SILVIA YEE

- Joined a letter from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) to Congress, calling for immediate oversight/investigation of the changes to the childhood vaccination schedule. The letter highlights how the changed status of a number of vaccinations makes their coverage under insurance an open question mark, discouraging vaccination, and therefore threatens herd immunity for disabled students, people with cancer and organ transplants), and individuals with other risk factors who rely on high rates of vaccination for protection. - Joined a letter from the Health Task Force of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to HHS in response to a Request for Information on "accelerating the adoption and use of AI as part of clinical care." The letter raised concerns and cautions specific to how AI's use in health care services can impact on disabled people. - Joined a coalition letter led by Caring Across Generations (CAG), the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and others to Congress opposing attacks on, and funding cuts for, basic needs programs like Medicaid and SNAP, and the communities who rely on these programs. - Joined a letter led by the National Partnership for Women and Families, opposing the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act (HR 6945), a bill that codifies the ability for states to apply TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) dollars to funding anti-abortion centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). - Joined a letter led by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) to Congress urging support for the inclusion of the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act (S. 1565/H.R. 138) in in any relevant legislation advanced in the 119th Congress.

- Joined a letter led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) opposing HR 7296 (the "SAVE" Act) that would require all new registering voters to produce proof of U.S. citizenship, also imposing new nationwide photo ID requirements that go far beyond the requirements of any existing law.

- Joined a letter jointly led by the Long-term Services and Supports Task Force (LTSS TF) of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) to Congress, opposing the inclusion of any further cuts to Medicaid or restrictions to state capacity to raise revenue in the Budget Reconciliation Process or any other bills, as this would inevitably lead to cuts in HCBS; - Joined a letter spearheaded by the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) to the House of Representatives to express opposition to the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2026 (H.R. 8095) that would encourage treating foster youth in large congregate care mental health institutions rather than the community-based family-like settings that are more effective; - Organizational endorsement of the LIFT the BAR act that would restores access to basic needs programs like Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and other federal benefit programs for immigrants authorized to be in the United States; - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) that supports S. 4384/H.R. 8375, the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act (MAIA), a bipartisan bill that addresses unjustified prior authorization and other medical necessity-related restrictions that MA plans place on coverage of healthcare services for Medicare enrollees;

- Joined a letter jointly led by the Long-term Services and Supports Task Force (LTSS TF) of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) to Congress, opposing the inclusion of any further cuts to Medicaid or restrictions to state capacity to raise revenue in the Budget Reconciliation Process or any other bills, as this would inevitably lead to cuts in HCBS; - Joined a letter spearheaded by the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) to the House of Representatives to express opposition to the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2026 (H.R. 8095) that would encourage treating foster youth in large congregate care mental health institutions rather than the community-based family-like settings that are more effective; - Organizational endorsement of the LIFT the BAR act that would restores access to basic needs programs like Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and other federal benefit programs for immigrants authorized to be in the United States; - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) that supports S. 4384/H.R. 8375, the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act (MAIA), a bipartisan bill that addresses unjustified prior authorization and other medical necessity-related restrictions that MA plans place on coverage of healthcare services for Medicare enrollees;

- Joined a letter from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) to Congress, calling for immediate oversight/investigation of the changes to the childhood vaccination schedule. The letter highlights how the changed status of a number of vaccinations makes their coverage under insurance an open question mark, discouraging vaccination, and therefore threatens herd immunity for disabled students, people with cancer and organ transplants), and individuals with other risk factors who rely on high rates of vaccination for protection. - Joined a letter from the Health Task Force of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to HHS in response to a Request for Information on "accelerating the adoption and use of AI as part of clinical care." The letter raised concerns and cautions specific to how AI's use in health care services can impact on disabled people. - Joined a coalition letter led by Caring Across Generations (CAG), the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and others to Congress opposing attacks on, and funding cuts for, basic needs programs like Medicaid and SNAP, and the communities who rely on these programs. - Joined a letter led by the National Partnership for Women and Families, opposing the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act (HR 6945), a bill that codifies the ability for states to apply TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) dollars to funding anti-abortion centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). - Joined a letter led by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) to Congress urging support for the inclusion of the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act (S. 1565/H.R. 138) in in any relevant legislation advanced in the 119th Congress.

- Joined a letter from the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination (CPSD) to Congress asking for federal oversight hearings over the Executive Branch's actions to illegally restructure the Department of Education, including the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) - Joined a coalition letter led by CPSD to the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) opposing the movement of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) away from the Department of Education. - Joined a letter spearheaded by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) and sent to the House Judiciary Committee, defending a longstanding Supreme Court Decision in Plyler v. Doe which recognized that states could not exclude non-citizen immigrant children from public education. - Joined a large coalition of federal and state educational advocacy and civil rights organizations (All4Ed) in a letter to Congress opposing the unlawful transfers of Dept of Ed roles and responsibilities to other federal agencies. - Joined a letter led by the Education Task Force of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) to Congressional representatives opposing the 21st Century Dyslexia Act (S.3010/H.R. 5769) which would undermine existing protections under IDEA and could result in unintended negative consequences for students with disabilities, including students suspected of or those already identified with dyslexia.

- Joined a coalition letter from the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities' (CCD's) Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Task Force to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding implementation of a new Home and Community-Based Services waiver authorized under HR 1. - Joined a letter led by the Rights, Health, and LTSS Task Forces of CCD to CMS, opposing a proposed rule (CMS-2451-P, 90 Fed. Reg. 59441 (Dec. 19, 2026)) to prohibit Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement for gender transition-related health care for minors. - Joined a letter spearheaded by the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) to CMS requesting that they not follow the drug treatment policies of other countries that use Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) as a standard for determining the worth of a drug treatment, because the QALY inherently discriminates against the lives and worth of disabled people. - Joined a letter led by CCD's Health and LTSS taskforces and the Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) to Congressional leadership, stressing the importance of home and community-based care to disabled people and refuting the overly broad accusations of waste, fraud, and abuse being leveled against home and community-based services (HCBS), disabled persons, and family caregivers. - Joined a letter spearheaded by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR)/Habilitation Benefits Coalition (HAB) to CMS with comments on the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 Proposed Rule put out by the Dept of Health and Human Services. - Joined a letter led by CCD and DAC to CMS, responding to a Request for Information from CMS seeking public comments on a series of questions concerning the presence and impact of fraud in the Medicaid program ("Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare"). - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Congress supporting HR 5940/S 3480, which reverses the scheduled implementation of a spending & review model for original Medicare beneficiaries in a few pilot states.

- Joined a letter jointly led by the Long-term Services and Supports Task Force (LTSS TF) of the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) to Congress, opposing the inclusion of any further cuts to Medicaid or restrictions to state capacity to raise revenue in the Budget Reconciliation Process or any other bills, as this would inevitably lead to cuts in HCBS; - Joined a letter spearheaded by the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) to the House of Representatives to express opposition to the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2026 (H.R. 8095) that would encourage treating foster youth in large congregate care mental health institutions rather than the community-based family-like settings that are more effective; - Organizational endorsement of the LIFT the BAR act that would restores access to basic needs programs like Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and other federal benefit programs for immigrants authorized to be in the United States; - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) that supports S. 4384/H.R. 8375, the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act (MAIA), a bipartisan bill that addresses unjustified prior authorization and other medical necessity-related restrictions that MA plans place on coverage of healthcare services for Medicare enrollees;

- Joined a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy led by the Latina Institute and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) opposing a proposed HHS that redefines federal public health benefits for the purposes of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA) and rescinds a narrower 1998 interpretation of federal public health benefits - Joined a letter led by Community Catalyst to Congress, asking for passage of the Marketplace Extended Premium Tax Credits and for signing of the the Protecting Healthcare And Lowering Costs Act (this bill repeals much of HR1, the fed budget act passed in July 2025) - Joined letter from the Disability and Aging Coalition (DAC) to Congress that supports the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 which would repeal major provisions in HR1 that cut health care (Medicaid) and would also make the Enhanced premium tax credits offered in the marketplace permanent - Joined letter jointly led by DAC and the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to Congress, expressing support for the repeal of HR1 Health Provisions and Medicaid cuts while extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits - Submitted comment to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, asking for a change in how the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) categorizes the disability status elements in electronic health records and asking for accommodations to be included in the electronic health record (EHR).

- Joined letter led by the Modern Medicaid Alliance (MMA) to Senate leadership urging them to reject the Medicaid cuts included in the House reconciliation package (H.R. 1); - Joined letter led by the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention to the Senate expressing strong opposition to the proposed cuts in the Senate Finance Committees budget reconciliation package, focusing especially on Medicaid cuts; - Joined letter to Congress led by the National Coalition for Gender Justice in Health Policy opposing Medicaid cuts in the reconciliation bill that will hurt maternal and child health, worsening the maternal mortality crisis and increasing the strain on health care (especially rural) providers; - Joined letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Congress, request federal funding of Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Research for FY 2026; - Joined letter spearheaded by Families USA letter to the Senate, encouraging Senators to resist signing the Budget bill (HR1) and implementing massive cuts to Medicaid; - Joined letter from the Disability and Aging Collaborative and the Coalition for Constituents with Disabilities to the US House of Representatives, opposing the budget reconciliation bill because it cuts Medicaid and other healthcare programs, taking away coverage from millions of people with disabilities, older adults, caregivers, care workers and their families; - Submitted letters to the House of Representatives and to the US Senate opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). - Joined letter drafted by the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) to Congress opposing HR 1, the Reconciliation bill, and especially the Education cuts proposed in that bill; - Joined letter spearheaded by Families USA to the Senate, opposing HR 1/OBBBA.

- Joined a letter jointly led by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability and Aging Coalition (DAC) to the the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), asking for fed guidance and rulemaking on HR1's "community engagement" requirements that will broadly protect people with disabilities, aging consumers, and their caregivers from being dropped unnecessarily from Medicaid

- Among over 800 organizations that joined by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) in endorsing the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, H.R. 1061 and S. 455, reintroduced by Representative Espaillat and Senator Blumenthal in response to the announced rescission of the Protected Areas policy by the current Trump Administration; - Joined a letter led by the National Immigration Law Center to Congress requesting a NO vote on HR32 which would allow the current federal administration to block education, transportation, housing, food aid, public health, crime prevention and many other forms of federal funding for jurisdictions that don't cooperate with ICE requests.

- Among over 800 organizations that joined by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) in endorsing the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, H.R. 1061 and S. 455, reintroduced by Representative Espaillat and Senator Blumenthal in response to the announced rescission of the Protected Areas policy by the current Trump Administration; - Joined a letter led by the National Immigration Law Center to Congress requesting a NO vote on HR32 which would allow the current federal administration to block education, transportation, housing, food aid, public health, crime prevention and many other forms of federal funding for jurisdictions that don't cooperate with ICE requests.

- Joined letter from over 160 organizations to House committee leaders opposing HR 3492 which would criminalize gender affirming care by broadening an existing criminal prohibition on female genital mutilation

- Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Congressional Committee leaders supporting S 1816/HR 35.14 (Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act), which tries to regulate the use of prior authorization by Medicare plans - Joined letter led by Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) to House Energy and Commerce Committee opposing HR4022 which would repeal the Medicaid IMD rule and remove the restrictions on Medicaid funding going towards services provided to people in Institutions for Mental Diseases - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) to the Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, opposing a proposed prior authorization program for traditional Medicare that is likely to create a barrier to people with disabilities getting needed effective and timely rehabilitation and habilitation services - Joined a letter led by CCD to the CMS Administrator opposing the inclusion of tracheostomy, ostomy and urological supplies in CMS's Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program for Medicare, a policy that CMS recently proposed in CMS-1828-P in the fed register - Joined letter spearheaded by Movement Advance Project to Congress opposing proposed changes to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey that would reduce demographic recognition of LGBTQ+ persons

- Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Congressional Committee leaders supporting S 1816/HR 35.14 (Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act), which tries to regulate the use of prior authorization by Medicare plans - Joined letter led by Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) to House Energy and Commerce Committee opposing HR4022 which would repeal the Medicaid IMD rule and remove the restrictions on Medicaid funding going towards services provided to people in Institutions for Mental Diseases - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) to the Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, opposing a proposed prior authorization program for traditional Medicare that is likely to create a barrier to people with disabilities getting needed effective and timely rehabilitation and habilitation services - Joined a letter led by CCD to the CMS Administrator opposing the inclusion of tracheostomy, ostomy and urological supplies in CMS's Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program for Medicare, a policy that CMS recently proposed in CMS-1828-P in the fed register - Joined letter spearheaded by Movement Advance Project to Congress opposing proposed changes to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey that would reduce demographic recognition of LGBTQ+ persons

- Joined a coalition letter on the National Fair Housing Act which asks Senate leaders to maintain funding for the nations critically important fair housing programs, including the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to sustain existing local fair housing organizations - Signed a letter led by the National Low Income Housing Coalition which would restore FEMAs status as an independent agency, which will in turn increase its efficiency and made its assistance more available for people facing homelessness (supporting Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act of 2025 (H.R.4669))

- Joined a letter led by Advocates for Trans Equality to Congress, opposing S. 2907/H.R. 5483 which proposes a law that criminalizes healthcare providers, parents, and others when gender-affirming care is provided to Trans and Gender-Diverse adolescents

- Joined letter led by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities' (CCD) Health Task Force to Senate leadership supporting S.5018/H.R. 6860, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients' Act, which would require employer-sponsored private insurance to cover dialysis treatment for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) - Joined letter led by CCD to congressional leaders calling for the reauthorization of the advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) for marketplace health insurance - Joined a coalition letter to all members of Congress opposing efforts to restrict access to gender affirming care - Joined coalition letter spearheaded by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) to congress urging that it pass a clean bill extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for the marketplace exchanges, without including an abortion-related rider with the funding bill - Joined a coalition letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Senate leaders in support of S. 2898, the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 which would reauthorize funding for an established TBI program

- Signed coalition letter from the Care Cant Wait Coalition to the 119th US Congress on the importance of prioritizing families and needed safety net benefits over tax cuts for the richest and big corporations; - Joined coalition letter protesting the sudden termination of the Social Security Administration's Retirement and Disability Research Consortium programs that are meant to increase efficiency and monitor fraud at the agency; - Jointed letter urging Congress to refrain from further restricting immigrant access to federal benefits as the few targets left would be those legally in the county such as humanitarian immigrants, pregnant persons, and so forth, preventing them from getting such basic assistance as food stamps and emergency healthcare; - Expressed support to the sponsors or the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act (S. 3109/H.R. 8018) which would help reduce red tape and formalities that family care providers of people with disabilities have to navigate to maintain their family members' health and other benefits.

- Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Congressional Committee leaders supporting S 1816/HR 35.14 (Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act), which tries to regulate the use of prior authorization by Medicare plans - Joined letter led by Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) to House Energy and Commerce Committee opposing HR4022 which would repeal the Medicaid IMD rule and remove the restrictions on Medicaid funding going towards services provided to people in Institutions for Mental Diseases - Joined a letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) to the Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, opposing a proposed prior authorization program for traditional Medicare that is likely to create a barrier to people with disabilities getting needed effective and timely rehabilitation and habilitation services - Joined a letter led by CCD to the CMS Administrator opposing the inclusion of tracheostomy, ostomy and urological supplies in CMS's Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program for Medicare, a policy that CMS recently proposed in CMS-1828-P in the fed register - Joined letter spearheaded by Movement Advance Project to Congress opposing proposed changes to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey that would reduce demographic recognition of LGBTQ+ persons

- Signed on to a letter led by the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities' Housing Task Force providing comments on the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development's 2025 Interim Final Rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH); - Joined a letter led by the National Fair Housing Alliance providing comments on the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development's 2025 Interim Final Rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH); - Endorsed the Housing not Handcuffs bill which would prohibit federal agencies from directly or indirectly arresting, fining, or otherwise criminalizing homeless persons on federal lands.

- Joined letter led by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities' (CCD) Health Task Force to Senate leadership supporting S.5018/H.R. 6860, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients' Act, which would require employer-sponsored private insurance to cover dialysis treatment for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) - Joined letter led by CCD to congressional leaders calling for the reauthorization of the advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) for marketplace health insurance - Joined a coalition letter to all members of Congress opposing efforts to restrict access to gender affirming care - Joined coalition letter spearheaded by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) to congress urging that it pass a clean bill extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for the marketplace exchanges, without including an abortion-related rider with the funding bill - Joined a coalition letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Senate leaders in support of S. 2898, the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 which would reauthorize funding for an established TBI program

- Joined a letter led by Advocates for Trans Equality to Congress, opposing S. 2907/H.R. 5483 which proposes a law that criminalizes healthcare providers, parents, and others when gender-affirming care is provided to Trans and Gender-Diverse adolescents

- Signed coalition letter from the Care Cant Wait Coalition to the 119th US Congress on the importance of prioritizing families and needed safety net benefits over tax cuts for the richest and big corporations; - Joined coalition letter protesting the sudden termination of the Social Security Administration's Retirement and Disability Research Consortium programs that are meant to increase efficiency and monitor fraud at the agency; - Jointed letter urging Congress to refrain from further restricting immigrant access to federal benefits as the few targets left would be those legally in the county such as humanitarian immigrants, pregnant persons, and so forth, preventing them from getting such basic assistance as food stamps and emergency healthcare; - Expressed support to the sponsors or the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act (S. 3109/H.R. 8018) which would help reduce red tape and formalities that family care providers of people with disabilities have to navigate to maintain their family members' health and other benefits.

- Among over 800 organizations that joined by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) in endorsing the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, H.R. 1061 and S. 455, reintroduced by Representative Espaillat and Senator Blumenthal in response to the announced rescission of the Protected Areas policy by the current Trump Administration; - Joined a letter led by the National Immigration Law Center to Congress requesting a NO vote on HR32 which would allow the current federal administration to block education, transportation, housing, food aid, public health, crime prevention and many other forms of federal funding for jurisdictions that don't cooperate with ICE requests.

- Joined a letter led by the Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights asking members of Congress to oppose S 5, the Laken Riley Act which would require the mandatory detention - without any possibility of bond - of any undocumented person who is merely arrested for or charged with certain offenses, all without conviction".

- Joined letter led by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities' (CCD) Health Task Force to Senate leadership supporting S.5018/H.R. 6860, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients' Act, which would require employer-sponsored private insurance to cover dialysis treatment for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) - Joined letter led by CCD to congressional leaders calling for the reauthorization of the advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) for marketplace health insurance - Joined a coalition letter to all members of Congress opposing efforts to restrict access to gender affirming care - Joined coalition letter spearheaded by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) to congress urging that it pass a clean bill extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for the marketplace exchanges, without including an abortion-related rider with the funding bill - Joined a coalition letter led by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation to Senate leaders in support of S. 2898, the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 which would reauthorize funding for an established TBI program

- Joined an advocate coalition letter in support of S.1686, the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act which is bipartisan legislation that would make the flow of disaster recovery funds faster, more equitable, and more accountable to taxpayers

Support for S. 533 / H.R.1263, the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which would end the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities and support a transition to competitive integrated employment for disabled workers.

Joining coalition letter to the Hill supporting the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (S 533/HR 1263), supporting ending subminimum wages for disabled employees and encouraging competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

Oppose H.R. 1605, the Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act, out of concern that the bill would create a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program that would be largely duplicative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, but far less effective. Funds administered under this new program would lack adequate transparency and oversight, and we are concerned that long-term recovery resources would fail to reach those disaster survivors most in need of assistance following recent disasters.

1. DREDF in coalition with other civil rights groups requesting the House of Representatives to increase funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). 2. Support for H.R. 3935 (FAA Reauthorization), part of which is directed at improving the air travel experience and accessibility for travelers with disabilities, including people using wheelchairs.

Signed letter to the Congress opposing passage of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5009) because of an included provision banning medically necessary health care for families of service members in the military. Joined letter from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network urging the Food and Drug Administration and the Dept. of Health and Human Services to release the final rule banning the use of electric shock devices for medical treatment.

Support for H.R. 670 / S. 4174, a bill that requires the federal Department of Health and Human Services to set up a website that provides critical information, including periodically updated eligibility, availability, waitlist, and Medicaid waiver information, on how to find/receive care provider services within U.S. states.

1. DREDF joined a coalition to urge CMS to continue to prioritize operations and policy related to the unwind of continuous Medicaid coverage through 2024. 2. H.R. 6860, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. DREDF joined a letter to the House of Representatives that supports HR 6860, which would help remedy the devastating impact that a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling will have on individuals with disabilities, namely those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a life-threatening condition that requires kidney dialysis at least three times per week. 3. Medicare. The undersigned aging, disability, healthcare access, and civil rights organizations write to ask you to rectify an injustice in Medicare access for people leaving incarceration. Due to Medicares overly broad coverage exclusion for people in custody, many older adults and people with disabilities who have a history of involvement with the criminal legal system and are living in the community are unable to access health care services, in turn affecting health, earnings, and recidivism. The Medicare limitation is inconsistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) longstanding policy for Medicaid, as well as the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) policy. We request that you change Medicares custody definition to ensure access to health insurance coverage - and thereby health care services - for older adults and people with disabilities who are not subject to institutional confinement.

Signed on to Health Task Force letter from the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities that supports the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S.5018 / H.R. 6860) which requires employer-sponsored private insurance to cover treatment for ESRD (e.g., dialysis)

- oppose H.R. 7109 (Chuck Edwards, R. N.C), which would require the U.S. Census Bureau to include a citizenship question in the decennial census and narrow the 14th Amendments requirement to apportion seats in the House based on the number of persons living in the United States, to include only U.S. citizens - a choice Congress explicitly rejected when debating and then adopting the amendment in 1866.

- Support the May 22, 2024 Statement for the Record submitted by the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to the Congressional Hearing on The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement. The statement opposed the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act (S. 3196) because of it would potentially create new financial incentives to expand institutional care and undermine efforts to keep youth with families - Support the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers (ABC) Act (S. 3109/H.R. 8018), which would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to review eligibility determinations and application processes, procedures, forms, and communications for Medicare, Medicaid, Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Social Security programs to reduce administrative barriers to attaining and maintaining program eligibility

Sign on to coalition letter in support of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S. 1686), which is bipartisan legislation that will make the flow of disaster recovery funds faster, more fair, and more accountable to taxpayers.

- Support the May 22, 2024 Statement for the Record submitted by the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to the Congressional Hearing on The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement. The statement opposed the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act (S. 3196) because of it would potentially create new financial incentives to expand institutional care and undermine efforts to keep youth with families - Support the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers (ABC) Act (S. 3109/H.R. 8018), which would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to review eligibility determinations and application processes, procedures, forms, and communications for Medicare, Medicaid, Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Social Security programs to reduce administrative barriers to attaining and maintaining program eligibility

- Support the May 22, 2024 Statement for the Record submitted by the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to the Congressional Hearing on The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement. The statement opposed the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act (S. 3196) because of it would potentially create new financial incentives to expand institutional care and undermine efforts to keep youth with families - Support the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers (ABC) Act (S. 3109/H.R. 8018), which would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to review eligibility determinations and application processes, procedures, forms, and communications for Medicare, Medicaid, Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Social Security programs to reduce administrative barriers to attaining and maintaining program eligibility

Support for H.R. 670 / S. 4174, a bill that requires the federal Department of Health and Human Services to set up a website that provides critical information, including periodically updated eligibility, availability, waitlist, and Medicaid waiver information, on how to find/receive care provider services within U.S. states.

Signed on to Health Task Force letter from the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities that supports the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S.5018 / H.R. 6860) which requires employer-sponsored private insurance to cover treatment for ESRD (e.g., dialysis)

Joined comment letter written by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation with information on the need for Medicare Advantage Site-Specific Data Collection, in response to an invitation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for stakeholder input on Medicare Advantage service line level data collection. Joined letter from the Consortium of Constituents with Disabilities to Congress supporting the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-in Programs Act (S.5070) which would raise the age limitation on Medicaid buy-in above the current limitation of 64 yrs, in recognition of older Americans who are working at 65 years and above due to economic need .

Support for S. 533 / H.R.1263, the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which would end the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities and support a transition to competitive integrated employment for disabled workers.

Joining coalition letter to the Hill supporting the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (S 533/HR 1263), supporting ending subminimum wages for disabled employees and encouraging competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.