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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From Deepa Goraya, Virginia Legislative Director for National Issues<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com">deepa.goraya@gmail.com</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Legislative Update<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Recap of Washington Seminar from the National Office:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Four of the five introduced bills that we took to Washington this year gained cosponsors. In the House, the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 431) gained 12 cosponsors to bring the total number up to 130. The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853) gained a whopping 17 cosponsors, which more than doubled the number we started with and brought the total up to 27. The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (H.R. 2373) gained 10 cosponsors to bring its total up to 34. In the Senate, the Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 212) added one new cosponsor to bring the total up to 35.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>ATAA:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We are now up to 145 cosponsors in the House and 36 in the Senate for the Access Technology Affordability Act. This is more cosponsors than in any previous Congress. The more cosponsors we have the more likely it will be included in an upcoming legislative package. So, if your Representative has not cosponsored H.R. 431, or one or both of your Senators has not yet cosponsored S. 212, please email or call them and urge them to do so. Both of our Virginia senators have cosponsored the bill. The following Virginia representatives have cosponsored the bill:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Luria, Elaine G. [D-VA-2] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Since the 2022 Washington Seminar, the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853) has seen an incredible wave of new supporters in the House. We want to keep that momentum going and try to ensure that the bill remains bipartisan and gains even more traction on the Energy and Commerce Committee at the same time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Gerald Connolly is already a cosponsor. Please call Rep. Morgan Griffith and ask him to cosponsor the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, and contact all other Virginia House representatives as well who have not cosponsored.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Additionally, Representative Jan Schakowsky’s office has requested you include a certain google form in your messages. </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>This form is how her office is tracking the specific Representatives who will sign on as cosponsors to the bill. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>This form will be emailed out:</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FYAX_CkROzYcOOy8puVUv_1%3Fdomain%3Ddocs.google.com&data=04%7C01%7Cjyoung%40nfb.org%7Cd352f06aa7274837d32708da022483a9%7C538f3d4b739545cf93fa8dfc2b4a7f62%7C1%7C0%7C637824653738220286%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=GEtvWYJh1Tc2kQ0RPyj83rHYq%2B0y%2FmfxTTcTxdoAVIo%3D&reserved=0"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflFj2TQrBYmilvTPL38fy26m1LEgLCUknL9Ya8a1zAzrrxxQ/viewform</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>