July 21, 2000

No. 196

Family Opportunity Act Update

     NPND has learned that we now have "61" cosponsors signed on to the senate version of the Family Opportunity Act (S. 2274) and "20" cosponsors signed on to the house version (H.R. 4825).
     People and groups alike are still commenting on the impact of the testimony presented at the Hearing before the Senate Budget Committee on 12 July. The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has remarked that it was a great session. Dr. William Scanlon, Director, General Accounting Office of Health Financing and Public Health Issues of the Health and Human Services Division, presented testimony at the hearing on how the bill would benefit thousands of families nationwide. (To access a .PDF format of his testimony access: www.gao.gov/new.items/he00152t.pdf).
       Every organization in Washington, D.C. that works on behalf of families is working together on the Hill to move this legislation. THIS BILL MUST GO THIS SESSION. We all need to work together to ensure the Family Opportunity Act is passed this session. 

ACTION NEEDED

Families need this Bill. This piece of legislation benefits all of our families. As we work in D.C., parents, we need you to work in your home states. Your Representatives  and Senators will be in their Home offices during the August Recess.

Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to cosponsor this family supportive legislation: (S. 2274- Senate and H.R. 4825-House). 

If your Senators have cosponsored it, it should be easy to get your Representatives signed on. If your Senators have not, then you need to work on both.

CONTACT INFORMATION

www.senate.gov /US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
www.house.gov /US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

       In the spirit of THOMAS Jefferson, the Library of Congress provides you with a way to search information online about the U.S. Congress and the legislative process.  Search bills, by topic, bill number, or title.
      To learn whether or not your Senators or Representative has signed on as a cosponsor to the Family Opportunity Act just access: http://thomas.loc.gov/  (PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WEB ADDRESS DOES NOT USE "WWW") and follow these steps:

• Once you are on the THOMAS page, enter the number for the bill you would like to access, for instance "S. 2274" or "H.R. 4825"  (one bill at a time), in the box labeled "By Bill Number," which can be found near the top middle portion of the screen. Then press "SEARCH." 

• You will link to the bill. Near the top of the screen you will see 4 boxes of information that you can link to. To find out the cosponsors, i.e., what senators or representatives have signed on, click on the third box "Link to the Bill Summary & Status file."

•  When you reach the Bill Summary and Status page, scroll down until you see "Cosponsors." It will be on the left hand side of the page. Click on it and it will list the Senators or Representatives that have co-signed this legislation.

The DD Act is Moving

Reauthorization of the Developmental Disabilities Act is moving, and we need to ensure that it keeps going. The Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, Thomas Bliley and the Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, William Goodling, need to hear from families. Access the NPND website for more information on the DD Act.

ACTION NEEDED

Contact Chairmans Bliley and Goodling and urge immediate action to adopt the Senate version, S. 1809. It has broad bipartisan support. Tell them that it is important that FAMILY SUPPORT be included in this Act.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Bliley: P-202-225-2815 F-202-225-0011
tom.bliley@mail.house.gov 
Goodling: P-202-225-5836 F-202-226-1000,
pa19@legislators.com 

A coalition of disability rights organizations will be commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the ADA and the 25th Anniversary of IDEA with ceremonies in Washington, D.C. on July 25th and 26th. The two-day celebration will include events on Capitol Hill, the FDR Memorial, Gallaudet University and the Endependence Center of Northern Virginia. The Washington events are part of a national "Spirit of ADA" Torch Relay organized by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), covering 24 U.S. cities. For more information access: www.npnd.org , or www.spiritofada.org  or call AAPD at 800-840-8844. If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, we hope you can join the celebration! 

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Friday Fax is taking a vacation next week, so there will be no news bulletin on July 28, 2000 We will be back on August 4th with the latest legislative news, and information you need to know. Have a good week!

NPND* 1130 17th Street, NW * Suite 400 * Washington, DC 20036
(202)463-2299 * (202)463-9403 (fax)  * npnd@cs.net * http://www.npnd.org

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