Action Alert! The Disability Integration Act has been Introduced in the US Senate and House
May 24, 2017
About a month after Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) re-introduced the Disability Integration Act (DIA) of 2017 (S. 910) in the US Senate, Representative James F. Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5) introduced the US House of Representatives version (H.R. 2472). If passed into law, the DIA will require states to provide people with disabilities with the opportunity of living and participating in the community without discrimination through the strengthened use of long-term services and supports, such as personal care assistants, accessible housing, etc. as an effort to end institutionalization for people with disabilities.
The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As the Committee reviews the legislation, it is essential that we as a community reach out to Members of Congress to inform them of the importance of the inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society as well as to encourage them to support the DIA and become a co-sponsor.
View the American Sign Language (ASL) version of this Action Alert.
Current Senate Co-Sponsors
- Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) [Sponsor]
- Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D-PA)
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth (D-MA)
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy (D-WI)
- Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. (D-VT)
Current House Co-Sponsors
- Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5) [Sponsor]
- Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. (D-MI-13)
- Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh (D-NY-25)
- Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes (D-DC-At Large)
- Rep. Tonko, Paul (D-NY-20)
- Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa (D-DE-At Large)
- Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch (D-MD-2)
- Rep. Lieu, Ted (D-CA-33)
- Rep. Cohen, Steve (D-TN-9)
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila (D-TX-18)
- Rep. DeGette, Diana (D-CO-1)
- Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy (D-MO-1)
- Rep. Moore, Gwen (D-WI-4)
- Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. (D-OR-4)
- Rep. O’Rourke, Beto (D-TX-16)
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. (D-IL-7)
- Rep. Doggett, Lloyd (D-TX-35)
- Rep. Brady, Robert A. (D-PA-1)
Take Action
Participate in town halls or other events
You can find public events for Members of Congress all across the country thanks to the Town Hall Project. Make sure that the DIA and the importance of community inclusion for people with disabilities are raised during these events. Sharing personal community inclusion stories can be particularly impactful.
Contact your Senators and Representative
Contacting Congress allows you to easily search for your Member of Congress and access multiple methods to contact them (phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
Call your Senators and Representative through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Despite multiple methods of communications, congressional offices respond best to in-person meetings and phone calls.
Sample Tweet:
[insert handle of your Senator/Representative] please support the Disability Integration Act & the right for people w/ disabilities to live in their community! #DIAToday
Additional Resources
Information and Resources on Disability Integration Act of 2017
This website provides useful information and resources on how to show support for the DIA and take action.
