Policy Corner: February 13, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Senator Introduces Concussion Bill
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has introduced S. 205 to promote minimum state requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions caused by students participating in school sports or school sponsored activities on or off school property. It requires each local educational agency in the state, in consultation with members of the community in which such agency is located, to develop and implement a standard plan for concussion safety and management in order to be in compliance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Lawmakers Introduce the Mentoring to Succeed Act
Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Jesus García (D-IL-4), and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) have introduced the Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2023 (H.R. 525/S. 65) to provide sustainable support systems through mentorship to ensure that children who experience poverty, inadequate schooling, disability, adverse childhood experiences, or drug and alcohol use can successfully transition from high school to college and to the workforce.
The legislation amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to give the Department of Education the authority to award competitive grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist at-risk students in middle school and high school in developing cognitive and social-emotional skills to prepare them for success in high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. The bill provides funds to school-based mentorship programs to help students find mentors and build relationships to help them succeed in school and life.
Biden Administration to End the Public Health Emergency on May 11
The Administration has announced that they will be ending the Public Health Emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 pandemic on May 11th, 2023. Initially, the PHE was set to expire on March 1 and April 11, respectively. However, the Administration’s plan is to extend the emergency declarations to May 11, and then end both emergencies on that date in order to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to termination of the PHE.
During the PHE, the Medicaid program operated under special rules to provide extra funding to states to ensure that Americans kept their Medicaid coverage during a global pandemic. In December, Congress enacted an orderly wind-down of these rules to ensure that patients did not lose access to care unpredictably and that state budgets don’t face significant short falls. Additionally, hospitals and nursing homes relied on flexibilities during the PHE, including increased Medicare rates.
Once the emergency status expires, states will have 12 months to re-evaluate the eligibility of almost every one of their Medicaid beneficiaries. States will start April 1. As part of a Covid-19 relief package passed in March 2020, states were prohibited from kicking people off Medicaid during the PHE in exchange for additional federal matching funds.
Save the Dates for Upcoming March Brain Injury Awareness Activities
As a reminder, the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) virtual “Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Partners Day” is scheduled for February 28, 2023, 12:00 – 4:00 pm (ET) in observance of March Brain Injury Awareness Month. ACL will feature sessions on aging, employment, the intersectionality of TBI and other medical and social issues, and peer support. There will be no cost to register for the event. You may register for the event here.
Meanwhile, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is a working with the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force (CBITF) and stakeholders to schedule the annual March awareness day sponsored by the CBITF. Stay tune for more information on brain injury advocacy opportunities in March and BIAA policy briefs that will be available.
Additionally, the National Association of Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) is holding a SEED Summit on March 7-8, 2023, at the Residence Inn Arlington Capital View, Arlington Virginia. The SEED Summit is hosted by Pennsylvania and will provide participants an opportunity to discuss strategies for building state service and support systems. Space is limited. Individuals who are interested may register here. NASHIA’s 2023 SEED Summit This meeting also provides an opportunity for participants to fly in to Washington, D.C. and visit with their Congressional delegation.