In this issue of Capitol Connection, find exciting updates regarding the Autism CARES Act, a fact sheet on how the overturning of Chevron may impact the disability community, a state advocacy win, and Autism Justice Center resources. Please continue to use our Action Center to write to your Members of Congress and our election center to prepare for election day. 

Autism CARES Update 

Senators Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a bill to reauthorize the Autism CARES Act on July 24. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee will markup the bill on July 31 at 10 am (watch here). The Autism Society is reviewing the bill noting some differences between the House and Senate bills. Last week, the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Autism, Developmental Disabilities, and Family Support Task Force sent a letter to House Leadership in strong support of the Autism CARES Act of 2024 (H.R. 7213) and urging them to support its swift passage in the House of Representatives. The Energy and Commerce Committee approved the House bill on June 12.  The bill now has 55 bipartisan co-sponsors. Please use our Action Alert to educate your Members of Congress about the importance of renewing this law. 

Successful Campaign to Remove Electric Shock Provision  

CCD sent a letter of thanks to House appropriators following a successful advocacy campaign to remove a policy provision in an appropriations bill that would have prevented the FDA from implementing a Rule banning the use of electric shocks on people with disabilities. Thank you to advocates who wrote to Members of Congress on this issue.   

Letter in Support Direct Support Professionals Act 

The CCD Long Term Services and Supports Task Force sent a letter to the House Education and Workforce Committee Chair and Ranking Member thanking them for advancing the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act (HR 2941). This bill would help to create a standard occupational classification (SOC) for direct support professionals (DSPs), thereby allowing for nationwide data collection. The Autism Society is supporting this bill as it moves through Congress. 

Letter on Appropriations for Vocational Rehabilitation 

The Autism Society signed on to a letter prepared by the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to appropriators on funding for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) for fiscal year 2025. By law, the program receives an annual increase reflective of inflation. However, last year’s funding did not. The letter opposes any recission of VR funding and urges Congress not to set a precedent by continuing the practice of deferring the annual inflationary increase for this program. Annually, VR agencies are supporting over one million individuals with disabilities to gain and maintain employment.  

State Advocacy 

Pennsylvania Budget 

We are pleased to report that the final budget agreement in Pennsylvania includes an increase of over $350 million in federal and state funding for HCBS, a seven percent rate increase. The priority of this increase is to clear the over 12,000 individuals on the waitlist for services. The budget agreement also includes a huge increase in special education and mental health funding in schools. The six affiliates of the Autism Society in Pennsylvania sent a letter to state appropriators requesting that the final funding bill for the state include the monumental increase in home and community-based services that Governor Shapiro requested in his budget.  

Justice Corner 

Chevron Overturned 

The Autism Society’s Autism Justice Center prepared a one-page explainer on the Overturning of the Chevron Doctrine & How it Could Impact Disability Community. The Chevron Doctrine was established by the Supreme Court over 40 years ago to give agencies the authority to interpret laws when ambiguous. In its recent decision on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court overturned this precedent. The fact sheet examines potential outcomes for the disability community. In addition, Corner Post, another recent decision, ended the six-year statute of limitations in which a party could bring up issue with an agency decision. These two decisions together could create a “tsunami of lawsuits” with “the potential to devastate the functioning of the Federal Government” according to the dissent written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.  

Congress Passes Federal Prison Oversight Act to Address Systemic Abuses 

Congress passed the Federal Prison Oversight Act, a bipartisan bill establishing an independent oversight office to address severe health and safety issues in the federal prison system. With support from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other advocacy groups, this law seeks to address problems including staffing shortages, overcrowding, assaults, and inadequate medical care. The Act, championed by Senators Ossoff (D-GA) and Braun (R-IN) and Representatives Armstrong (R-ND) and McBath (D-GA), empowers the Justice Department to increase prison safety and protect inmates from retaliation when reporting abuses. The bill is now waiting on President Biden’s signature.  

Department of Education’s Review of Exclusion in AP Courses 

The U.S. Department of Education announced a resolution with a school district near Wilmington, Delaware based on ensuring that Advanced Placement, or AP Courses, are inclusive of students with disabilities. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found that the district had historically low rates of enrollment in AP courses for students with disabilities and that the district guidance for these courses was not designed with equal access in mind. The district agreed to improve equity and access to advanced courses.