State Budget Update: The NC Senate passed SB 105, their version of the state budget bill, on Friday, June 25. This year’s budget contains a mix of state appropriations and allocations of federal funding that has come to North Carolina through several “recovery act” bills. The NC House is expected to release their budget bill sometime in mid-July. The House and Senate will have to reconcile differences between their budget bills though the conference committee report before sending the final budget to the…
June 9: Legislative Day of Action for Direct Support Wages
ASNC and a coalition of groups across IDD, aging, and home and community-based health services will be rallying at the General Assembly on June 9 in support of increased wages for direct support workers. Legislators have heard our decade of advocacy for increased access to services, and we expect to see more waiver slots in the upcoming budget. Access to waivers must go…
POSTPONED: Day of Action for Direct Support Professional Wages
Please see this blog post for the rescheduled date. ————————————————– The Autism Society of North Carolina and a coalition of groups across Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD), aging, and home and community-based health services will be rallying at the General Assembly on May 19 in support of increased wages for direct support professionals (DSPs). NOTE,…
Policy Pulse Update
State Budget Update: There is still no budget legislation from the NC Senate. The budget process is moving slower than in previous years, however House and Senate leadership are said to be much closer to agreeing to a spending amount, so we hope to see a budget bill in the next two weeks. “Crossover” Week…
Policy Pulse Update
Federal Actions HR 2373 Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (H.R. 2373), a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress on April 6th , phases out the use of subminimum wage certificates for people with disabilities, which many people view as outdated and unfair. The bill authorizes funds to help states transform their employment systems to…
Public Policy Update
Listen to our latest podcast about these policy developments. Federal Actions American Rescue Act: Congress passed an additional COVID and economic relief bill – the American Rescue Plan (ARP) – in early March. The legislation includes a number of items meant to address ongoing problems related to the pandemic including $1,400 stimulus checks for many Americans (including dependents and individuals with disabilities); an extension of unemployment benefits; additional funding…
Public Policy Update
Federal Actions American Rescue Plan Act: Congress continues to debate the contents of the next round of Federal economic and pandemic related relief. The US House passed the American Relief Act on February 27 and the Senate Passed its version of the bill over the weekend of March 6-7. The legislation includes $1,400 checks for many Americans (including dependents and individuals with disabilities), an extension of unemployment…
Vaccine Priority for People with Autism
Increasing evidence is showing that people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are at much higher risk for contracting COVID-19, for being hospitalized with the illness, and an increased mortality rate from the illness. A Johns Hopkins analysis of insurance data indicates people with IDD are three times more likely to die when infected with…
Public Policy Advocacy: What’s Ahead and How to Help
As an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, ASNC advocates for public policies that support people on the spectrum and monitors changes in our developmental disability and education systems. We work with policymakers at the General Assembly, state departments such as NC Department of Health and…