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Major Events Ahead
Budget – Appropriators begin work on Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations under tight spending limits
Congress returns today after a two week recess and both chambers will work on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 spending bills. The House will be working with the lower $1.028 trillion discretionary limit set by the House-passed Budget Resolution while the Senate will be using the $1.047 trillion cap set by the Budget Control Act (BCA). The different starting points indicate that there will be a need to reconcile the two versions. If a compromise cannot be found, a Continuing Resolution is likely. The specific FY 2013 allocations are expected soon. To date, only one spending bill for disability-related programs has been scheduled for markup. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD) bill will be marked up by the Senate subcommittee beginning on April 17.
Employment – House to hold hearing on Workforce Improvement Act of 2012
On April 17 th the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a legislative hearing on the Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2012 ( H.R. 4297), introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), and Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV). The bill consolidates more than 20 Federal job training programs into a Workforce Investment Fund that would provide formula funds to state and local workforce investment boards for employment and training programs. To learn more about the hearing and watch live video, visit the Committee web site.
Housing – House to mark up bill to reform HUD’s Section 8 program
On April 18 th the House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to mark up a discussion draft of legislation to reform the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 housing choice voucher program and other HUD programs. Section 8 provides rental subsidies that make housing affordable for people with very low incomes, including people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. The draft legislation, the Affordable Housing and Self-Sufficiency Improvement Act of 2012, is available on the Committee’s web site.
Announcements
Capitol Insider scheduling update – Next edition on Monday, April 30
Due to the Disability Policy Seminar April 23-25 there will be no Capitol Insider next week. The next edition of Capitol Insider will be published on Monday, April 30.
Department of Health and Human Services Announces new Administration for Community Living
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of a new Administration for Community Living (ACL) within HHS. The ACL will bring together the Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability, and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities into a single agency that supports both cross-cutting initiatives and efforts focused on the unique needs of individual groups, such as children with developmental disabilities or seniors with dementia. This new agency is designed to build on the Administration’s Year of Community Living initiative by working on increasing access to community supports and achieving full community participation for people with disabilities and seniors. For more information, visit http://hhs.gov/acl.
Social Security – The Arc’s Marty Ford Speaks at Briefing on Social Security Disability Insurance
On April 3rd the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) held a Capitol Hill briefing on “Why Are More People Claiming Disability Insurance and What Should Be Done About It?” The forum presented perspectives on the causes and consequences of changes in the Social Security Disability Insurance caseload. Speakers discussed past trends in disability claims; differing perspectives on why the rolls have grown; implications for the effectiveness of the program; and implications for the economic security of people with disabilities. Presenters were Stephen C. Goss, Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration; Lisa Ekman, Senior Policy Advisor, Health and Disability Advocates; and David Stapleton, Director, Center for Studying Disability Policy, Mathematica Policy Research. Discussants were Marty Ford, Director of The Arc’s Public Policy Office, and Tony Young, Senior Public Policy Strategist, NISH. View presentations and CSPAN video of the event on NASI’s web site.
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