[Diabetes-Talk] NFB Legislative update

[Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter]

Dear Fellow Federationists:
We are off to a terrific start in the 116th Congress. We have four bills introduced: The Transformation to Competitive Employment Act in the House and Senate and the Access Technology Affordability Act, also in both the House and Senate.
Please call your representative and two senators and urge them to cosponsor these two bills if they have not already done so. A complete list of current cosponsors is included at the end of this email. A summary of the two bills follows.
Transformation to Competitive Employment Act House - H.R. 873 - Sponsored by Bobby Scott (D-VA-3) Senate - S. 260 - Sponsored by Bob Casey (D-PA) These bills would phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act over a six-year period, at which point the provision would officially be sunset.
Access Technology Affordability Act
House - H.R. 2086 - Sponsored by Mike Thompson (D-CA-5) Senate - S. 815 - Sponsored by John Boozman (R-AR) This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of these technologies.
When you call or email, you might say something like the following:
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your senator/representative]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor [S. 260 for Senate calls/H.R. 873 for House calls], the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act. This bill would phase out subminimum wages for people with disabilities over a six-year period, at which point Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the provision that allows this practice, would be sunset. I urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor the bill.
I am also calling to urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor [S. 815 for Senate calls/H.R. 2086 for House calls], the Access Technology Affordability Act. This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of these technologies. I urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor the bill.
Thanks."
You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. If you email your representative or senators, please copy Gabe Cazares at gcazares at nfb.org<mailto:gcazares at nfb.org>.
List of cosponsors as of April 9, 2019:
Transformation to Competitive Employment Act S. 260 Sen. Harris, Kamala D. [D-CA] Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] Transformation to Competitive Employment Act H.R. 873 Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-39] Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11] Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10] Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2] Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26] Rep. Rodgers, Cathy McMorris [R-WA-5] Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] Access Technology Affordability Act S. 815 Sen. Jones, Doug [D-AL] Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] Access Technology Affordability Act H.R. 2086 Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1] Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 410-659-9314, extension 2218 or email me at JPare at nfb.org.
Warm regards,
John
John G. Paré Jr.
410-659-9314 x 2218