People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are living longer and need community-based options for housing and day-time/retirement activities.  This grant will be open to non-profit organizations who seek to modify homes, vehicles and programs to better meet the needs of our aging population.

In states that have imposed "Medicaid Work Requirements," people with disabilities have lost their Medicaid benefits due to an inability to comply with additional administrative burdens to prove "inability to work".  Most people with I/DD want to work and already experience barriers to obtaining jobs including a lack of appropriate supports, and transportation.  People with disabilities are involuntarily unemployed or underemployed but this is not due to a lack of interest in working.  Therefore, it seems that a state campaign to encourage the employment of people with disabilities that is targeted toward employers would do more for the state than imposing additional "proof of inability" requirements on people with disabilities.

Children with certain disabilities may find it challenging to understand the nature of social relationships with other children or adults.  For example, some children may stand too close to other children or follow other children around school in an effort to make friends.  These actions are sometimes perceived as harassment under the student code.  Additionally, some students have difficulty with tone or volume of voice, and this could be perceived by some as intimidating.  This bill would set up a situation by which not only would a student be punished for behaviors that may very well be a direct manifestation of a certain disability, but it would allow for their parents to be fined for the child's disability-related behavior.

Private schools who access state funding would loose state funding if they were found to have discriminated against a child during the administration process on the basis of the child's disability.

Employees who are the primary caregivers of children and adults with significant disabilities, chronic health conditions, or elderly family members much navigate and advocate within a complex system of health care, disability and other government benefits, and education services on behalf of their loved ones.  The time involved in caring for a loved one with complex needs makes it exceedingly difficult to hold down a job, and succeed in the workforce.  This leave insurance program would allow parents to take intermittent leave, on a paid basis, while ensuring their jobs were not threatened by the taking of that necessary leave.

While the idea of this benefit it one that The Arc supports, there are some concerns with the way in which the bill is currently written and implications for DD Community Providers who provide community based supports to over 17,000 individuals with I/DD in Maryland, and whose funding rates are set by the state.  Without an increase in state funding to support the employer contributions to this insurance initiative, the program would amount to another unfunded mandate to providers, placing additional strain on our systems.

Additional concerns relate to definitions of terms such as 

"covered employee" -employees who have worked 40 hours a week for 17 weeks out of the year would be eligible; timing which may not line up with other benefits enrollment periods, making it difficult for DD Community providers to track and manage without additional unfunded administrative support.

"employer"- means a person who employs at least one individual. This would have implications for people who Self-Direct their services who currently do not receive enough in their budgets to offer benefits such as this to their employees.

"family member"- the definition would extend consideration as family to individuals related by "affinity" whose close association with the employee is equivalent to a family relationship.  This seems to be too broad to manage.

"qualifying exigency"- extends allowable uses of leave to family members or service members to attend military events "and related activities".  This seems to broad to manage.

We are interested in working with the Bill Sponsors and our other partners to work through these concerns.