Policy Corner: July 21, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Senator Casey Holds Hearing on Affordable Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities
Yesterday, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), chair of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a hearing entitled, “Laying the Foundation: Housing Accessibility and Affordability for Older Adults and People with Disabilities,” examining the barriers that people with disabilities and older adults face when trying to find affordable and accessible housing. He highlighted proposed legislation, Visitable Inclusive Tax Credit for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act, which would increase investment in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and require that a percentage of units built to qualify for the tax credit program meet certain accessibility standards as a strategy for addressing the issue.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has reported that less than five percent of housing is accessible for people with moderate mobility difficulties and less than one percent of housing is accessible for wheelchair users. The lack of affordable and accessible housing is one of the primary reasons that people with disabilities and older adults are disproportionally places in institutional care, experience homelessness, or living in unstable housing.
Senators Introduce Bills to Address Food Insecurity Among Adults with Disabilities
On Wednesday, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) announced the introduction of two bills to address food insecurity among older adults and adults with disabilities. An estimated 5.5 million Americans over the age of 60 face food insecurity, while adults with disabilities are twice as likely to be food insecure than adults without disabilities. The Senior Nutrition Task Force Act, introduced by Senator Casey and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), will create a federal interagency task force led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will identify ways to combat food insecurity among older adults and adults with disabilities. The task force will include the perspectives of both older adults and people with disabilities and will be required to produce a report on recommendations to foster coordination across federal nutrition programs.
The Tools for Ensuring Access to Meals (TEAM) Act will establish a new nationwide pilot program to innovatively address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities. The program would provide $5 million in funding for the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Center for the Aging Network to award non-profits, local aging and disability service providers, and government entities grants to pilot innovative models that promote access and participation in federal nutrition programs.
House Republicans Consider Cuts for Federal Agencies for FY 2024
On July 13, the House Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The bill provides $147 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee, which is $60.3 billion (29%) below the FY23 enacted level and $73 billion below the President’s Budget Request. Overall, the committee proposed to reduce funding for 50 programs and eliminate another 60 programs – most of which are unauthorized or have expired authorizations. It is unclear which programs are targeted, although programs for certain vulnerable populations, such as Americans with disabilities, older Americans, and foster children are proposed to be maintained at current levels. The bill maintains the Dickey Amendment, which ensures that federal funds cannot be used to advocate or promote gun control.
Other provisions of the bill include:
- Reducing funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by $1.6 billion (18%).
- The proposal continues support for core public health programs.
- Eliminates programs viewed as controversial, such as climate change initiatives and research on firearms.
- Providing $43 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is $3.8 billion below the FY23 enacted level, and reduces funding for the Office of the Director, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the new ARPA-H program.
- Fully supports basic biomedical research investigating cures for cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, other chronic diseases, and rare diseases.
- Eliminating the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality with the explanation that these research functions can be performed by other agencies at HHS.
Meanwhile, it is reported that conservative Republicans are meeting to propose deeper cuts to federal programs. House Republicans plan to move the Agriculture and Military Construction-VA measures on the House floor next week.
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee met and approved the fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. Committee Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) also announced that on Thursday, July 27, the full Committee will convene to markup the fiscal year 2024 Defense; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies; and Homeland Security appropriations bills. Funding relating to brain injury is contained in the Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill.
CDC Announces Opening for the Director of the National Injury Center
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it is conducting a national search to hire a director for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center). For over 30 years, CDC’s Injury Center has been a leader in protecting Americans from injury and violence so that individuals, families, and communities can be safe, healthy, and thriving. The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act of 1996 authorized funding for a TBI program within this agency to help with surveillance, public education, and prevention activities. The 2018 reauthorization authorized funding for a National Concussion Surveillance System.
Applicants must meet the educational and scientific experience requirements to be credentialed as a Title 42 Distinguished Consultant. This position is open to U.S. citizens only. The announcement is now open and closes August 18, 2023.