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FEDERAL ADVOCACY
SNAP Vote Potentially This WEEK! Call Your legislators now!
You can click here to receive the contact number to call your legislator about this issue. Local letters to the editor can also make a difference to your House member. Here is a sample letter to the editor. See below for background.
The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote soon on a bill to cut off or reduce basic food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for roughly 2 million people across the nation. This includes many people with disabilities and their families.
The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that would subject millions of people who rely on SNAP to sweeping, harsh new work and reporting requirements. These changes create new hurdles to benefits and would punish people who lose their jobs and can’t find a new one, can’t meet the potential new strict work or training requirements, or can’t get an exemption.
Many people with disabilities or chronic illness, and their families, would be hurt.
The changes to SNAP are part of the “Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018” (H.R. 2), also known as the “Farm Bill.”
Call Congress now to say #HandsOff SNAP!
STATE ADVOCACY
This week is committee deadline week in the House for all the bills that have come over from the Senate.
Please submit a witness slip IN SUPPORT for the following bills:
- SB2424 – Diversion from Facilities, bearing May 16, 8 am House Human Services. Here is the link to fill out a witness slip.
- SB3237 – Expands and clarifies OIG appeal rights for people with disabilities, families and providers. Here is the link to fill out a witness slip.
- SB2429 – Expansion of dental care, hearing May 17, 9 am IL House Human Services Appropriations Committee. Here is the link to fill out a witness slip.
- SB 3041 and HB 5163 – Expansion of DD boards in the Revenue and Finance Committee, May 17 2 pm.
Here is the link to fill out a witness slip. - SB 2660, Prohibits the state to claw back money from an ABLE account if a person passes. Heard May 16, 8 am in the Human Services Committee. We support this bill but unfortunately it does not help many people with I/DD because the federal CMS indicated that anyone who has waiver services is subject to a claw back. Here is the link to fill out a witness slip.
- SB 454, Requires an IEP team to include a statement about why they do not need assistive technology if they indicate the child does not. Hear May 17 9 am. Here is the link to fill out a witness slip.
If this is your first time submitting a witness slip:
Click on the link above. Fill out your basic information. For firm/business/agency, if you are not speaking for one, you can just say n/a or parent, family, individual. For person/group representing, if you are not responding as an agency, you can put self, parent, family member, self-advocate, individual or other. Under testimony, click record of appearance only unless you are planning on being there in person and submitting testimony or testifying.
Advocate in Support for SB3508
•SB3508 – Wage increase – advocacy is now needed to ensure the bill gets out of the rules committee in the House and is assigned to the Human Services Appropriation Committee and heard! If you have contacts on that committee, please reach out to the Committee Members for House Human Services Appropriations Committee.
Please share communications like this powerful video on social media. You can find other stories and videos to share at Theydeservemore.org.
•HB4736 – Exempting from managed care Medically Fragile Technology Dependent kids moved through the House and into the Senate and is on 2nd reading.
ADVOCATE FOR A BUDGET
Please use this quick action alert link to contact Governor Rauner and your Illinois State Senator and State Representative. Ask them to work together to pull together a budget package and pass it by May 31.
Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org