Action Alert! We Must Continue the Fight to Protect Medicaid

January 25, 2018

The House and Senate Republicans and Democrats are meeting at the end of the month to determine their respective caucus’ legislative priorities for 2018.  The disability community 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:

  • I am your constituent.
  • I am a person with a disability (or a family member, or professional in the field).
  • Medicaid provides critical services to people with disabilities.
  • Protect Medicaid from cuts and caps.
  • Do not pass a budget that allows Medicaid cuts.

 

* * *

This action alert was developed by the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).

Action Alert! National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability! (Take Two)

December 10, 2017

The House and Senate each passed their own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which means that now a conference committee must work out the differences between each bill to produce a final version. The private House and Senate Conferences will be meeting all week. A three hour meeting between the House and Senate Conferences is scheduled for December 13, 2017.

Senate Conferees:

  • Republicans: Hatch (UT), Enzi (WY), Murkowski (AK), Cornyn (TX), Thune (SD), Portman (OH), Scott (SC), and Toomey (PA)
  • Democrats: Wyden (OR), Sanders (VT), Murray (WA), Cantwell (WA), Stabenow (MI), Menendez (NJ), and Carper (DE)

House Conferees:

  • Republicans: Brady (TX-8), Roskam (IL-6th), Nunes (CA-22nd), Black (TN-6th)), Noem (SD-at large), Bishop (UT-1st), Young (IA-3rd), Upton (MI-6th), and Shimkus (IL-15th)
  • Democrats: Neal (MA-1st), Levin (MI-9th), Doggett (TX-35th), Grijalva (AZ-3rd), and Castor (FL-14th)

 

We’re hearing that a vote on the final tax bill is not going to happen this week. This delay provides us more time to protest this bill and shows that our efforts so far have been effective. Please join us for a national call-in day tomorrow (Monday, 12/11) to tell our Representatives to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act! We’re told that call volume on Capitol Hill has been high – keep it up!

 

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!

December 11, 2017

Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (TTY)

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Monday, December 11, for another national call-in day to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Note: We’re hearing that advocates calling Members of Congress that are not their own are being dismissed as outside agitators and are clogging up the phone lines – Please focus on calling your own Members of Congress and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.

 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is very close to reaching President Trump’s desk and becoming law. NOW is the time to call your Representative and tell them to OPPOSE this dangerous bill!

 

 

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

 

The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could contain any of these harmful provisions from the Senate and House bills.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the roughly $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Last Chance to Stop the Dangerous Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

[UPDATE – December 6, 2017]

Below are the latest developments on the status of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, shared by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).

Conference Committee:

  • Republicans: The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said he had named the following Representatives as conferees: Kevin Brady of Texas, Devin Nunes of California, Peter Roskam of Illinois, Diane Black of Tennessee, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Rob Bishop of Utah, Don Young of Alaska, Greg Walden of Oregon, and John Shimkus of Illinois.
  • Democrats: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California announced the following as conferees: Richard Neal of Massachusetts, Sander Levin of Michigan, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, and Kathy Castor of Florida.

Timeline:

  • A final package could be agreed upon and voted on by this Friday (12/8). However, this timeline may be difficult to meet given that lawmakers’ attention is divided – they must also reach a deal to keep the government open by this Friday.
  • The final agreement and then an up and down vote of the House and Senate seems more likely to happen next week on Tuesday (12/12) or Wednesday (12/13).

Since timing is uncertain, NOW is the time to engage your Representatives and urge them to reject the final bill through calls, emails, tweets, earned media events, op eds, and visits.

 

December 4, 2017

Early Saturday morning (around 2am Eastern Time), the Senate passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This vote in the middle of the night left little to no time for other Members of Congress and the general public to review the content of the bill. Since the House of Representatives passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) in mid-November, the House and Senate must now reconcile their versions of the bill. This is expected to happen in Conference Committee starting today. It is also possible that the House will pass the Senate’s version of the bill as is.

Either way, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is very close to reaching President Trump’s desk and becoming law. NOW is the time to call your Representative and tell them to OPPOSE this dangerous bill!

 

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

 

The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could contain any of these harmful provisions from the Senate and House bills.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the roughly $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

 

Take Action

Contact your Representative and tell them to oppose this bill!

 

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • This tax bill will hurt people with disabilities and their families.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Representative

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Representative.

 

Email your Representative

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Representative directly.

 

Tweet your Representative

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Congress Members on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Sample Tweets to Fights Against Disability Attacks in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (developed by Access Living)

  • 8.8 million households claimed medical deductions in 2015. Eliminating deduction vital to people with high medical costs is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Taking away medical deductions from seniors with greater medical needs, people with disabilities, and families with disabled kids is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Average deduction claimed is close to $10K; cost of long-term care could be $100K or more. Keep deduction, no to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA eliminates incentive for businesses to hire people with disabilities, including older Americans with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400; ending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating orphan drug tax credit is a #TaxOnDisability. Older Americans and people with disabilities are more likely to have a rare disease or condition #TCJA
  • Eliminating small business tax credit for increasing accessibility to employees with disabilities, older workers, and customers is a #TaxOnDisability
  • The #TCJA may result in older Americans and individuals with disabilities paying more taxes on Social Security benefits.
  • If seniors and individuals with disabilities can’t deduct medical expenses, many may need to use tax-deferred accounts. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could kill investments in underserved communities that provide people with disabilities a place to live. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating deduction of state/local income, sales taxes from federal taxable income would squeeze state budgets No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability

 

 

 

Additional Resources

 

Action Alert! Don’t Let Congress Trade Tax Cuts for Medicaid and Other Essential Services

November 14, 2017

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) this Thursday (11/16/2017). The Senate has begun markup on their version of the bill, also titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, this week and is expected to hold a floor vote the week after Thanksgiving.

Both bills would add $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit and are skewed to benefit the most wealthy Americans. If passed, this legislation presents a dangerous scenario that could lead to future funding cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other supports and services that people with disabilities rely on to live independently in the community. Our elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate need to hear from the disability community about our concerns with this tax cut plan.

The Senate tax bill now includes language to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that repealing the individual mandate “would result in 4 million people losing their health insurance in the first year and 13 million in a decade.”

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

At present time, these deductions and credits are not eliminated in the Senate bill.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

Take Action

Contact your Representative and tell them to oppose this bill!

 

Call your Congress Members

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Representative.

 

Meet with your Congress Members

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area. The Senate is planning to vote on their version of the tax bill after Thanksgiving. This provides an opportunity to meet with your Senators while they are in your home state over the holiday.

 

Email your Congress Members

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Representative directly.

 

Tweet your Congress Members

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Congress Members on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Sample Tweets to Fights Against Disability Attacks in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (developed by Access Living)

  • 8.8 million households claimed medical deductions in 2015. Eliminating deduction vital to people with high medical costs is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Taking away medical deductions from seniors with greater medical needs, people with disabilities, and families with disabled kids is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Average deduction claimed is close to $10K; cost of long-term care could be $100K or more. Keep deduction, no to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA eliminates incentive for businesses to hire people with disabilities, including older Americans with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400; ending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating orphan drug tax credit is a #TaxOnDisability. Older Americans and people with disabilities are more likely to have a rare disease or condition #TCJA
  • Eliminating small business tax credit for increasing accessibility to employees with disabilities, older workers, and customers is a #TaxOnDisability
  • The #TCJA may result in older Americans and individuals with disabilities paying more taxes on Social Security benefits.
  • If seniors and individuals with disabilities can’t deduct medical expenses, many may need to use tax-deferred accounts. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could kill investments in underserved communities that provide people with disabilities a place to live. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating deduction of state/local income, sales taxes from federal taxable income would squeeze state budgets No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability

 

Additional Resources

 

Action Alert! Congress is on August Recess… We have work to do!

August 18, 2017

On August 3, 2017, both the Senate and House of Representatives began their month-long recess and will be back in their home states and districts until after Labor Day. This comes after months of fierce and successful advocacy by our community to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid. Once again, thank you for all of your hard work and continued advocacy!

However, we are not done fighting just yet. We must take advantage of this opportunity to meet and engage with our senators and representatives at home to protect Medicaid, other essential healthcare services, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While we’re fighting to protect the rights we have, we must also work on passing the Disability Integration Act (DIA) – an act to ensure millions of Americans with disabilities have access to the services they need to live in the community.

 

Take Action

Healthcare and Medicaid

Even though recent attempts by the US Senate to repeal the ACA and cut Medicaid failed, there are still threats to the lives and liberty of people with disabilities. The Trump Administration’s budget proposal released in May calls for a 17% cut, or $877 billion reduction to Medicaid over 10 years. Today, Medicaid supports approximately 10 million non-elderly people with disabilities who will be adversely affected if Medicaid is cut or capped.

  • Thank your Members of Congress if they opposed the recent healthcare repeal efforts and ask them to continue to fight to protect Medicaid.
  • If your Members of Congress supported the recent healthcare repeal efforts remind them of the real and devastating impact their efforts would have on people with disabilities that lose healthcare.
  • Use the August Recess Toolkit from Families USA to engage your Members of Congress through events and meetings, Twitter, and letters to the editor.

 

The Disability Integration Act of 2017

The Disability Integration Act (DIA) would complement the ADA, accelerate the rate of people with disabilities leaving institutions, and expand access to home- and community-based services. For more information, visit www.DisabilityIntegrationAct.org.

 

The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (HR 620)

The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620) would seriously weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by delaying requirements that businesses be accessible to people with disabilities. The proposed legislation requires a person with a disability to give businesses with accessibility barriers a written notice of the barrier, after which the business has 60 days to even acknowledge there is a problem, and then another 120 days to begin to fix it. No other civil rights group is forced to wait 180 days to enforce their civil rights! There are currently 21 Democratic and Republican representatives co-sponsoring this legislation.

  • If your Representative is a current co-sponsor of the bill ask them to reconsider their support if they believe in equal rights and equal access for people with disabilities.
  • If your Representative is not a current co-sponsor of the bill thank them for not signing-on and underscore why this bill weakens the ADA and threatens the rights of people with disabilities.
  • Use talking points from AAPD’s Action Alert: Tell Congress Not to Weaken the ADA!

 

Engage your Members of Congress

 

Participate in town halls or other events

You can find public events for senators and representatives all across the country thanks to the Town Hall Project. Make sure that Medicaid, independence, and civil rights for people with disabilities are raised during these events. Sharing personal stories can be particularly impactful.

 

Call your Senators and Representatives

You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators or Representative. Contacting Congress also provides phone numbers for the DC and state offices of each Member.

 

Tweet your Senators and Representatives

Twitter has become a powerful political tool and is another way you can interact with your Members of Congress.

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Tell Congress Not to Weaken the ADA!

Update – September 8, 2017

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance H.R. 620, The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017. The bill was passed 15-9 on a party-line vote with no Democrats voting to support the bill. H.R. 620 has not been scheduled for a full House vote at this time, but we must continue contacting our Representatives to tell them to VOTE NO on this bill.

H.R. 620 would create significant obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their right to access public accommodations and impede their ability to participate fully in society.

 

April 25, 2017

The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620) would seriously weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by delaying requirements that businesses be accessible to people with disabilities.

The proposed legislation requires a person with a disability to give businesses with accessibility barriers a written notice of the barrier, after which the business has 60 days to even acknowledge there is a problem, and then another 120 days to begin to fix it. No other civil rights group is forced to wait 180 days to enforce their civil rights!

HR 620 currently has 14 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and waits for markup from the Judiciary Committee. Now is the time to contact those Representatives and tell them to VOTE NO on this bill!

 

Message: Vote NO on HR 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act.

Contacting Congress allows you to easily search for you Member of Congress and access multiple methods to contact them (phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Despite multiple methods of communications, congressional offices respond best to in-person meetings and phone calls.

All Members of the House of Representatives need to hear from the disability community, but it is especially important if your Representative serves on the Judiciary Committee (see the list below).

  • The ADA Education and Reform Act would seriously weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act and would turn people with disabilities into second-class citizens.
  • The ADA is already very carefully crafted to take the needs of business owners into account. Compliance is simply not burdensome. But this bill would remove any reason for businesses to comply. Instead, they can take a “wait and see” attitude, and do nothing until they happen to be sued or sent a notice letter.
  • H.R. 620 would require a person with a disability who encounters an access barrier to send an exactly written notice, and gives the business owner 60 days to even acknowledge that there is a problem—and then another 120 days to begin to fix it. No other civil rights group is forced to wait 180 days to enforce their civil rights.
  • Title III of the ADA was implemented in 1992 to provide regulations on the accessibility of private businesses (also known as public accommodations). Businesses have had over 25 years to comply with these regulations.
  • H.R. 620 calls for education by the Department of Justice. But there are already extensive federal efforts to educate business owners about their ADA obligations, including the in-depth DOJ ADA website (http://ada.gov), the DOJ ADA hotline, extensive DOJ technical assistance materials, etc., and by the 10 federally-funded regional ADA Centers (www.adata.org) that provide in-depth resources and training in every state.
  • Proponents of this bill have raised concerns about monetary damage awards. But that has nothing to do with the ADA, because the ADA does not allow money damages. Such damages are only available under a handful of state laws. This bill will do nothing to prevent damage awards under state laws.
  • It is troubling that this bill blames people with disabilities for public accommodations’ failure to comply with the ADA. Why should disabled people pay the price of an inaccessible environment, where we cannot live our lives like everyone else?

 

Members of the House Judiciary Committee

Republicans

  • Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06)
  • Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI-05)
  • Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21)
  • Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)
  • Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-49)
  • Rep. Steve King (IA-04)
  • Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-08)
  • Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
  • Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)
  • Rep. Ted Poe (TX-02)
  • Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT-03)
  • Rep. Tom Marino (PA-10)
  • Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04)
  • Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01)
  • Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
  • Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09)
  • Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06)
  • Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)
  • Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-04)
  • Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02)
  • Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)
  • Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)
  • Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

 

Democrats

  • Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13)
  • Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09)
  • Rep. Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)
  • Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22)
  • Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)
  • Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37)
  • Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
  • Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
  • Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01)
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
  • Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
  • Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10)

 

Additional Resources:

 

Webinar: Risk of major ADA amendments soon by the “ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017
May 1, 2017 | 2pm ET

H.R. 620 and similar ADA notification bills are gaining more steam in Congress than ever before. If any passes, it will have a devastating impact on the ADA by denying people with disabilities the power to enforce some of its requirements. Join this webinar to learn more about what is happening with this quickly-moving bill, and how you and others can get involved.

 

We cannot allow Congress to chip away at the ADA and deny the civil rights of people with disabilities – tell your Representative and those on the Judiciary Committee to vote NO on HR 620. Nothing about us, without us!

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