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Dear Fellow Federationists:<br>
<br>
Thank you for all of your calls and emails since the June
5<sup>th</sup> legislative alert. We are now up to twenty-three
cosponsors on AIM HIGH, H.R. 1772, seven cosponsors on the Access
Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1734, and eight cosponsors on the TIME
Act, H.R. 1377. In the Senate, the Access Technology Affordability Act,
S. 732, has one cosponsor. The complete list of cosponsors is included at
the end of this email.<br>
<br>
While we still need you to call or email your member of Congress and urge
him or her to cosponsor each of these bills, we now have a new ask. H.R.
620, the ADA Education and Reform Act will be voted on in committee
(referred to as markup) over the next week or two. If passed, this
legislation will dramatically weaken the ADA, hindering education,
employment, and community participation for all people with disabilities.
The bill prevents people with disabilities from filing a lawsuit
regarding an ADA violation until the person first notifies the violator.
The violator then has 60 days to respond and then has another 120 days to
remedy the problem, for a total delay of 180 days.<br>
<br>
Does it make sense to wait 180 days for accessible instructional
material? By then, the class will be over. How about waiting 180 days for
an accessible job application? By then the job will be filled. How about
waiting 180 days at the doctor’s office for an accessible check in kiosk?
Furthermore, this legislation will do nothing to stop so called frivolous
lawsuits which will still be valid under state law. Businesses do not
need more time to comply with the ADAthey have had twenty-seven years
already. <br>
<br>
Please call your representative and urge them to oppose H.R. 620, the ADA
Education and Reform Act. And if your Representative has not cosponsored
one of our other three bills, also urge them to do so. Congress will be
back in session for the next two weeks but please try to make your calls
and send your emails by Friday, June 22. A short summary of each bill is
included below. I have also included a list of all the current
cosponsors. The best way to contact your member of Congress is to call
the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office in
question. Emailing your member of Congress is also a good idea. If you do
so, please copy <a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org">JPare@nfb.org</a>. <br>
<br>
It is critical that we shut down H.R. 620. In addition, we are hoping to
significantly raise the number of cosponsors on all of our bills before
convention but we cannot do it without everyone working together. Your
calls and emails make a big difference. <br>
<br>
Thanks for all you do!<br>
<br>
Warm regards,<br>
<br>
John<br>
<br>
John G. Paré Jr. <br>
(410) 659-9314 x 2218<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
<br>
<b>Bill Summaries <br><br>
Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM
HIGH)<br>
</b>This bill will promote instructional technology and content that are
accessible to the blind and other students with print disabilities.
<a href="nfb.htm">Read the AIM HIGH fact sheet to learn more.</a><br>
<br>
<b>Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732
(ATAA)<br>
</b>These bills will facilitate the purchase of access technology for
blind people by creating a refundable, per person tax credit.
<a href="https://nfb.org/access-technology-affordability-act">Read the
Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017 fact sheet to learn
more</a>.<br><br>
<b>Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017,
H.R. 1377 (TIME)<br>
</b>This bill will increase employment opportunities by removing stigmas
and low expectations propagated by section 14(c) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act. Note that the bill now phases out subminimum wages over a
six year period corresponding to the recommendation of the National
Council on Disability. <a href="https://nfb.org/timefactsheet">Read the
TIME Act fact sheet to learn more.</a><br><br>
Current cosponsors <br><br>
<b>Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772
(AIM HIGH) Current Cosponsors<br>
</b>Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] - Sponsor<br>
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]<br>
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]<br>
Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]<br>
Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]<br>
Rep. Ross, Dennis A. [R-FL-15]<br>
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]<br>
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]<br>
Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16]<br>
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]<br>
Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]<br>
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]<br>
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]<br>
Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]<br>
Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]<br>
Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3]<br>
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]<br>
Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]<br>
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]<br>
Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]<br>
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]<br>
Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]<br>
Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29]<br>
Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]<br><br>
<b>Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732
(ATAA) Current Cosponsors<br>
</b>Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] - Sponsor<br>
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]<br>
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]<br>
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]<br>
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]<br>
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]<br>
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]<br>
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]<br><br>
<b>Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017,
H.R. 1377 (TIME) Current Cosponsors<br>
</b>Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] – Sponsor<br>
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]<br>
Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]<br>
Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]<br>
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]<br>
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]<br>
Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1]<br>
Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]<br>
Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]<br>
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