prior levels while Congress works to complete the process for funding the federal government. The CR extends funding for appropriated programs through March 1^st (Agriculture, Military Construction/VA, Energy/Water, and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development bills) and through March 8^th (LHHS, Defense, State/Foreign Operations, Commerce/Justice/Science, Financial Services, Interior/Environment, Legislative Branch, and Homeland Security bills).

On March 7^th, President Biden is scheduled to give his address at the State of the Union. On March 11^th, the White House is planning to release President Biden's Fiscal Year 2025 budget request.

Plain Language 

On January 7th, President Biden and leaders in Congress came to an agreement on a budget for Fiscal Year 2024. Congress passed and President Biden signed another continuing resolution, which continues current government funding until early March. This will give time for Congress to write the appropriations bills.

Action Steps

Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of passing the appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024 by the deadlines. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

House Committee on Small Business Holds Hearing on Employees with Disabilities

On January 30^th, the House Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, held a hearing titled “Pathways to Success: Supporting Entrepreneurs and Employees with Disabilities”. During the hearing, members of the Subcommittee heard from witnesses about how employees with disabilities are an important part of contributing to a strong economy. The witnesses included two owners of small businesses, and the President and CEO of Autism Speaks. The hearing can be viewed on the House Committee on Small Business’s website.

Plain Language 

On January 30^th, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing about employees with disabilities. Members of Congress heard from small business owners and others about ways that employees with disabilities help the economy. The hearing can be viewed on the House Committee on Small Business’s website.

Action Steps

Watch the hearing titled “Pathways to Success: Supporting Entrepreneurs and Employees with Disabilities”.

Senate Introduces the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act

On December 14^th, Senator Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Braun (R-IN) introduced the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act (S. 3528). The bill will amend the Small Business Act to establish the position of Coordinator for Disabled Small Business Concerns within the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights in the Small Business Administration (SBA). This position will allow people with disabilities to access SBA programs that can help them grow their businesses and achieve financial independence.

Many systemic barriers prevent people with disabilities from gaining competitive integrated employment, so many “Americans living with a disability turn to self-employment and small business development at a rate that is nearly twice that of people without disabilities. Several barriers persist for this community in starting and growing their own businesses, including a lack of targeted technical and programmatic assistance as well as outdated attitudinal norms”. The bill addresses these disparities so more people with disabilities can own and operate businesses.

Plain Language 

On December 14^th, Senator Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Braun (R-IN) introduced the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act (S. 3528). Entrepreneurs are people who own businesses, and this bill will create a new position in the federal government to help small business owners with disabilities.

Action Steps

Read the bill text. Read the announcement from the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of supporting disabled entrepreneurs.  You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

House of Representatives to Vote on the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act

On January 24^th, Representative McMorris Rogers (R-WA-5) introduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act (H.R. 485). The bill will ban the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) in healthcare. QALYs are a measure used to prioritize patient care, and they put lesser value on drugs and treatments that extend the lives of people with disabilities as compared to the lives of people without disabilities or chronic illnesses. The House Rules Committee, and the full House of Representatives are expected to vote on the bill this week. If the bill passes, it will then move to the Senate. Currently, there is no Senate companion.

Plain Language 

On January 24^th, Representative McMorris Rogers (R-WA-5) introduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act (H.R. 485). The bill will stop the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) in healthcare. When QALYs are used in health care, it often means that patients with disabilities cannot get certain treatments.  This bill will help people with disabilities get the same treatments and medicines that non-disabled people can get.  The House will vote on the bill this week.

Action Steps

Read the bill text. Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of banning QALYs to ensure healthcare decisions do not discriminate against people with disabilities. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

House of Representatives Introduces the Eliminating Marriage Penalty in SSI Act

On January 18^th, Representative Valadao (D-CA-22), Representative Lee (D-NV-3), Representative Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At Large), Representative Molinaro (R-NY-19), Representative Kilmer (D-WA-6), and Representative Lawler (R-NY-17) introduced the Eliminating Marriage Penalty in SSI Act (H.R. 7055). The bipartisan bill “excludes a spouse's income and when determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and disregards marital status when calculating the SSI benefit amount, for an adult who has a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability”. The bill will allow people with disabilities to get married without having to worry about receiving less money through SSI. Currently, benefits for a married couple who both receive SSI and have no other income amount to 25 percent less than people with disabilities who are not married.

Plain Language 

On January 18^th, Representative Valadao (D-CA-22), Representative Lee (D-NV-3), Representative Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At Large), Representative Molinaro (R-NY-19), Representative Kilmer (D-WA-6), introduced the Eliminating Marriage Penalty in SSI Act (H.R. 7055). When people with disabilities get married, they lose some of the money they get from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This bill will make sure that people with disabilities can get married without worrying about losing some of the money they receive from SSI.

Action Steps

Read this announcement. Read the bill text. Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of marriage equality for people with disabilities. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

U.S. Department of Education Releases Assistive Technology Guidance

On January 23^rd, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and the Office of Special Education Programs released guidance regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the assistive technology (AT) requirements. The guidance dispels commons myths about including assistive technology in Individualized Education Programs, provides direction for when students with disabilities should be evaluated or given access to various AT devices and possible funding sources for AT devices. This guidance will help parents and educators ensure that students with disabilities have access to AT to assist them in receiving a high-quality education.

Plain Language 

On January 23^rd, the U.S. Department of Education released a document that discusses when students with disabilities should have access to assistive technology (AT). AT can be any device that people with disabilities use to do a task that they may have difficulties completing. This will help parents and teachers give their students with disabilities access to AT devices that will improve their education.

Action Steps

Read the guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.

Association of People Supporting Employment First Releases Employment Policy Tracker

The Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE) released a federal and state legislative tracker on employment related legislation. This tool can be used by advocates to see track improvements in federal and state government to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. View the tracker: https://apse.org/legislative-tracker/.

Register for the White House Office of Public Engagement Aging and Disability Communities Call

The White House Office of Public Engagement regularly hosts calls to discuss any federal updates that will affect the older adults and people with disabilities. The next call is February 8th, at 2:00 pm EST. Register here.

Check out the latest episode of "Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All"

"Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All" is a YouTube video series highlighting current issues and hot topics in disability policy. Past guests of Tuesdays with Liz include US Senators, AUCD’s President Elect, and key members of the disability community. 

Liz Weintraub is AUCD's Senior Advocacy Specialist and the host of "Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All".

Liz has extensive experience practicing leadership in self advocacy and has held many board and advisory positions at state and national organizations, including the Council on Quality & Leadership (CQL) and the Maryland Development Disabilities Council.  

Find the full playlist on YouTube or check out the latest episode featuring OSERS' Assistant Secretary, Glenna Wright-Gallo.

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