[Nfbsatx] Legislative Information and Contacts

[Jose Martinez]

Legislative Issues:

We will also be contacting our representatives and Senators from San
Antonio expressing our concerns. Please take some time out and write
your story. We have to make sure our Representatives and Senators know
where the National Federation of The Blind stands! Here are the three
issues we are focusing on.



HB3629

•	Merging DARS and the Division for Blind Services with other large
agencies such as DADS and DSHS will result in reducing the quality of
services.  The staff providing services must be specialized in the
area of blindness.  A “generalist” will not be able to get the same
results.  This has been proven in other states where blind services
were merged with other programs.
•	Vocational Rehabilitation Program
o	VR dollars help blind people go to work and become taxpaying
citizens, rather than being dependent upon government programs.
o	The Blind VR Program will be about $2 million short unless
additional state funds are provided.
o	Without these funds, services will have to be scaled back for blind
consumers; potentially increasing the time it will take before they go
to work.
o	Since the federal government matches state funds on a 4 to 1 basis,
only about $400,000 in general revenue is needed to replace the $2
million.
o	If we don’t provide these matching funds, the federal funds intended
for Texas will be used by other states.

•	Blind Children’s Program
o	Please restore the $1.5 million for the program, along with the 20
staff positions targeted for elimination.
o	Without these services, many children with significant visual
impairments will not receive the services they need.
o	Services will have to be stopped for some children currently
receiving services.  (Best estimate at this time is that 900 children
currently receiving services will no longer receive services.)
o	This program helps prepare blind and significantly visually impaired
children for the Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  Much of the
service revolves around helping parents to teach their children to
become responsible and independent adults.  Without these services,
the VR program will have to expend additional resources to prepare
these consumers for employment.  Some will be so far behind they will
not become employed and will remain dependent on government programs.

the Elimination of the Exemption Waiver,

This allows blind individuals to a tend a university or college with
out having to pay tuition. If this were to be eliminated it would be
less likely blind individuals would be able to attend a university and
further their education. There are studies that show that a bachelor’s
degree will soon become as common as a high school diploma, so it is
imperative that a blind individual have as many opportunities as
possible to obtain higher education in order to prepare for the work
field.

Contact Information:

Senator, Judith Zaffirini
Chief of Staff
Ray Martinez
E-mail:
Ray.martinez at senate.state.tx.us

Senator, Carlos Uresti
Chief of Staff
Jason Hassay
E-mail:
Jason.hassay at senate.state.tx.us


Representative, Mike Villarreal
Chief of Staff
Gina Amatangelo
E-mail:
Gina.amatangelo at house.state.tx.us

Representative, Roland Gutierrez
Chief of Staff
Margaret Frain Wallace
E-mail:
Margaret.frain_wallace at house.state.tx.us