Federal Policy
It is important for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members and other advocates to pay attention not only to policy changes happening in North Carolina, but also the policy discussions and changes made by Congress in Washington, DC.
Medicaid, Medicare, SSI and other support programs are directed and managed by the federal government. Congress may also pass bills that require states to change they way they do business in order to receive federal funding.
The following is a list of current federal policies that may impact individuals with I/DD in North Carolina:
- Keeping All Students Safe Act is a proposed bill to ensure the effective implementation of positive behavioral interventions in schools. The legislation will help schools establish a safe and engaging learning culture for teachers and students alike, and will bar the use of seclusion in locked, unattended rooms or enclosures.
- Fact Sheet
- Letter sent by NCCDD
- Seclusion and Restraint report by Disability Rights North Carolina
- US Senate report: Dangerous Use of Seclusion and Restraints in Schools Remains Widespread and Difficult to Remedy
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) programs have already begun to provide access to affordable health insurance for some of the 50 million Americans who had been uninsured. The bill contains many provisions that eliminate discrimination against people with health conditions, expand health insurance coverage, and improve prevention and public health.
- The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act of 2014 (Autism CARES Act) was passed in 2014. The bill reauthorizes the Combating Autism Act of 2011 and authorizes $1.3 billion over five years for research into autism while calling for federal agencies to examine and anticipate the needs of children with autism who are “aging out” of current programs and need different assistance as adults.
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is an international treaty that promotes a more accessible world for people with disabilities, including US citizens who want to travel, learn or work abroad. The CRPD was inspired by US leadership and is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other US disability laws.
Popular Links
North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2001NCSCDD-02, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.