Engage with Your Members of Congress

Make an impact on the issues that you and the Autism Society care about by writing your Members of Congress today!

Please Urge Your Senators to include HCBS Funding

Contact your Senators and urge them to increase funding for HCBS stressing how it impacts the Autism community.
Keep Our Students Safe

The Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) has been introduced in both the House and Senate by Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Donald McEachin (D-VA), and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA). This bill would make it illegal for any school that receives federal funds to seclude a child or use dangerous restraint practices that restrict breathing, such as prone or supine restraint. KASSA would also prohibit schools from physically restraining children, except when imminent danger of serious injury to students or staff is likely. The bill would also ensure training is provided to all school personnel that is based on evidence-based proactive strategies. This harmful restraint and seclusion practices disproportionately affect students with autism and other disabilities, and/or students of color. According to the 2018 Civil Rights Data Collection, of the students restrained or secluded, 78 percent were students with disabilities. Although Black students comprise 15 percent of the student population, they represent 22 percent of students subjected to seclusion and 34 percent of students subjected to mechanical restraint.

Students with disabilities deserve the opportunity to pursue their education free from the fear of trauma and abuse. Please use this action alert to encourage your members of Congress to pass this important piece of legislation.
National Training for Police and Mental Health Crisis Support

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KA) reintroduced the bipartisan Law Enforcement Education and Accountability for People with Disabilities (LEAD) Initiative. This legislation will help bring about racial justice and address the high incidence rate of police violence involving people with autism and other disabilities. The LEAD Initiative consists of two bills – the Safe Interactions Act (SIA) and the Human-services Emergency Logistic Program (HELP) Act. These two bills are also introduced in the House. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the HELP Act and Representatives Susan Wild (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the SIA Act.
Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act

The bipartisan Transformation to Competitive Employment Act was reintroduced in the Senate on November 17 by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). Earlier in the year, this bill was introduced in the House by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA). See the current list of cosponsors in the House here. It is important that we get as many cosponsors as possible for this bipartisan effort to increase employment opportunities.

Specifically, the bill includes a six-year phase-out of subminimum wage certificates that are currently authorized under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Two grant programs are authorized to support states to help build capacity to provide competitive integrated employment. The bill also creates a technical assistance center to support all state entities to transform systems and to disseminate best practices and lessons learned on the transition from subminimum wage to competitive employment.

Please contact your Representatives and Senators to urge them to co-sponsor the bill. Thank you for supporting employment for people with autism.
URGE STATE LEGISLATORS: Urge them to Use Federal Funding for Autism Services

Congress has passed approximately $3 trillion in federal funding to assist states to deal with the COVID-19 public health crisis. Urge your Governors and State legislators to advocate for some of the money to be used to assist people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Why HCBS Matters to Me

Over 800,000 people with autism and other disabilities are on waiting lists for Medicaid-funded home and community-based services (HCBS). Some elderly parents are literally afraid to die for fear that their family members will not get appropriate care.

Earlier this year, President Biden announced his American Jobs Plan that includes $400 billion to 1.) expand Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) for people with disabilities; and 2.) increase wages and benefits for direct support professionals (DSP). Congress is now working on legislation to make this provision a reality.

This will not be easy to pass. We need your help to educate Members of Congress about how important these services are for people with disabilities and their families.

Please share your story on how HCBS impacts you and your family. We will use these stories when contacting Members of Congress and/or in our social media posts.