Wednesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on on FY15 revenue and
spending pressures: 1. Presentation from COGFA- State of Illinois Economic and Revenue Outlook. 2.
University of Illinois Institute for Government and Public Affairs Fiscal Futures Project- Revenue
Outlook and the Impact on Future Fiscal Years.
Thursday, the Administration will hold another hearing on the 1115 Medicaid Transformation
Waiver in Chicago at the Thompson Center.
Employment – Executive Order Sets Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors; Includes
People with Disabilities Employed under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act
Last week, the President signed an Executive Order establishing a minimum wage of $10.10 per
hour for federal contractors and subcontractors. The Executive Order covers service and
construction contracts and subcontracts (products are not covered), effective January 1, 2015.
The wage rate will apply to new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts, and will be
indexed annually for inflation. As stated by the White House, “Under current law, workers whose
productivity is affected because of their disabilities may be paid less than the wage paid to others
doing the same job under certain specialized certificate programs. Under this Executive Order,
all individuals working under service or concessions contracts with the federal government will be
covered by the same $10.10 per hour minimum wage protections.” To read The Arc’s statement,
visit our blog.
Education – Legislation to Ban Seclusion and Restraint Introduced in The Senate
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Committee, and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced the Keeping All Kids Safe Act. (More
information, including a summary of the bill, is available here.) The bill would ban seclusion and
severely restrict the use of restraint on school children. Senator Harkin also released an investigative report that found families often are not informed about the use of restraint and
seclusion on their children. Those who learn about the practices and whose children are harmed
by the use of restraint or seclusion have little or no recourse through school procedures or the
courts. A main focus of the bill is to provide training to school personnel on the use of positive,
supportive, and safe techniques when challenging behaviors do occur. To read The Arc’s
statement, visit our blog.
Health Care – Affordable Care Act Provisions Delayed for Small Employers
Last week, the Administration published final rules implementing the employer shared responsibility
provisions of the ACA. The rules included another one year delay in the implementation of the
employer responsibility provisions for employers with 50 to 100 full time employees. The provision
that these employers provide health insurance coverage to full time employees or pay a penalty will
take effect January 2016. The final rules allow employers to offer coverage of 70% to their full time
employees without triggering a penalty. The amount will be raised to 95% in 2016. The proposed
rule included a number of transitional provisions that have been extended through 2015, including
delaying the requirement that employers make available coverage for their full time employees’
dependents as long as the employer is taking steps to arrange for the coverage to begin in 2016.
Announcements
Book Rooms Now for the 2014 Disability Policy Seminar
Now is the time to book your rooms for the 2014 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C., April
7-9, before our room block at the Grand Hyatt closes on March 4. And take advantage of special
early seminar registration rates until March 7. Back for a second year in a row, AAIDD will showcase
its catalogue of publications and tools for disability professionals, caregivers, and advocates. And, if
you’re new to the Seminar, AUCD and AAIDD are offering an orientation to the policy issues and
current legislation on Tuesday, March 11 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Get more information, book your room,
and register now at www.disabilitypolicyseminar.org.
Hosted by: The Arc, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), American Association
on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), National Association of Councils on
Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), and United
Cerebral Palsy (UCP)
Promotional Support Provided by: Sibling Leadership Network
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org
