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June 3, 2024 | Vol. MMXXIII | Issue 92
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Releases FY 2019-2023 Autism Report
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On May 29th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the FY 2019-2023 Report to Congress on Activities Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities Under the Autism Collaboration, Accountability,
Research, Education, and Support Act (Autism CARES Act) of 2019. The report is required by the Autism CARES Act of 2019 and describes autism related activities from over 25 federal departments, agencies, divisions, and offices between Fiscal Years 2019 and 2023. The report includes updated data on the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) training programs, including the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs.
As a reminder, the Autism CARES Act of 2024 (H.R. 7213) is currently in committee in the House of Representatives. In May, the bill unanimously passed the Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health and now moves to the full Energy and Commerce Committee for mark-up. The bill must be
reauthorized by September 30th.
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Plain Language
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On May 29th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report on the work the federal government is doing on autism. HHS must release this report. The House of Representatives is currently working on the Autism CARES Act of 2024 (H.R. 7213), and the bill is in committee.
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Action Steps
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Read the report from HHS. Read the bill text for the Autism CARES Act of 2024. Read AUCD and the Autism Society’s brief on the CARES Act. Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of training, research, and monitoring programs related to autism and other developmental disabilities. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
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Senator Casey Introduces Legislation to Improve Accessibility of Higher Education
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On May 21st, Senator Casey (D-PA) introduced two pieces of legislation that will make higher education more accessible for students with disabilities. The first bill is the Higher Education Grant Flexibility Act (S. 4379). The bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow students who are taking a reduced course load as a reasonable accommodation for a disability to receive the same federal financial aid as other full-time students. Currently, students with disabilities taking a reduced course load have their student loans prorated, which requires them to choose between accessing reasonable accommodations and their financial aid.
The second bill is the Expanding Disability Access to Higher Education Act (S. 4280). The bill supports federal programs that aim to help first-generation and low-income students pursue higher education by giving $50 million to help enroll and support eligible students with
disabilities. These programs provide eligible students with access to mentoring, career development, and postsecondary education preparation programs.
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Plain Language
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On May 21st, Senator Casey (D-PA) introduced two bills that will make college more accessible for students with disabilities. The first bill is the Higher Education Grant Flexibility Act (S.
4379), which will let students with disabilities take less classes and still receive the same student loans as students without disabilities. Student loans are money that a person borrows to pay for their education. The second bill is the Expanding Disability Access to Higher Education Act (S. 4280), which will give money to programs that help prepare students with disabilities for college and their careers.
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Action Steps
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Read the Higher Education Grant Accessibility Act. Read the Expanding Disability Access to Higher Education Act. Read the announcement from Senator Casey. Call and educate your Members of Congress on the importance of increasing access to higher education. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
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U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report
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The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has released its annual report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The report summarizes OCR’s efforts to resolve complaints regarding race, national origin, sex,
disability, or age. OCR saw the highest number of complaints in FY 2023, with 19,201 complaints. OCR resolved the third highest number of complaints in its history with 16,448 complaints. 11 sets of resources and guidance were also published on addressing different forms of discrimination in schools. OCR also reported that they operated with less staff than previous years.
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Plain Language
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The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has released a report on the work they did last year to make sure students can get an education no matter their gender, sex, age, race, ethnicity, or
disability.
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Action Steps
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Read the report from OCR.
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White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Seeks Information on Disability Data
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On May 30th, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a Request for Information to get input to help inform the development
of the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity.
Last February, President Biden signed the Executive Order 14091 on “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government”. The Executive Order directed the OSTP National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate on how to implement the recommendations from the
Equitable Data Working Group. The SED established responsible for the development and release of a Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity. The agenda will improve the federal government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that advance equity for the disability community. OSTP is seeking input from the public on specific questions that relate to informing data collection and public access, describing disparities as well as privacy, security, and civil rights. Comments can be submitted through the Federal Register until July 15th.
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Plain Language
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On May 30th, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy asked people to submit comments about how information is collected on people with
disabilities. This will help the White House make decisions on policies that will affect people with disabilities. You can submit comments until July 15th.
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Action Steps
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Read more about the RFI and submit comments until July 15th.
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Government Accountability Offices Releases Report on College Students with Disabilities
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On May 29th, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report focused on access to and the experiences of college students with disabilities. The study
found that the number of college students with disabilities has increased since 2004. In 2004, 11% of college students identified that they had a disability and in 2021, 21% of college students reported having a disability. The GAO recommended that the U.S. Department of Education “encourage state and local educational agencies to disseminate resources about the importance of self-advocacy to obtain accommodations in college, and (2) enable college staff to receive notifications of newly issued guidance and other information about accommodations for postsecondary students with disabilities.”
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Plain Language
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The Government Accountability Office which does research to help the federal government work better, came out with a report on the experience of college students with
disabilities. There are more college students today with disabilities than there was 20 years ago, and many say that have issues with accessing disability services.
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Action Steps
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Read more about the report from GAO.
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More Information and Resources on New and Forthcoming Regulations
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The Administration on Community Living has put together this summary of some of the new and forthcoming regulations that will protect the rights and support people with disabilities in healthcare and other federally funded programs. These rules include:
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Save the Date: Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Olmstead v L.C.
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On June 20th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm EST, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will hold a virtual and in-person event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v L.C. You can find more information about the event on ACL’s website.
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Check out the latest episode of Tuesdays with Liz: Research for All
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"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 U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, agency officials, AUCD leadership, 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.
This April and May, AUCD is releasing a new series called "Tuesdays with Liz: Research for All." Check out the first episode in the series featuring Andrew Houtenville from the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability in "Tuesdays with Liz: Employment Statistics for People with Disabilities from StatsRRTC."
Find the full playlist on YouTube or check out the latest episode.
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