House Bill 2413 introduced; companion to S.819 Autism Treatment Acceleration Act

[Received this message from Autism Votes Fri, May 15.
FYI, this is House Resolution 2143 (H.R. 2413)]

H.R.2413
Title: To provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
Sponsor: Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

and is the companion bill to the Senate version,

S.819
Title: A bill to provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (7)
Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Dear Autism Advocate, Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, today applauded Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Eliot Engel (D-NY), and Hank Johnson (D-GA) for their introduction of a House companion bill [HR 2143] to the Senate's Autism Treatment Acceleration Act (ATAA) [S.819], which was introduced last month by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). Like the Senate version, the House version of the ATAA (H.R. 2413) is comprehensive federal legislation that addresses several critical challenges facing the autism community, including increased funding for scientific research, treatment and services. The ATAA incorporates provisions from the Expanding the Promise of Individuals with Autism Act (EPIAA), originally proposed by Representatives Doyle, Smith, Engel, and former-Representative Chip Pickering. As in the Senate's ATAA bill, a key section of the House bill requires all insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASDs), including coverage of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy – a medically-necessary, evidence-based autism treatment. While the number of states that have enacted comprehensive autism insurance reform legislation has grown to ten, most state insurers are still allowed to specifically exclude coverage for these critical services, which can cost upward of $50,000 a year – well beyond the means of most families. The House version of the bill also addresses the unique needs of adults with ASDs, creating a demonstration project with one-year planning grants and multi-year implementation grants for the provision of service for adults with autism. In addition, it creates the Network for Autism Spectrum Disorders Research and Services aimed at accelerating the dissemination and utilization of critical, new information, moving it from “bench to bedside” as quickly as possible.

Now Help US Get ATAA Passed!: 1. CONTACT YOUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE! Urge him/her to become a cosponsor of the ATAA bill, H.R. 2413. > Call your Representative's office and let him/her know that you support the ATAA bill, H.R. 2413, and you want your Representative to become a cosponsor today. Click here to find the name and phone number for your federal Representative! > Send an email to your Representative! Autism Votes has written part of the email message for you. All you need to do is fill in the empty box with your story about your family's experience with autism and how the ATAA bill will help. Click here to send an email to your Representative! 2. STAY INFORMED ON THE ATAA BILL! Sign up to receive Autism Votes email alerts and stay informed on the progress of the ATAA bill. 3. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY! Get your friends and family involved in getting the ATAA bill passed.

For a complete summary description of both the House and Senate ATAA bills, visit our website at www.AutismVotes.org/ATAA. Sincerely, Elizabeth Emken Vice President, Government Relations Autism Speaks ----------- Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG ----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

FED. LEGISLATION: S.819 - Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009

U.S. Senate Bill S. 819 (Durbin-IL)
Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate)
http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.819:

Autism Treatment Acceleration Act TV Coverage

Senator Dick Durbin (IL) visits The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)
to announce his introduction of the
Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCxcnzdTlC8

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

NEWS: Colorado passes autism insurance mandate including ABA

Colorado passes autism insurance mandate including applied behavior analysis. If signed, CO becomes the 11th state with such coverage. See press release.
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<Autism Society.doc>>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Betty Lehman
Autism Society of Colorado
Cell: 303.898.7656
Betty@autismcolorado.org
www.autismcolorado.org

Colorado Legislature Passes Insurance Coverage for Treatment of Autism
Denver, Colorado, 5/5/09 – A landmark, bi-partisan bill expanding the treatment of autism was given final approval by the Senate and is on its way to the Governor. Senate Bill 244, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont) and State Representative Dianne Primavera (D-Broomfield) will require health insurance providers to cover assessment, diagnosis and treatment of autism, including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), a substantially researched and favored behavioral treatment for autism spectrum disorders. This bill will require health insurance plans to include autism as a covered benefit.

Autism is extremely expensive to treat; the estimated lifetime cost of caring for a person with autism ranges from $3.5 to $5 million. However, if the appropriate early intervention treatments are applied, up to two-thirds of the cost for treatment can be avoided.

“The passage of this bill is a triumph for the most vulnerable among us; those who we, as a society, have a responsibility to protect,” said Sen. Shaffer. “Autism is treatable, but these families should not face this alone. This bill will finally make healthcare manageable for those with autism disorders and their families.”

After the bill passed the Senate, Betty Lehman, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Colorado and a key architect of the bill, thanked individuals with autism in Colorado , their families and their providers, indicating their continued support ensured the bill’s passage. The Autism Society asked those affected by autism in Colorado to contact their legislators to encourage a yes vote on the bill, to great effect. Lehman also thanked the lawmakers that recognized the impact of the bill on Colorado families affected by autism.

“This bill will have a tremendous impact on the lives of people with autism and their families. It will also alleviate some of the financial burden on the public education, public health care programs, and social services systems in our state,” said Lehman.

Michael Zeitlin, Board President of the Autism Society of Colorado acknowledged the landmark bill would not have been possible without the hard work of the bill sponsors and Betty Lehman. “Except for Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer and State Representative Dianne Primavera, Betty Lehman was the single most important person involved in shepherding this bill through the entire legislative process, winning approval in both houses of the legislature and vetting about 50 amendments negotiated by various interest groups,” said Zeitlin.

The bill now awaits action by the Governor. If SB 244 is signed, Colorado will become only the 11^th state requiring insurance providers to cover treatments for autism. The Autism Society of Colorado is excited to have worked diligently for legislation that improves the quality of life for people with autism and their families.

###

Bridget Cessar
Communications Director
Autism Society of Colorado
Office: 720.214.0794, ext. 10
Fax: 720.274.2744
www.AutismColorado.org

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

ABA-I NEWSFLASH & ACTION: From the GAC, "ABAI Legislative Agenda"

Received 5/5/09 on the behavioranalysisandpublicpolicy yahoogroup

To: ABAI State Affiliate Chapters Governmental Affairs Representatives
Members of the ABAI PIBA SIG
From: Michael F. Dorsey, Ph.D., BCBA, Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee
Re: ABAI Legislative Agenda

I am writing to inform you of the newly established process adopted by the ABAI Practice Board to prepare a comprehensive agenda of critical bills for ABAI. The process, as described below, begins with the submission of bills recommended to be considered by members of ABAI as well as key constituents, to the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Practice Board. While bills may be submitted to the GAC at the annual meeting, it is my hope that you will forward copies of any bills you wish to have considered to our email address at abaipracticeboardgac@gmail.com in advance of the meeting so that the members of the GAC will have time to review the bills prior to the meeting.

The GAC will be meeting in a joint meeting with the ABAI PIBA SIG on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM in North 224A. Please join us for this open meeting.


Governmental Affairs Committee
ABAI Practice Board
Legislative Review Process

1. The Governmental Affairs Committee will review and adopt, on an annual basis, bills presented to the Committee by the members of ABAI for the establishment of a Legislative agenda for ABAI, based on the following model:

1. A three tiered system that includes one “Priority Bill,” three to five “Supported Bills,” and an undefined number of “Endorsed Bills.”

2. At an annual open meeting of the Governmental affairs Committee, held during the ABAI Conference, the members of the Governmental affairs Committee will meet to review and discuss bills submitted by members or stake holders that fall within the scope of the profession of Applied Behavior Analysis and, if enacted, may either enhance or detract from ability to practice;
3. The Governmental Affairs Committee will identify a slate of such bills critical for the support of the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis and make recommendations relative to their support or opposition to the Practice Board.

i. The Priority Bill will be the center piece of the ABAI Legislative agenda. The Governmental affairs committee will notify the sponsoring agencies/legislators of the action taken in identifying the legislation as the Priority Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill. Additionally members of the committee will be available to testify at hearings, submit written statements related to the bills, make phone contacts with appropriate legislators, and activate the phone/email alert system to prompt ABAI members to contact their legislators indicating the position of ABAI on this particular bill, etc.

ii. Three to five Supported Bills will be treated in a similar manner to the Priority Bill, with the exception that committee members will not be available to testify on behalf of the bill(s).

iii. An undetermined number of Endorsed Bills will be identified which the committee believes are important to the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis, but do not rise to the level of importance which justifies the expenditure of the time or resources focused on the Priority of Supported Bills. The single level of support for bills identified in this category will be to notify the sponsoring agencies/legislator s of the action taken in identifying the legislation as an Endorsed Bill for ABAI for the year. This will allow the use of the name of ABAI to be used in all correspondence, etc. related to this bill.

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

NEWS: Oklahoma Governor signs HB 2027--creates licensure for BACB Certificants

AP Story on passage of Oklahoma HB 2027
Signed into law by Governor Henry.
Associated Press - May 4, 2009 6:05 PM ET

"OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has signed legislation designed to increase the number of therapists who provide services to autistic children...The bill calls for enactment of a licensing process for national board certified behavior analysts..."

Note: This story was reported as coming from the AP, but the info reported is not yet showing on the Oklahoma legislative website, so until confirming reports come out, consider the news tenative.

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

Articles on Licensure from the journal, Behavior Analysis in Practice

From Behavior Analysis in Practice, volume 2, no. 1, Spring 2009
Journal website


From Table of Contents and other info on journal and submissions

Special Section
Invited Commentaries: The Licensing of Behavior Analysts

A Primer on Professional Credentialing: Introduction to Invited Commentaries on Licensing Behavior Analysts . 51
Gina Green, Ph.D., BCBA & James M. Johnston, Ph.D., BCBA

The Case for Licensure of Applied Behavior Analysts . 53
Michael F. Dorsey, Ph.D., BCBA, Michael Weinberg, Ph.D., BCBA, Thomas Zane, Ph.D., BCBA, & Megan M. Guidi, M.S., BCBA

Licensing of Behavior Analysts: Risks and Alternatives . . 59
Gina Green, Ph.D., BCBA & James M. Johnston, Ph.D., BCBA


BehavAnPract_journalSpr2009

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

NEWS: The Disability Policy Collaboration and how to subscribe

FYI: The The Capitol Insider

Volume 14, Issue 16, May 4, 2009
Advocacy and policy updates from Disability Policy Collaboration,
a joint project of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy

To activate your own subscription to The Capitol Insider

Action Alerts

Urge Your Members of Congress to Include Long Term Services and Supports in Health Care Reform

Major Events Last Week

Obama Administration

The Senate, by a vote of 65-31, confirmed Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All of the members of President Obama's cabinet have now been confirmed and sworn-in.

Congress

Senator Arlen Specter (PA), a Republican of 28 years, announced he would switch his party affiliation and begin caucusing with the Democrats. Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has signaled that he doesn't intend to change existing committee membership and leadership, but Specter's move to the other side of the aisle may give Democrats an added majority in key committees: five more seats than Republicans on the Appropriations Committee, and a four-seat edge on Judiciary, Environment and Public Works, Veterans' Affairs and Special Aging. Democrats are now 1 vote away from the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster, if they remain united, while they await the outcome of Minnesota's Senate seat. Meanwhile, Republicans will begin to contemplate who will replace Specter as Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee.

Budget Resolution

As President Obama marked his first 100 days in office, Congress adopted a Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Resolution that sets the stage for action on his top legislative priorities. The House adopted the conference report on the resolution by 233-193. No Republican voted for the budget; 17 Democrats - nearly all of them fiscal conservatives - voted against it. The Senate vote about six hours later was 53-43. Again, no Republicans voted for the budget, while three Democrats voted against it. The Budget Resolution (S Con Res 13) is non-binding, but it sets the framework for Congress to make legislative decisions on taxes, appropriations and entitlement programs later in the year. The $3.56 trillion budget resolution includes reconciliation instructions that would allow Obama's proposed health care overhaul to move through Congress immune from a Senate filibuster. The Budget Resolution has a cap on discretionary spending that is $10 billion less than the Administration's request. This is a strong indication that funding for domestic discretionary programs like education, employment, rehabilitation and housing will likely be tight.

Medicaid

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Bush Administration's school based administration/transportation and outpatient regulations have been rescinded, and that the targeted case management rule has been partially rescinded:

• The school based administration/transportation rule eliminated Medicaid reimbursement for administrative costs such as those associated with enrolling school aged children in Medicaid. School administrators estimated that these cuts would have forced them to severely reduce related services (e.g. physical, occupational and speech and language therapies) and classroom aides provided to students with disabilities in special education.
• The outpatient rule narrowed the scope of services that can be provided to poor people under Medicaid's outpatient hospital benefit, such as dental and vision care.
• The targeted case management rule was required by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). The Bush Administration had issued a regulation that went far beyond the requirements of the DRA, including making it significantly more difficult for individuals transitioning from institutions to the community by reducing federal reimbursement for transitional case management from the last 180 days of an individual's institutional stay to the last 60 days. In many cases, due to the lack of affordable and accessible housing and challenges in securing support services, it is difficult to impossible to transition to the community in 60 days. The partial rescission removes all provisions that went beyond the requirements of the DRA.

These rescissions are a great victory for the The Arc and UCP.

The rehabilitative (or "rehab") services option rule is a proposed rule and cannot be implemented at this time. The disability community is urging HHS to formally withdraw it. The Rehab option rule would restrict the scope of eligible rehabilitation services and eliminated coverage for day habilitation services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

An official announcement will appear in the Federal Register on May 6 and can be accessed at:
http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-10494_PI.pdf

Health Reform

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) released policy options for healthcare delivery reform entitled "Transforming the Health Care Delivery System: Proposals to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Health Care Costs." It is anticipated that these proposals will form the basis of the delivery system component of the Finance Committee's health reform bill. The proposals include recommendations for:
* Reform - Improving Quality and Promoting Primary Care
* Payment Reform - Fostering Care Coordination and Provider Collaboration
* Health Care Infrastructure Investments - Tools to Support Delivery System Reform
* Medicare Advantage - Promoting Quality, Efficiency and Chronic Care Management
* Public Program Integrity - Combating Fraud, Waste and Abuse
See the report at:
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/042809%20Health%20Care%20Description%20of%20Policy%20Option.pdf

International Rights

At the 2009 Disability Policy Seminar, Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, confirmed that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was "important to the President and a priority of the President." The President can make the U.S. a signatory of the Convention, but it takes an act of Congress to ratify the Convention. There are eight guiding principles that underlie the Convention and each one of its specific articles: 1) Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one's own choices, and independence of persons, 2) Non-discrimination, 3) Full and effective participation and inclusion in society, 4) Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity, 5) Equality of opportunity, 6) Accessibility, 7) Equality between men and women, and 8) Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities. For more information see:

http://www.un.org/disabilities/

Victimization

H.R. 1913, commonly referred to as the Hate Crimes bill, passed the House on April 29 by a vote of 234-190. The day before, the Senate introduce the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (S. 909), sponsored by Senator Kennedy (D-MA). The Senate's companion bill currently has 35 cosponsors. This legislation, which has the support of President Obama, would expand the federal definition of hate crimes to include disability, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. It would also provide federal grants to state and local agencies for hate crimes investigations, prosecution, and training for enforcement officers.

Disability Policy Seminar

The 2009 Disability Policy Seminar took place last week. Five hundred and fifty persons participated from 48 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, in addition to international participants from Norway and Canada. The event culminated in over 150 visits to Congressional offices to advocate for key disability programs and issues. See the program, Key issue fact sheets, and overhead presentations at:
http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1709

Major Events Ahead

FY 2010 Budget

This Thursday, the President is expected to release the detailed budget request for FY 2010. In February the Administration had released a budget request that included overall spending levels and priorities but not detailed line items for individual programs. The budget request includes the funding levels the Administration would like to see for individual programs within the federal government.

Employment

The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Seth Harris to be Deputy Secretary of Labor on May 7. Harris was most recently the Obama Transition Project's Agency Working Group Leader for the labor, education, and transportation agencies. He is a Professor and the Director of Labor & Employment Law Programs at New York Law School. He was also a Senior Fellow of the United Cerebral Palsy's Life Without Limits Project.

Health Care Reform

On Tuesday the Senate Finance Committee will hold a Roundtable Discussion on "Expanding Health Care Coverage". Next week Finance Committee members will meet in a closed Executive Session to develop policy options on the issues discussed at the Roundtable. A webcast of the Roundtable can be accessed at:
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearings.htm

On Wednesday the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing titled, "'Health Reform in the 21st Century: A Conversation with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius." See:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=676

Health Care

On Wednesday the Senate Special Aging Committee will hold a hearing on "Medicare and Medicaid Fraud." See:
http://aging.senate.gov/

On Thursday the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing titled, "Ensuring Preparedness Against the Flu Virus at School and Work." See:
http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2009/05/ensuring-preparedness-against.shtml

Employment

On Tuesday the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing titled, "New Innovations and Best Practices under the Workforce Investment Act." See:
http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2009/05/new-innovations-and-best-pract-2.shtml

Announcements

Swine Flu Information

The federal government and public health organizations have made available several resources on the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu:

* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page containing the latest information about H1N1 Flu, including activities currently underway to deal with the situation, daily updates on affected areas and numbers of cases, and precautions you can take to protect yourself and your family: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/. You may also contact the CDC at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) English/Spanish TTY: (888) 232-6348, 24 Hours/Ever Day -- cdcinfo@cdc.gov.

* An HHS report, Home Health Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Issues and Resources, based on the findings of an expert panel meeting, including representatives of home health care, emergency and disaster planning, professional organizations and federal and state government agencies:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/healthcare/homehealth.html

* A report published by Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), At Risk Populations and Pandemic Influenza: Planning Guidance for State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local Health Departments.
http://www.astho.org/pubs/State_local_review_Final.pdf

* Considering the Needs of Employees with Disabilities During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak at
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/employmentpandemicflufact.doc

Stimulus Reporting Requirements for Education

The Department of Education has provided a brief summary of Federal Agency and State's Reporting requirement for agencies distributing or receiving up to 100 billion in aid for education: Federal agencies (including the Department of Education) must:
* Host their own recovery.gov web sites
* Report "major communications" such as press events
* Report weekly on stimulus funding obligations and outlays
* Report weekly on major actions
* Craft a formal plan on how the department will manage stimulus funds overall and detailed plans to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget by May 15.

States must:
* Submit quarterly reports, starting October 10, accounting for how funds were spent, the programs' programs, and the number of jobs created or saved.
* Submit annual reports on how the state fiscal stabilization money was used, how many jobs were saved or created, and how much progress was made in key education reform areas (such as reducing teacher quality inequities).

Social Security Benefits

Economic forecasts by the Obama Administration and the Congressional Budget Office show that Social Security recipients will not get an increase in their benefits next year. Cost of living adjustments (COLA) that beneficiaries receive are calculated under a formula set by law. The low inflation rate resulting from the economic crisis is what is keeping the Social Security amounts from rising. This will be the first time since 1975 beneficiaries do not receive a COLA.

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Please note that you can view previous issues of the Capitol Insider, at thearc.org anytime by choosing "Capitol Insider" under "Public Policy."

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at mailto:acosta@thedpc.org

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy
Disability Policy Collaboration

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org