|
|
December 11, 2018 URGE Congress to Pass the Improve Act November 15, 2018 As the holidays approach, urge Congress to pass the EMPOWER Care Act to reauthorize the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program! States are running out of money – and we are running out of time to get MFP funding during this Congress. URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY LIVING AND FUND MFP! 1. Call the Capitol Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091(tty) and ask to be connected to your senators or representative. 2. Repeat. You can use this easy tool to find your members of Congress. Easy Call Script: Hello, this is [Name]. I’m a resident of [Town, State]. I am calling to express my concern about the expiration of the Money Follow the Person (MFP) program. MFP has enabled over 88,000 older adults and people with disabilities living in institutions to transition back to their communities. MFP is fiscally responsible: it has improved the quality of live for thousands of individuals and their family caregivers while saving states money. The program has expired and states are scaling back their programs, and without funding, could have to completely eliminate them. I am asking [Member of Congress’ Name] to cosponsor and support the EMPOWER Care Act and reauthorize Money Follows the Person Program. Thank you for taking my call! [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied] [Optional Add On] ************ This action alert was adapted from information provided by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and the Center for Public Representation. September 30, 2018 The House and Senate passed and the President signed the conference report on the FY 2019 appropriations bill for programs administered by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies that is part of a mini-omnibus bill (H.R. 6157) that also included funding for the Department of Defense, and a continuing resolutation that will fund government programs without full FY 2019 appropriations until December 7.
Funding levels for other select programs supporting respite and family caregiver support are included in the National Respite Coalition's FY 2019 Funding Table. Conference Report to accompany H.R. 6157 Joint Explanatory Statement (includes funding tables for programs administered by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education) Thank you to National Respite Coalition members, including State Respite Coalitions, and friends of respite who, with your advocacy, helped ensure retention of last year's increases for Lifespan Respite and the National Family Caregiver Support Program and for new funding for both the Family Caregiving Advisory Council to implement the RAISE Act and the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. June 28, 2018 National Organizations Urge Swift Action at HHS to Implement the RAISE Act
June 27, 2018 FY 2019 Appropriations Update for the Department of Health and Human Services June 20, 2018 82 State and local groups join 53 national organizations in supporting increased funding in FY 2019 for the Lifespan Respite Care and National Family Caregiver Support Programs The National Respite Coalition sent letters to the Chairs and Ranking Members of both the House and Senate Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations subcommittees this month in support of increases in funding for the Lifespan Respite Care and National Family Caregiver Support (NFCSP) Programs. The first letter was signed by 53 national organizations representing children's, aging, disability and caregiving issues. The second letter was signed by 82 state and local groups, including state respite and caregiving coalitions, from 30 states and the Northern Mariana Islands. On June 14, the House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education voted favoarbly to report out the FY 2019 funding bill for programs administered by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, including the Lifespan Respite Care Program and the NFCSP. The Subcommittee has not yet released the approved funding levels pending full committee approval, which is expected the week of June 25th. The Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to consider their version of the bill next week as well. NRC Letter from National Organizations NRC Letter from State and Local Organizations The National Respite Coalition also submitted written tesitmony for the records of both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor/HHS/Education in support of FY 2019 Funding for the Lifespan Respite Program. House Testimony with references Senate Testimony with references KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK and TAKE ACTION! Advocacy must be ongoing! Continued action is still needed to make sure we build on the small increases both programs enjoyed in FY 2018. Educating your Senators and House members through personal visits and phone calls are the best ways to be effective,
June 20, 2018 National Call-In Day to Celebrate Olmstead Anniversary: June 22, 2018 #FundMFP Help celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which recognized the right of with disabilities to live, work and participate in their communities. Money Follows the Person (MFP) supports people to move out of nursing homes and institutions into the community. The EMPOWER Care Act helps make Olmstead a reality! March 25, 2018 President Signs Omnibus Appropriations Bill to fund programs for the remainder of FY 2018
On March 23, after tweeting that he would not sign the bill because it did not include provisions protecting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) recipients or funding for a border wall, the President signed an omnibus spending measure (Public Law No. 115-141), averting a government shutdown. The bill sets federal spending levels for appropriated government programs for FY 2018, which started last October 1 and will extend to September 30, 2018. The text of the agreement for funding for programs in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education can be found here. See the tables beginning on page 116 for information about ACL programs. March 19, 2018 29 House Members Support FY 19 Lifespan Respite Care Program IncreaseAsk Congress to include the EMPOWER Care Act (S.2227; H.R. 5306) in the Omnibus Appropriations bill.Our House champions, Rep. Langevin (D-RI) and Rep. Harper (R-MS) spearheaded a letter addressed to the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations requesting an increase in funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program to $5 million in FY 2019. Twenty seven members of the House agreed to join them and sign onto the letter in support of the funding increase. Empower Act - Money Follows the Person Extension As the FY 19 appropriations process gets underway, Congress must first finalize funding for this fiscal year by the March 23 deadline when the Continuing Resolution that is currently funding programs will expire. We expect an Omnibus Appropriations bill to be considered by the end of this week that will fund government programs through September 30. Several major issues remain unresolved and we can expect numerous policy riders to be debated and considered before the final bill is signed.
February 12 President's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget
February 9 FY 2018 Appropriations and Budget UpdateOn February 9, the President signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R.1892)/Continuing Resolution that extends FY 2018 funding for government programs to March 23, 2018. Most importantly, the Budget package included ten years of funding for the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a two-year extension of funding for Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, doubling of funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, two years of funding for Community Health Centers, funding for the Opioid Crisis, and hurricane relief for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Florida and Texas. The package also includes enactment of the Family First Prevention Services Act intended to make improvements in the child welfare system, including increased support for grandparents and other relatives who care for children.
January 30, 2018 Urge Senators to Cosponsor the Empower Act (S. 2777)The Money Follows the Person demontration program expired September 2016. The bipartisan EMPOWER Care Act (S. 2227), introduced by Senators Portman (R-OH) and Cantwell (D-WA), extends and improves the Money Follows the Person program (MFP). First authorized by President Bush in 2005 with strong bipartisan support, MFP faciliates the successful transition of individuals with disabilities and seniors out of nursing homes and back into their communities with family and friends. The message is to urge Members of Congress to cosponsor and pass the EMPOWER Care Act and fund the Money Follows the Person program to help more people with disabilities transition out of institutions and nursing homes and into the homes and communities of their choice. ACTION National Call-In Day for Community Living: #FundMFP Visit the National Call-In Day for Community Living: #FundMFP webpage hosted by the Center for Public Representation for a guide to using the Capitol Switchboard, a call script, and additional talking points. Join the Facebook Event to get the latest updates. January 2018 Action Needed to Protect MedicaidHouse and Senate Republicans and Democrats are meeting at the end of the month to determine their respective caucus' legislative priorities for 2018. The disability, aging, and family caregiver communities must remind Congress that we support the Medicaid program and that they should not take steps to cut or cap the program.Background Key House and Senate leaders have indicated that they would like to cut spending on federal programs such as Medicaid in response to the 1.5 trillion dollar loss of revenue due to the tax cuts. Some leaders have been careful to say that Medicare and Social Security are off the table for possible cuts but Medicaid, food assistance, Supplemental Security Income and others remain targets. This is a continuation of the fight in 2017 except they are using different messaging. Medicaid is at risk whether they are calling it "welfare reform" or "opportunities" or "jobs for people", the end result is reducing enrollment in Medicaid and spending less on the program. The only feasible way for Congress to enact major cuts or caps to Medicaid this year is through special budget rules (known as reconciliation) that allow the Senate to pass budget-related legislation with a simple majority. But reconciliation cannot proceed without first passing a budget resolution that includes instructions that would allow the Senate to use special budget rules. We must remind Congress that we want to protect Medicaid and other programs. Insist that Congress refuse to include reconciliation instructions in any budget legislation and instead seek bipartisan efforts to strengthen Medicaid and other social programs people with disabilities rely on. Take Action Call your Representative and Senators today - 202-224-3121. EVERY call matters. If we can prevent Congress from passing a budget, then Congress will not be able to cut or cap Medicaid. Act now as Congress will be deciding what direction to take at the end of the month. What to Say:
January 2018 President signs RAISE Act into law
|
Contact Congress |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
To contact your US House member, visit here.
|
||||||||||
|
For Lifespan Respite Reauthorization Alerts, please visit the Legislative Action Center |
||||||||||
| Legislative Action Center (edited).JPG) |
||||||||||
FY 2019 Lifespan Respite Appropriations |
||||||||||
|
Letter from Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) and 27 Members of the House to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $5 million for the Lifespan Respite Care Program for FY 2019. Letter from 53 national organizations to House and Senate Labor-H Appropriations Subcommittees in support of FY 2019 funding for the Lifespan Respite Care and National Family Caregiver Support Programs. |
||||||||||
| Letter from 82 state and local groups from 30 states to House and Senate Labor-H Appropriations Subcommittees in support of FY 2019 funding for the Lifespan Respite Care and National Family Caregiver Support Programs. | ||||||||||
|
NRC Legislative Alert for FY 19 Lifespan Respite Funding Request National Respite Coalition Testimony for the Record of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor/HHS/Education in support of FY 2019 Funding for Lifespan Respite Program, April 2018. Similar testimony was submitted to the Senate Subcommittee on Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations. |
||||||||||
Past Congresses |
||||||||||
| National Respite Coalition delivers two official statements to Senate HELP Committee Staff on OAA and Lifespan Respite Reauthorization (signed by 35 national organizations) |
||||||||||
| |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
