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July, 2015   


WASHINGTON UPDATE   
In this Edition 
  • Annual Conference: Registration Still Open!
  • Administration News: White House Conference on Aging
  • Education: Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act; OSEP State Determinations; Department of Defense Issues Regulations
  • Agency Activity: Draft ABLE Act and Managed Care Regulations
  • Housing: Priced Out Report Released
NACDD Annual Conference: July in Sparks, NV

NACDD will hold its annual conference in Sparks, NV July 21-23. Registration is still open on NACDD's webpage. The theme of the conference this year is "Impacting Communities Side by Side".   

 

On Wednesday afternoon, NACDD will have a plenary session focused on "Implementing Federal Policies at Home," followed by a series of concurrent sessions. The plenary and concurrent sessions will focus on implementation of the Home and Community Based Services Rule, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. NACDD will host three plenary speakers with expertise on these areas including Michael Gamel-McCormick from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Elizabeth Edwards from National Health Law Project, and Chris Rodriguez from the National Disability Institute.  

 

Join us to learn more about how to implement these policies in your state!   
Administration News

White House Conference on Aging

 

The 2015 White House Conference on Aging is today, Monday July 13th! The event is aimed at discussing how best to address the changing landscape of aging in the coming decade. Areas of focus for the conference include: health aging, long term services and supports, elder justice, and retirement security. For more information on how to participate, visit the White House Conference on Aging webpage. Consider hosting viewing parties to get your Council members engaged and demonstrate to the Administration that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are concerned about aging issues too! Review the policy briefs and provide input from the disability perspective.
Education

Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The Senate is currently debating the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now known as the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA). It is expected that debate on amendments will continue this week, with a possible final vote on passage at the end of the week. NACDD has been working to educate members on the issues of importance to our community. Debate will resume on Monday July 13th! The debate can be watched on C-SPAN. Most of the amendments of concern to NACDD are still to be debated. 

 

NACDD continues to work in coalition with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Education Taskforce and Leadership Conference on reauthorization. CCD has sent this letter on ECAA, and this letter on the amendments we expect to be debated next week, and LCCR has sent this letter.     

 

The House also successfully passed its version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Student Success Act on Wednesday July 8, 2015 by a partisan vote of 218-213. CCD sent this letter in regards to the Student Success Act, and this letter on the substitute offered by Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA).     

 

Office of Special Education Releases State Determinations     

 

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released the state determinations for the annual performance reports that were submitted in February as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. OSEP released a fact sheet along with explanation on how the department made determinations; all can be found through their website.

 

Department of Defense Releases Final Regulation on IDEA  

On June 25th, the Department of Defense released their provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents final rule . The rule brings the Department of Defense into compliance with the requirements of the non-funding and non-reporting provisions of IDEA.  
Agency Activity-Proposed Regulations

Achieving a Better Life Experience Act Proposed Regulations Released

On June 19 th, Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released proposed regulations to guide states in the establishment of ABLE programs and allowing the creation of tax advantaged savings accounts to benefit eligible individuals with disabilities. Comment are due on September 21, 2015. NACDD will work with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Financial Security Taskforce and the ABLE National Resource Center to develop comments.

The ABLE National Resource Center will be presenting a free webinar on the proposed regulations. The webinar will provide an overview of the regulations, a discussion of both positive and challenging provisions, and explain next steps for the federal and state governments. The webinar will be presented on July 14th at 3 pm EDT.  

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Proposed Regulations on Managed Care  

On May 26th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced proposed regulations to update the Medicaid and CHIP managed care program. According to Georgetown Health Policy Institute, more than 70% of Medicaid beneficiaries are served through managed care delivery systems. According to the press release , the proposal "will modernize and improve quality of care for Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans." Comments are due July 27, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. NACDD will work with the Disability and Aging Collaborative and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Taskforces to submit comments. 
Housing

Priced Out Report Released 

 

The Technical Assistance Collaborative released Priced Out in 2014, which is a study of the severe housing affordability problems experienced by people with disabilities. The study calculates the difference between what an individual receiving Supplemental Security Income can reasonably afford to pay for housing costs and the average cost of modest housing units. The report includes nation, state and local data.
Contact:
Cindy Smith, MS, CAS, JD
Director of Public Policy