Tell Congress to Support Children’s Health!! - This week Members of Congress will decide on the fate of children's health. -July 31, 2007

Urge Your Representative to Vote YES on H.R. 2831 to Fix Recent Supreme Court Ruling on Workplace Discrimination. -July 30, 2007

Urgent Action Needed by July 26 on ADA Restoration Act of 2007 - Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the ADA Restoration Act. -July 20, 2007

House Committee Approves Legislation On Mental Health Parity; Senate Bill Differs. -July 19, 2007

Sens. Leahy, Kennedy Introduce Legislation To Further Protect Privacy of Patient Records. -July 19, 2007

Call Your Senators Today to Enact the Hate Crimes Bill - People with disabilities should be included in the federal hate crimes law, and currently they are not. -July 19, 2007

House Mental Health Parity Bill Would Have Little Effect on Employer Costs, Analysis Says. -June 27, 2007

Tell the Senate to Take Action on GINA Now! - GINA, (S.358) is on the verge of passing after 12 long years! -June 27, 2007

Action Alert: Show Some CLASS Spirit! - Help Secure Co-Sponsors of CLASS Act. -May 29, 2007

Help Add Co-Sponsors to Direct Support Worker Bill - In support of H.R. 1279, the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act. -May 23, 2007

Help Us Move Direct Support Worker Bill Through Congress - Urge House Members to Support H.R. 1279. -May 10, 2007

House Votes to Expand Hate-Crime Protection - Hate-crime protection has been extended to people who are victimized, because of their sexuality. -May 3, 2007

Rep. Kennedy Predicts May Markup For Mental Health Parity Legislation. -May 3, 2007

House Passes Genetic Anti-Discrimination Bill - Prohibits Health Plan Misuse of Testing. -April 26, 2007

Hill Watch - A summary of key issues in healthcare legislation. -April 9, 2007

Introduction of "In the Home" Legislation - ITEM Coalition Press Release. -March 30, 2007

Senators Collins and Clinton Call For Legislation to Improve Mental Health Services for Seniors. -March 23, 2007

Parity Bill Would Reduce Tax Revenues - By $1 Billion in First Four Years, CBO Says. -March 23, 2007

Proposals for Mental Health Parity Pit a Father's Pragmatism Against a Son's Passion- Kennedy versus Kennedy over competing versions of legislation. -March 19, 2007

Action Alert: Help move GINA in the House! - Tell Energy and Commerce members not to weaken GINA! -March 19, 2007

Reps. Kennedy and Ramstad Introduce Mental Health Parity Bill in House - Legislation (H.R 1367) to require mental health benefits to be equal to coverage for other medical conditions. -March 8, 2007

Senate Health Committee Approves Mental Health Parity Bill 18-3 Vote - Legislation (S. 558) was approved and requires businesses with 50 or more workers to offer the same medical benefits for mental healthcare. -February 15, 2007

Senate Panel Approves Bill Restricting Use of Genetic Information of Health Insurers' - Legislation that would bar health insurers from using individuals' genetic information to deny coverage or determine rates or premiums. -February 1, 2007

Bipartisan Group in House, Senate Pushes Grants for States to Expand Health Insurance. -January 18, 2007

President Calls for Genetic Privacy Bill - President Bush on Wednesday urged Congress to pass long-stalled legislation to safeguard genetic privacy. - January 17, 2007

Help Build Support for Genetic Nondiscrimination Legislation! - Build support for critical genetic nondiscrimination legislation. - January 17, 2007

Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Washington Connection Legislative Update - Fair Minimum Wage Act fails to consider impact on SSI recipients. - January 11, 2007

Promoting Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2007 - Your stories are needed to support vital legislation to improve access to medical equipment! - January 9, 2007

Mental Health Bill to Face House Vote - Good chance for Congress to pass legislation that would require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses. - December 28, 2006

Legislative Update - H. Con. Res. 235 Passes! - States now require new driver's license candidates to demonstrate the ability to greatly exercise increased caution when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually impaired individual. - October 20, 2006

Lifespan Respite Alert - House Leadership will help bring the bill to the floor during the November session. - October 6, 2006

Action Alert from NCIL's Legislative Advocacy Committee - NCIL Opposes HR 5970 since the estate tax cut would only benefit an estimated 8,200 families. -August 2, 2006

Harkin Introduces Bill to Improve Medical Access for People with Disabilities - Legislation Also Creates New Wellness Grant Program and Improved Training Guidelines for Physicians. -July 24, 2006

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Protect Health Benefits for School Children with Disabilities - Legislation Would Also Strengthen Accountability in Use of Medicaid Funds. -July 19, 2006

Medicare Independent Living Act of 2006 - Statements on introduced bills and joint resolutions. -July 19, 2006

School of Nursing Stat Mavens Make Numbers Tell the Truth - MICASSA, lies, damn lies, and statistics. -July 3, 2006

Press Conference on Indian Health Care Reauthorization Act of 2006 - Act Needs to be Passed in House and Senate. -May 15, 2006

Reinstatement of Video Description in TV Programming TV video description for blind or visually impaired persons should be reinstated to the top 25 television markets. -March 21, 2006

Summary of the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act This legislation offers a comprehensive approach to ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities are met before, during and after a national disaster. -February 8, 2006

Final Report - The Legislative Goals for the 109th Congress - [DOC] (First Session). This report summarizes progress on the 2005 Legislative Goals. -January 10, 2005

Harkin's Bill for Emergency Preparedness and Response for People with Disabilities (S. 2124). A better emergency response plan that includes preparations for assisting people with disabilities. -December 20, 2005

Lifespan Respite Care Act (HR 3248, S. 1283). Meet with House Members and Senators and their staff in their home offices and urge support for the Lifespan Respite Care Act. -December 15, 2005

S 1951 Community Living Assistive Services and Supports (CLASS) Act Creates an insurance program for adults who become functionally disabled. -November 2005

Action Needed: Share Your Story To Protect the Family Medical Leave Act. FMLA opponents are pushing to rollback the definition of a "serious health condition" and "intermittent leave." -August 2005

Equipment suppliers seek Medicare fairness. The "Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005," H.R. 3559. -August 2005

Direct Support Worker Bill Can Make a Difference Take Action! Contact Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 1264. -August 2005

Urgent Legislative Alert Lifespan Respite Care Act (HR 3248, S. 1283). Authorizing competitive grants to states to make quality respite available and accessible to family caregivers, regardless of age or disability. -July 2005

Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee Hearing on H.R. 1229, the Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act. -July 2005

Urge The Senate To Restore Employment Program Funding. The Budget request eliminated funding for the Vocational Rehabilitation Supported Employment State Grant program. -July 2005

Money Follows the Person introduced in the House too! HR 3063 and S. 528! More folks have signed onto MiCASSA. -July 2005

Democrat assails GOP nominee for suit to block disabilities law. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine accused Republican rival Jerry Kilgore of undermining the rights of people with disabilities. -June 2005

Senator Kennedy calls on President Bush to bring the nation together by choosing a consensus candidate for Supreme Court. -June 2005

Bush would consult Democrats if Supreme Court post opens. To decide whether to confirm any nominee to the nation's highest court. -June 2005

The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2005. Many thanks on securing cosponsors for the Senate and House Lifespan Respite legislation. -June 2005

Time for action on the Reauthorization of the Transportation Bill is NOW! Action needed to advocate for as the Bill moves forward into Conference Committee. -May 2005

Oppose the Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act. Action Needed! It would impose unfair burdens on people protected by a wide array of federal laws. -May 2005

Building a coalition for Legislation to promote universal access to Advanced Telecommunications capability. -April 2005

Action alert! reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act Plus of 1998. -April 2005

The Nuclear Option - An Action Alert from The Arc and UCP Disability Policy Collaboration . -April 2005

Health Privacy Information Alert: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005. -February 2005

ACTION ALERT!! "Transportation All Over Again!" The bill will be reborn in the coming weeks in what congressional staff hopes will be a much less painful process. -February 2005

Section 8 Vouchers, Olmstead, New Freedom Initiative and PWD promotes community-based alternatives, rather than institutional settings. -February 2005

Confirmation of Federal Judges and Executive Branch Nominees What Your Nonprofit Needs To Know. -January 2005

ACTION ALERT!! Stop Adverse Changes to Section 8 Program Major Changes to Section 8 Program that will Harm People with Disabilities. -November 2004

ACTION ALERT!! Urge Passage of Money Follows The Person and Family Opportunity Act Call on YOUR Representatives and Senators. -November 2004

Hate Crimes Legislation Urge Congress to Pass the Hate Crimes Legislation, the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, Now! -July 2004

Act Now To Preserve Consumer Protections And Access For All -July 2004
VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act of 2004.

Court: State Law On Disability Insurance Not Discriminatory -July 2004
Mental health advocates are pushing what they call "Timothy's Law."

ACTION ALERT!! House Budget Process -June 2004
NCIL Legislative Advocacy Committee Alert.

Transportation Bill In Conference Key Disability Programs At Stake -June 2004
Conferees are beginning work on the transportation reauthorization bills.

Lifespan Respite TF Update and Action -June 2004
Proposed Bill Strategies.

ACTION on Transportation Bill -May 2004
Congress has decided to go to conference with the transportation reauthorization bills.

Family Opportunity Act passed the Senate. -May 2004

DREDF Update on IDEA Reauthorization -April 2004
From the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund.

S.622- Family Opportunity Act Of 2003 -April 2004
Allowing parents to go to work and earn above-poverty level wages while maintaining health care for their disabled children by purchasing Medicaid.

Support Transportation Funding -April 2004
We Need To Tell The House We Need New Freedom Transportation Programs ASAP!

Bush Backs Away -February 2004
From Support of Money-Follows-the-Person.

Talking Points: -January 2004
Why Lifespan Respite Complements, but does not Duplicate National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP).

Legislative Alert!! Action Needed Now! -January 2004
To Urge Support for Quick Action on Lifespan Respite Care Act (S. 538; HR 1083).

Governor Warner Announces Olmstead Initiative -January 2004
Budget includes $42.5 million to improve services for Virginians with disabilities.

NCD Congressional Update -December 2003
Summary of the status of prominent disability-related issues pending before Congress.

Current Status of the Lifespan Respite Bill -December 2003
Action Needed for Holiday Recess.

Supreme Court Rules on ADA Employment Case -December 2003
Ruling on Workplace Rights Issue.

Update on Terri; Criticism of Organizations' Position -December 2003
Support for enabling Terri Schiavo's to live.

Lifespan Respite Task Force -November 2003
Talking points on Lifespan Respite Care Act.

A Joint Statement On The Terri Schindler-Shiavo Case -October 2003
from The Arc of the United States, UCP, and AAPD.

The National Council on Disability's Olmstead report -September 2003
Olmstead: Reclaiming Institutionalized Lives.

Legislative Update: -August 2003
Mental Health Bills Await Fall Consideration Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

Information On "Money Follows the Person Act of 2003" (S. 1394) -August 2003
Or Any Other Legislature Information.

New Freedom Alert -July 2003
The Senate Committee will mark up the reauthorization of TEA-21, the Transportation Efficiency Act of the 21st Century.

House, Senate Approve -June 2003
Homebound Demonstration Amendment.

Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2003 (S. 538) -May 2003
Passes Senate! House Action Needed Now!

Senator Mikulski's Family Caregiver Tax Credit -May 2003
As an amendment to the tax bill.

H.R. 1874, a compromise homebound bill -May 2003
that attempts to address CBO's cost concerns by piloting a change in the homebound rule.

An Urgent Request from United States International Council on Disabilities
-April 2003
Seeking support to the United Nations (UN) Convention.

Supreme Court Strikes again... -April 2003
Court: Doctors May Not Be 'Employees'.

NCIL is exceedingly concerned -March 2003
at the speed in which HR 1261 the "Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003" will be pushed through the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Resources -February 2003
On Olmstead and the New Freedom Commission.

Please contact your Senator to cosponsor: -February 2003
"The David Jayne Medicare Homebound Modernization Act" (S. 598).

Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: -February 2003
Priorities for the 108th Congress, First Session.

Governor Warner Announces Mental Health Care Reforms -December 2002
Governor Mark R. Warner will propose a major shift in policy toward community mental health care to improve care for patients.

ACLU urges you to oppose the "Help America Vote Act" -November 2002
Because the agreement contains provisions that would lead to discrimination and ultimately result in disenfranchising many voters.

Provider Giveback Bill -November 2002
Needs Your Support and the Support of Your Members of Congress.

New Guide On How To Implement -November 2002
The U.S. Supreme Court's Atkins Vs. Virginia Decision.

Third Year Progress Report On Olmstead Implementation
-November 2002
(NAPAS) released a 2002 report that measures the extent to which the federal government has assisted states in complying with the 1999 Olmstead decision.

Respite Action Still Possible with Your Help -November 2002
National Respite Coalition Needs Your Help for Big Push for Lifespan Respite Care Act.

IDEA Paperwork Reduction Act of 2002 -November 2002
The bill is dubbed "Paper, Scissors, Rock" because it deals with objects rather than people: nowhere in the bill is the true interest of the child taken into account.

President Bush Signs Two Bills to Improve Health Care -October 2002
Legislation that will expand the number of community health centers across the country.

Mental health legislation -October 2002
languishes President's support yet to yield agreement in Washington.

The Inclusive Home Design Act HR5683 -October 2002
This would require visitability features in federally assisted housing.

Bill Would Provide Grants To Schools -October 2002
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) unveiled a bill (HR 5352) that would provide grants for schools to improve mental health services for students.

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act of 2002 -September 2002
Improving Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis and Other Physical Disabilities.

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and Olmstead -September 2002
Suggests how your State OVR could participate in the struggle to get people with disabilities out of the nursing homes.

Governor Pataki Signs the 'Most Integrated Settings' bill into Law! -September 2002
The new law will require the state to regularly demonstrate how it is maximizing efforts to provide alternatives to segregated, institutional settings like nursing homes or adult homes for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Support H.R. 3612, the Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA) -September 2002
This bill will enable our older Americans and citizens with disabilities to receive the noninstitutional community support service options they are entitled to under the ADA.

ACTION ALERT!! Stop Medicare DME Competitive Bidding NOW
-September 2002
Competitive Bidding will reduce access to the full range of specialized DME, harm the quality of care and restrict beneficiary choice of provider for Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities.

House Action On Family Opportunity Act Imminent -September 2002
We Need Help With Some Republican Members.

"The House Commerce Committee Is Getting Ready To Act On The Family Opportunity Act -September 2002
The Committee Leadership wants to change the bill and take it out of Medicaid.

"Consumer Broadband Deregulation Act." Sec. 704. Access By Persons With Disabilities -August 2002
The disability language in Senator McCain's bill.

The David Jayne Medicare Homebound Legislation Act, Senate bill 2848
-August 2002
Please call, email and or visit your Senators and urge them to cosponsor Senate bill 2848.

Two documents about the Medicare Homebound rule -August 2002
Bush Administration's Action Fails to Ease the Medicare Homebound Rule and
Write Mr. Tom Scully About Medicare Homebound Restriction!

Olmstead and The National Governors Association -July 2002
Some excerpts from Governor Howard Dean's testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

National Council On Disability Recommendations On IDEA Reauthorization -July 2002
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization: Where Do We Really Stand?

House Committee On Education -July 2002
And The Workforce Subcommittee On Education Reform Hearing.

Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2002 -July 2002
Development of State And Local Lifespan Respite Programs.

The Politics of Bush's New Freedom Commission -July 2002
On Mental Health & The Promise of Olmstead.

Medicare markup in the Committee on Energy and Commerce -July 2002
Congressman Markey offered narrower homebound language as an amendment to the Republican Medicare reform bill.

Overview Of Final Proposed Technology Amendments To IDEA -June 2002    MS Word Doc    pdf
For pdf format, download Adobe Acrobat Reader

Supreme Court Ruling on Death Penalty and Cognitive Disability. -June 2002

NCIL Conference -June 2002
Helps to get a dozen more House Co-sponsors for MiCASSA!

Call to action: -June 2002
Congress Must Hear From You On Competitive Bidding.

TANF Reauthorization -June 2002
NCD wrote to Senators, sharing relevant information.

The Arizona Republic State law now covers mental ills -June 2002
Disability protections extended to workers.

ACTION ALERT! -May 2002
Senate Judiciary Approves Smith Nomination.

Success is in Reach! -May 2002
The Medicare homebound restriction can be a thing of the past.

AAPD Opposes D. Brooks Smith -May 2002
Nomination to Third U.S. Circuit of Appeals.

Super-waiver Senate Sign-on Letter -May 2002
Opposition to the "super-waiver" proposal that was included in H.R. 4737.

Bipartisan Family Opportunity Act Urgently Needed To Aid Families of Children with Severe Disabilities -May 2002
303 Members of Congress are Sponsoring Bill to Save Families From Economic Disaster.

Disability Organizations Oppose Bush Court Nominee. -May 2002

Members of Congress are Sponsoring Bill to Save Families -April 2002
289 Members of Congress are Sponsoring Bill to Save Families From Economic Disaster.

Governor Mark R. Warner -December 2001
signed into law the following mental health legislation.

Case Echoes of Olmstead and Garrett. -November 2001

Supreme Court Decision Garrett vs. Alabama. -February 2001