NATIONAL POLICY MATTERS
For Chapters of The Arc and Affiliates of UCP

                     


ISSUE 6 : December 21, 2009

This issue includes updates on key programs administered by the following federal agencies:

Social Security Administration

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Education

Department of Labor

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of Transportation

Department of Justice

FY 2010 Funding Law Provides Level Funding and a Few Significant Increases for Disability Programs


On December 16, President Obama signed into law all but one (Defense) of the remaining appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 which began on October 1, 2009.  This omnibus appropriations bill includes the two most importation funding bills for people with disabilities:

  • The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) Appropriations bill; and
  • The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD)Appropriations bill 

Many of the disability and health programs received level funding or very slight increases. This generally means that there is little new money to fund more services and supports or to expand many of these critical programs.

However a few programs received significant increases in funding and they are described below.

 

  Department of Labor (DOL)



Office of Disability Employment Policy Office (ODEP).  ODEP works within DOL and in collaboration with other Federal agencies to develop and implement research and pilot projects to improve employment and training programs for people with disabilities and to influence public policy.  ODEP received a $12 million dollar increase to improve accessibility in the One Stop Career Centers. The One Stop Career Centers also received an additional $12 million to work with ODEP.  

Work Incentives Grants.  This line item, which funded the disability program navigators, was eliminated. However funding for similar activities was provided to ODEP and the One Stops (see above). Each agency received $12 million, which is an increase of $4 million over what was provided in 2009.


  Department of Health and Human Services
  (HHS)


Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (NICHD) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). These two branches of the National Institute of Health support the majority of the basic medical research and clinical research that can impact the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. NICHD received a $35 million increase over FY 2009 and NINDS received a $45 million increase over last year.

Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.  The Autism and Other Developmental Disability program at the Health Resources and Services Administration supports early detection and intervention, training and research programs. It received a $6 million increase over FY 2009 funding.

The developmental disability programs which include the state DD Councils, the Protection and Advocacy programs and the university centers each received an additional one million dollars. The remainder of the programs that are priorities for The Arc and UCP at Health and Human Services were level funded.

 

Department of Education

Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities. This is a new federal source of funding to create programs for youth with intellectual disabilities at colleges and universities. These programs help students with intellectual disabilities grow in a number of areas including academic, employment, independence, self-advocacy and self-confidence. The President had supported $4 million in funding at the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation and Research.  Instead, Congress is providing $11 million dollars in the Office of Postsecondary Education to grow these programs.  

Vocational Rehabilitation Title I State Grant Program. This program provides funding to state vocational rehabilitation agencies to support rehabilitation and employment efforts including providing assessments, pre-vocational training, assistive technology, job placement and follow-along services to assist in job retention.  The VR Act requires a yearly cost of living increase for the program. This year it was 3.7% or $111 million bringing the total FY 2010 funding to $3.085 billion. The majority of the other VR programs receive level funding.

The special education programs and the other rehabilitation programs received the same amount of funding as last year.



   Social Security Administration (SSA)


Each year Congress provides money to the Social Security Administration to pay for the staff and other costs involved in administering the Social Security retirement, survivor, and disability programs and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. In the budget this is called the “Limitation on Administration Expenses” (LAE) and advocates have been trying to significantly increase this account so that SSA can improve services and eliminate the huge backlogs in decisions on disability claims. This year was another big success with the LAE receiving $993 million above FY 2009. This amount will need to continue to grow in order to cover the on-going costs of administering the programs and efforts to reduce the backlogs in decisions on disability claims.

  Department of Housing and Urban
  Development (HUD)


Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program.  In a major victory for persons with developmental disabilities, the bill includes a $50 million increase for the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program, bringing the program to $300 million. This represents a 20% increase over the FY 2009 funding level.

Section 811, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is the only federal housing program that funds the production of affordable and accessible units for persons with long term disabilities. The program pays for the construction or rehabilitation of housing and provides an operating subsidy to pay for insurance, utilities, and maintenance. This operating subsidy is necessary because tenants' rent is limited, under HUD rules, to 30% of their income per month. On average, a person with a disability receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, under this rule, can only pay $200 per month in rent. Several chapters of The Arc and affiliates of United Cerebral Palsy have received Section 811 grants to build group homes or purchase condominiums.


All Disability Programs

This table compares the FY 2009 funding, the President's FY 2010 Budget Request, and the final FY 2010 funding for key disability programs. 

 

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