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Public Policy
The Arc pursues its legislative goals by working with the U.S. Congress and the administration to enact laws that improve the lives of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc also wants to keep all chapters and members of the association well-informed about national policies that impact the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With this information, The Arc exercises its grassroots strength to better the lives of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
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HELP US SAVE MEDICAID! RECRUIT LOCALLY CONNECTED, POLITICALLY ACTIVE PEOPLE FOR THE ARC AND UCP DISABILITY POLICY COLLABORATION'S ONE-TO-ONE NETWORK Medicaid is the lifeline that provides supports and services to people with disabilities and their families. Over the next few months, the Administration, Congress and our nation's Governors want to reform Medicaid with proposals that will cut that lifeline. Here is how you can help find qualified One-to-One Networkers:
We
need new strengths.
We need new approaches. We need your help. |
Click here to learn about major public policy activities of The Arc.
Click
for the latest edition of Capitol Insider. (Back
Issues)
Click here
for the latest regular edition of Washington Watch.(Back
Issues)
Also see this special edition of Washington Watch
Public Policy News from The Arc
The 2007 Seminar fact sheets and talking points on priority disability
policy issues are available. Click
here for an index of issues and to download your copies.
On
August 16, 2006, DPC Staff Director Paul Marchand gave a presentation
to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel, urging them
to adopt a “do no harm” principle when promoting employment
among Title II and SSI disability beneficiaries as well suggesting improvements
to the Social Security program to maximize potential work of people with
disabilities. Click
here for a copy of his presentation.
Application To Become A Red Cross Community Relations Liaison, Disaster
Services Human Resources (DSHR) program. Employees and volunteers can
be trained and deployed to serve during emergencies and disasters. Click
here to download the application.
DPC Staff Director Paul Marchand testified before the Interagency Committee
on Disability Research, providing the committee with direction for its
federal disability research agenda. Among his many recommendations, Marchand
urged the committee to increase federal funding for research and better
disseminate results to the disability community. Click
here to read his complete testimony.
Nearly 500 people participated in the 2006 Disability Policy Seminar (February 6-8). The sessions were a huge success and were capped off by a compelling presentation on the Federal Budget by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities’ Ellen Nissenbaum during the closing wrap-up session.
Ellen’s PowerPoint Presentation is now available. For a copy, click
here
Click here for pictures
taken at the seminar and while advocates were visiting Members of Congress
on Capitol Hill.
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), P.L. 109-171
Effective Dates of Selected Sections
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which was signed into law on February 8, 2006, has a number of provisions that will significantly affect the lives of people with disabilities and their families. For a chart of the key sections in order of their effective dates and a timeline of selected sections, click here. For more details about each provision, click here for the companion summary.
PDF versions of The Arc's 2005 legislative goals and legislative goals brochure are available online.
Copies of fact sheets on priority issues distributed at
the recent Public Policy Seminar are now
available online.
Voting/Election Reform -- Provisional Balloting Ensures Every Voter's Vote is Counted
The Arc of the United States Submits Comments to U.S. Election Assistance Committion on Computerized Voting. The text is available online
United
Cerebral Palsy and The Arc submitted comments to the Secretary’s
Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) in preparation
for an October 18, 2004 hearing on Genetic Discrimination. The SACGHS
is attempting to raise awareness about the problem of genetic discrimination
and to gather information about the scope and nature of genetic discrimination
to encourage Congress to act. President Bush has called for federal legislation
to prohibit genetic discrimination in health insurance and employment.
In October 2003, the Senate unanimously passed the Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act, and advocates are still pressing for action in
the House of Representatives. In July 2004, the House Subcommittee on
Employer-Employee Relations of the Committee on Education and the Workforce
held a hearing on the issue. Yet, despite broad bipartisan support for
the legislation, further progress in the House remains stalled.
The Arc's President reacts to Supreme Court ruling on death penalty cases
- news
release available online. The
text of the court's ruling is also available in pdf format.
Education
IDEA Proposed Regulation Comments Due After Labor Day.
Call For Special Ed Advocates To Submit Comments - The Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act serves almost seven million children with
disabilities, providing them with a free, appropriate public education
in the least restrictive environment. Now, the U.S. Department of Education
published proposed rules to implement this law on June 21, 2005 with a
75-day comment period and comments are due on September 6, 2005. The Arc
and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities have submitted comments
and we need state executives, local chapter directors, parents, family
members and others to submit comments on the proposed regulations.
For instructions on submitting comments, click here to view the The
Arc's Action Alert. For an example of The Arc's comments on the proposed
IDEA regulations, click
here . For more detailed comments, you can view the CCD's comments
by clicking here.
Twenty-eight organizations of the Consortium for Citizens
with Disabilities (CCD), including The Arc of the United States and United
Cerebral Palsy, are seriously concerned about the new two-percent policy
under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for assessing certain special education
students. The CCD expressed its concern in a letter issued to Education
Secretary Margaret Spellings and requested a meeting with the Secretary
in anticipation of a proposed rulemaking on this policy.
For a copy of the letter and the document outlining the CCD's concerns
and requests, please click here.
Housing
Priced out in 2002 - The Crisis Continues, shows that people with disabilities are among the poorest of the poor and need acces to federal rental subsidies to help them live in the community. (Note: this link takes you to the Opening Doors web page).
Going It Alone: The Struggle to Expand Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities. Also available in PDF format. The Arc is a leader of the CCD Housing Task Force and Opening Doors Initiative that produced this report.
CCD Housing Task Force Section 504 complaint filed with the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
Issue Papers
Issue Paper: "Accessing
the Pork: How to Secure Federal Dollars Through an Appropriations Earmark"
Medicaid and Medicare
The new Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (known as the MMA) will have significant implications for Medicare beneficiaries with developmental disabilities, especially dual-eligibles (those who receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits). The Arc recently submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the proposed regulations to implement this new law. The Arc expressed serious concerns that the proposed regulations fall short of protecting the health and safety of individuals with developmental disabilities and urged CMS to make significant changes before issuing the final regulations.
The new Medicare prescription drug benefit, which becomes effective on January 1, 2006, will be very important for Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities and people with disabilities who are "dual-eligibles" (i.e. who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits). Public comments were sought on the draft Model Guidelines. The Arc and UCP Disability Policy Collaboration submitted a letter to focus attention on the prescription drug needs of people with developmental disabilities.
Social Security
The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy concerned by Chairman Thomas' idea to dismantle Social Security.
DPC's Marty Ford Testifies Before House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Social Security Discusses Changes to Social Security and Impact on People with Disabilities.
Pres. Bush's Social Security Remarks Highlight Critical Distinction For People with Disabilities
Important Links
The Arc Legislative Action Center - Sign up to receive news and action alerts; locate and email your members of Congress; and contact federal agencies and congressional committees at this site.
The Center for the
Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) - A new online
resource, the center provides public education, leadership development
and training, technical assistance and information and conducts action-research
and analysis of public policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities
and their families.
Effective Advocacy - Tools on how to advocate for yourself and others.
The Arc's Media Kit includes reports, testimony, press releases and letters from the Governmental Affairs Office.
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
- A national coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations.
- A housing initiative for people with disabilities and their advocates.
Thomas, the Library of Congress on-line, to search bills by topic, bill number or title; search through Congressional Records; and find committee reports. Or locate The Arc's key legislative issues in the Action Center
Federal departments and administrative agencies important to people with mental retardation:
CMS - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
HUD - Housing and Urban Development
HHS - Department of Health and Human Services
OSERS (DOE) - Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
For information on The Arc's public policy initiatives, contact:
The Disability Policy Collaboration
1660 L Street, NW, Suite 701
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 783-2229
(202) 783-8250 - Fax
info@thedpc.org