[Nfbf-l] Legislative Alert

Sat Jul 1 00:37:02 UTC 2017

Jeannette, Merry, and Marion:
Great job!
Best Regards,
Judy Hamilton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeanette via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Jun 29, 2017 8:51 AM
>To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List' <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
>Cc: Jeanette <jtorres3263 at gmail.com>
>Subject: [Nfbf-l] Legislative Alert
>
>Dear Fellow Florida Federationists,
> 
>               On Wednesday, June 21, Merry Schoch, Marion Gwizdala, and I
>met with Senator Bill Nelson’s Regional Director for Hillsborough County,
>Digna Alvarez, and a senate intern at Senator Nelson’s Tampa office. 
>Because Senator Bill Nelson is Senior member of the Committee on Finance We
>first educated her on the Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, S.
>732 and its house version H. 1734 . She looked at the bill and saw it had
>bipartisan support. We asked that Senator Nelson sign on as a co-sponsor of
>the bill.
> 
>We then shared information about the Transitioning to Integrated Meaningful
>Employment (TIME) Act ((H.R. 1377), including a bit of its history, how it
>affects employees with disabilities, and the many disability groups that
>support it. We advised her there was not yet a senate version of the house
>bill and asked that Senator Nelson consider sponsoring such a bill. 
> 
>We also discussed the Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education
>Act AIM HIGH - H.R. 1772 ), asking he consider sponsoring this measure, as
>well. We also asked that he support ratification of The Marrakesh Treaty to
>Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually
>Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. 
> 
>Then told her about our opposition to the ADA Education and Reform Act (H.R.
>620), asking the senator to oppose this bill should it come to the senate.
>We gave her current, real-life examples of how this bill would dramatically
>weaken our civil rights and she seemed to agree it was problematic. 
> 
>We need for all of you to follow-up with Senator Nelson’s office to let him
>know we are unified on these issues and demonstrate the strength of the NFB
>of Florida. Below is more information from our national office about these
>measures. Please contact Senator Nelson’s office this week to voice your
>support of our Initiatives. You can reach Senator Nelson at the following
>telephone numbers and email addresses:
> 
>Senator Bill Nelson 
>United States Senator
>Florida
>Taleen Mekhdjavakian
>Legislative Correspondent
>716 Hart Senate Office Building
>Washington, D.C., 20510
>Phone: (202) 224-5274
>http://billnelson.senate.gov
>taleen_mekhdjavakian at billnelson.senate.gov
><mailto:taleen_mekhdjavakian at billnelson.senate.gov> 
> 
>Senator Bill Nelson 
>United States Senate
>Digna C. Alvarez, 
>Regional Director for Hillsborough County, 
>Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse
>801 North Florida Avenue, 
>Tampa, Florida 33602
>Telephone: (813) 225-7040
>Fax: (813) 225-7050
>https://www.billnelson.senate.gov 
>Digna_ Alvarez at billnilson.senate.gov <mailto:Alvarez at billnilson.senate.gov> 
> 
> 
> 
>We must follow up with our legislators through calls and emails, making sure
>that we have not been forgotten. We must meet our members of Congress
>wherever and whenever they appear. We must continue to demand our civil
>rights, the right to access information, the right to pursue our educational
>goals without inaccessible technology holding us back, the right to literacy
>through Braille, and the right to a fair and equal wage. I intend to keep up
>the pressure and I hope you will join me in that effort. 
>Please urge the Senator to oppose H.R. 620, the ADA Education, and Reform
>Act of 2017. 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.
>               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 ADA¬they have had twenty-seven years
>already. Here are some brief points: (1) the ADA was enacted in 1990, so
>covered entities have had ample time to learn about and comply with the law;
>(2) the ADA already contains an “undue burden” provision to protect covered
>entities when the costs of making facilities accessible are too high; and
>(3) Title III of the ADA (which applies to public accommodations) does not
>allow monetary damages for noncompliance.
>The National Federation of the Blind has joined with 216 other allied civil
>rights organizations in opposing this bill. You can read our joint letter
>athttps://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/sign-on-letters/comments_on_hr620
>_03162017.pdf. If you want to know how this bill would affect us, consider
>internet access guaranteed under the ADA and our as just one example.
>Please ask your Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 1772, H.R. 1734, and H.R.
>1377. call your two senators to get them to cosponsor our Senate bill, S.
>732. The Capitol Switchboard Number is (202) 224-3121 where you can ask for
>the office in question. A short summary of each bill is included below. I
>have also included a list of all the current cosponsors. 
> 
>Bill Summaries
> 
>Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM
>HIGH)
>This bill will promote instructional technology and content that are
>accessible to the blind and other students with print disabilities. Read the
>AIM HIGH fact sheet to learn more.
>https://nfb.org/aimhighfactsheet
> 
> 
> 
>Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732 (ATAA)
>These bills will facilitate the purchase of access technology for blind
>people by creating a refundable, per person tax credit. Read the Access
>Technology Affordability Act of 2017 fact sheet to learn more.
>https://nfb.org/access-technology-affordability-act
> 
> 
> 
>Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377
>(TIME)
>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.
>Read the TIME Act fact sheet to learn more.
>https://nfb.org/fair-wages
> 
> 
>Current Cosponsors Listed Alphabetically By State
> 
> 
> 
>Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM
>HIGH) 
> 
>Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] - Sponsor
> 
>Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
> 
>Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]
> 
>Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
> 
>Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]
> 
>Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
> 
>Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16]
> 
>Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
> 
>Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]
> 
>Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
> 
>Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
> 
>Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3]
> 
>Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
> 
>Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
> 
>Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
> 
>Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
> 
>Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
> 
>Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]
> 
> 
> 
>Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732 (ATAA) 
> 
>Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] - Sponsor
> 
>Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
> 
>Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
> 
>Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
> 
>Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
> 
>Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
> 
> 
> 
>Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377
>(TIME) 
> 
>Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] – Sponsor
> 
>Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]
> 
>Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]
> 
>Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
> 
>Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
> 
>Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1]
> 
>Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]
>Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
> 
>Jeanette Torres
> 
> 
> 
> 
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