[Nfbf-l] Fw: Rehabilitation Act Passes HELP Committee!

[Sherri]

I wrote to Chris Danielson and he sent the following regarding the bill. I 
pasted Patricia's forward below this message. We have to work on changing 
the language.

Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Danielsen, Chris" <CDanielsen at nfb.org>
To: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2013 8:02 AM
Subject: RE: [Nfbf-l] Rehabilitation Act Passes HELP Committee!


I am afraid it passed with language we oppose. Stay tuned for more action 
alerts as we try to get this changed before the full Senate votes on it.

Thanks,

Chris


Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind

Forwarding FYI

Rehabilitation Act Passes HELP Committee!

Today the Senate HELP Committee passed S. 1356 (a bill to reauthorize the 
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and its contained Rehabilitation Act) out of 
committee,
clearing the way for a full vote by the Senate. The overwhelming vote of 
18-3 reflects the hard work done by NCIL advocates, who have much to be 
proud of on this momentous day.

This positive vote could not have happened without the efforts of NCIL 
members. Introduced during the NCIL Conference, S. 1356 was the highest 
priority of our organization, and our efforts in Washington, DC centered on 
strategies to get this legislation passed out of committee. Our members 
visited, called,
and emailed senators on the HELP Committee to secure the victory that we 
have realized today. Despite the many obstacles and naysaying, our members 
persevered and demonstrated to the nation that NCIL is a force that cannot 
be stopped.

Now that this bill has been passed out of committee, the next step is a 
floor vote by the entire Senate, which is tentatively scheduled for 
September or October, after the August congressional recess. During this 
recess, Senators and Representatives will be in their home districts, with 
many of them holding town hall style events. We need our advocates to start 
scheduling time to make visits in their states, and make plans to attend 
these events, urging Congress
to reauthorize WIA and the Rehabilitation Act with included language that 
strengthens America's Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide 
Independent
Living Councils (SILCs).

Our fix is S. 1356!

Today we celebrate victory along with our members, and thank everyone who 
took the time to be an advocate. In the coming days, NCIL will be sending 
out
more guidance to our members, and will introduce our new campaign to 
reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act.

If you or your organization are not yet a NCIL member, you can register 
online at:
www.ncil.org/ncil-membership.

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www.ncil.org
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