lda news

[Guest guest]

Dear State Presidents and Offices,

Please read the latest News from Washington and pass along to your local

affiliates. This News from Washington covers pivotal information regarding:

IDEA

Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP

NICHD

NCLB

Toxic right to know

ADA

Growth model to measure students achievements

Thank you for all you do!

-Sharon

Sharon M. Tanner

Membership & Development Coordinator

Learning Disabilities Association

National Headquarters

412-341-1515 x209

STanner@...

Hope to see you in Chicago for the 45th Annual International Conference Feb.

27 - March 1, 2008

NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

JANUARY 14, 2008

LEGISLATION

Congress is in recess. The House will reconvene on January 15,

the Senate on January 22.

Bills passed before Congress recessed.include

APPROPRIATIONS

A $555 billion omnibus spending bill (HR 2764) was passed by the

Senate on December 18, by the House on December 19.and sent to the President

for his signature. Congress passed another continuing resolution (HJ Res

72) keep the government open until the President signed the bill, which he

did on December 26. The bill Increases overall education funding by $1.94

billion (+3.4%). This includes a $1.1 billion (+4.6%) increase in NLCB

programs; a $259 million (+ 17.3%) increase in IDEA funding; and restoration

of much of the funding for Career and Technical Education. Funding for the

National Children's Study is $111 million.

MEDICARE/MEDICAID/SCHIP

The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP (State Children's Health

Insurance Program) Extension Act of 2007 (S 2499) passed by Congress and

signed into law on December 29 includes

* A six month 0.5% increase in Medicare physician reimbursements, averting a

10% decrease scheduled to take effect on January 1, 1008

* A six month moratorium on the proposed regulations limiting rehabilitation

options and school based services/transportation.

* An extension of the SCHIP program through March 31, 2009 which provides

sufficient funding to avoid funding shortfalls in 2008

On December 28, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services (CMS) issued a final regulation stipulating that schools may not

bill Medicaid for certain school-based administrative and transportation

activities. The regulations were to go into effect on February 26,2008.

However, the exact status of the regulation is unclear because of the bill

signed on December 29 which imposes a six month moratorium on any regulatory

guidance concerning payment for school based administration and

transportation.

NEW NAME

Congress passed and the President signed into law S.2484 which

renames the

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) the Eunice

Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Bills Awaiting Action in the Second Sesssion of the 110th Congress

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES RESTORATION ACT (H.R. 3195; S. 1881) would

override recent Supreme Court decisions which have seriously eroded the

rights of people with disabilities under the ADA, by allowing employers to

say either a person is too disabled to do a job or is not disabled enough to

be protected by the law.

REAUTHORIZATION OF NCLB (ESEA)

The NEA website lists current bills on the reauthorization of ESEA/NCLB,

which includes those supported by NEA (41 in the Senate and 87 in the

House), those opposed by NEA and those on which NEA has no position. On

January 7, 2008. President Bush said if Congress doesn't reauthorize the No

Child Left Behind Act, he will make as many changes as he can on his own. He

also said that if Congress does renew the law but weakens it in the process,

he'd " strongly oppose it and veto it "

TOXIC RIGHT TO KNOW PROTECTION ACT (S 595. H.R.1055) would undo reporting

requirement roll-backs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented

in a January 2007 rule change, which would allow companies to release ten

time more pollution before filing detailed reports and create an

unprecedented exemption for reporting low-level disposals of persistent

bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), including lead and mercury.