[Nfbmd] [nabs-l] Fw: Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration
Chris Nusbaum
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Mon Jul 4 16:44:01 UTC 2011
---- Original Message ------
From: Anmol Bhatia <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com
Subject: [nabs-l] Fw: Senate Introduces Independent Living
Administration
Date sent: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 11:07:13 -0700 (PDT)
--- On Sun, 7/3/11, Lissner, Scott <Lissner.2 at OSU.EDU> wrote:
From: Lissner, Scott <Lissner.2 at OSU.EDU
Subject: Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration
To: NDSU at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
Date: Sunday, July 3, 2011, 11:08 AM
**Accessibility information at
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National Council on Independent Living -
6/24/11
Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration!
The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is very
proud and
excited to announce that a bill has been filed with the
Senate HELP
Committee which creates the establishment of a new
Independent Living
Administration (ILA), and strengthens America's Independent
Living (IL)
Program. The ILA would elevate the IL Program at the
federal level, and
would create an organization independent of the
Rehabilitation Services
Administration (RSA) within the Department of Education.
The creation of
this new administration marks a truly historic moment in
the Independent
Living Movement, and IL advocates across the country have
much to
celebrate this week.
The ILA is created through the reauthorization of the
Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, which is contained in the larger Workforce
Investment Act
(WIA). NCIL has been pushing for the reauthorization of WIA
and the
Rehabilitation Act for nearly a decade, and the
introduction of a bill
to reauthorize both pieces of legislation presents a unique
opportunity
to improve the IL Program and substantially increase
consumer-control at
the federal level.
NCIL is optimistic about WIA's chances for reauthorization,
and very
pleased with the rare bipartisan effort to put this bill
together. Staff
from the offices of Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Michael
Enzi (R-WY),
Patty Murray (D-WA), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) have been
working over
the past two years in an effort to renew and improve WIA.
NCIL has been working closely with the Senate to create
legislative
language that will drastically overhaul America's IL
Program, and fix
problems that have frustrated Centers for Independent
Living (CILs) and
Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) for years.
Although the
majority of IL fixes and enhancements in this legislation
cannot be
listed, here are some of the highlights:
* Creation of an ILA: a new organization
within the Department of
Education, completely separate and independent of RSA. The
ILA Director
will report directly to the Secretary of Education.
* Carryover Authority: CILs will now be
allowed to carryover Part
C funds not spent during the first year into a second
year.
* Addition of a 5th Core Service:
transitioning people with
disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions to
home and
community-based residences.
* Clarification of the Role of
SILC: Because of RSA's
interpretations of the Rehabilitation Act, several
clarifications
regarding SILC activities are included in the bill -
providing advice
and assistance to the designated state unit (DSU),
facilitating the
improvement and coordination of services, resource
development
activities, and carrying out systems advocacy functions.
* Funding Formula Change: Part C dollars
should be allowed to be
shared among all states and territories, states with the
largest
populations would receive more funding proportionally.
* Accessibility at WIA One-Stop Centers:
one-stop centers will be
required to be physically and programmatically accessible,
regardless of
disability.
After reading the legislative language in the bill
reauthorizing WIA and
the Rehabilitation Act, it is obvious that the Senate has
listened to
NCIL's concerns and worked hard to create a piece of
legislation that
will empower and increase the independence of Americans
with
disabilities. It is also clear that we have the bipartisan
support
necessary to move this bill forward, but the fight to get
the votes
necessary in both chambers of Congress to pass this
reauthorization into
law has only just begun.
More than ever, IL advocates from across the country must
now mobilize
to push this historic legislation through Congress.
Remember, this bill
was created for us! We must immediately employ the full
resources of the
IL community to reach out to members of Congress and urge
them to
support the reauthorization of WIA and the Rehabilitation
Act,
specifically the inclusion of Title V language that creates
an ILA and
strengthens independent living.
Our unique opportunity to advance is now, and the time for
action is
today. Our first order of business is to get this through
the Senate
HELP Committee. This bill is moving very rapidly, and is
scheduled for
markup on June 29th. We need advocates to call Senators on
this
committee (see list below) and ask for their committed
support for
reauthorizing WIA and the Rehabilitation Act. If we are
successful in
our efforts, we will achieve one of the greatest
advancements in the
history of the Independent Living Movement.
Remember:
* The creation of the ILA does not
require any new or additional
funding.
* The creation of the ILA does not create
unnecessary new
bureaucracy. It simply streamlines the IL Program and
enhances
consumer-control.
NCIL's Rehab Act & IL Funding Subcommittee has worked
incredibly hard
over the last few weeks, months, and years to bring us to
this point. We
thank them for their efforts and congratulate them on the
successful
inclusion of NCIL's priorities in WIA that will now begin
passage
through Congress. Although most of our suggestions were
adopted by the
HELP Committee at the time of this legislation's
publication, the NCIL
Rehab Act & IL Funding Subcommittee submitted comments
suggesting
further revisions to the bill.
Resources:
* NCIL Rehab Act & IL Funding
Subcommittee Comments
<http://www.ncil.org/news/rehabactcomments.doc>
(Word document)
* Redline (Marked Up) Legislative
Language
<http://www.ncil.org/news/ILARedline.doc> (Word
document)
Follow this discussion and new developments on NCIL's
Facebook page
<http://www.facebook.com/NationalCouncilonIndependentLiving
.
If you have any questions, please contact NCIL Policy
Analyst Austin
Walker at (202) 207-0334 (toll-free: 1 (877) 525-3400),
ext. 1008.
Austin can also be reached by e-mail at austin at ncil.org.
Democrats by Rank
* Tom Harkin (IA) <http://harkin.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-3254
* Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) <http://mikulski.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-4654
* Jeff Bingaman (NM) <http://bingaman.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-5521
* Patty Murray (WA) <http://murray.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-2621
* Bernard Sanders (I) (VT) <http://sanders.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-5141
* Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA) <http://www.casey.senate.gov/>
: (202)
224-6324
* Kay R. Hagan (NC) <http://www.hagan.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-6342
* Jeff Merkley (OR) <http://www.merkley.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-3753
* Al Franken (MN) <http://www.franken.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-5641
* Michael F. Bennet (CO) <http://bennet.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-5852
* Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) <http://whitehouse.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-2921
* Richard Blumenthal (CT) <http://blumenthal.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-2823
Republicans by Rank
* Michael B. Enzi (WY) <http://www.enzi.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-3424
* Lamar Alexander (TN) <http://www.alexander.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-4944
* Richard Burr (NC) <http://www.burr.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-3154
* Johnny Isakson (GA) <http://www.isakson.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-3643
* Rand Paul (KY) <http://www.paul.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-4343
* Orrin G. Hatch (UT) <http://www.hatch.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-5251
* John McCain (AZ) <http://www.mccain.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-2235
* Pat Roberts (KS) <http://www.roberts.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-4774
* Lisa Murkowski (AK) <http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/> :
(202)
224-6665
* Mark Kirk (IL) <http://www.kirk.senate.gov/> : (202)
224-2854
L. Scott Lissner, Ohio State University ADA Coordinator,
Office Of Diversity And Inclusion
Associate, John Glenn School of Public Affairs
Lecturer, Knowlton School of Architecture, Moritz
College of Law &
Disability Studies
President Elect & Chair, Public Policy
Committee, Association on
Higher Education And Disability
Chair, ADA-OHIO
Member, Ohio Governor's Council For People
With Disabilities
Member, Columbus Advisory Council on Disability
Issues
(614) 292-6207(v); (614) 688-8605(tty) (614)
688-3665(fax);
Http://ada.osu.edu <http://ada.osu.edu/
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