Happy Start-of-Session TDC Family!
As you may have noticed, it snowed a bit this week, grinding the workings of state government, as well as the functioning of our state’s road, to a hard stop. Despite the weather, the second year of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly has begun. We’ve got a big year ahead of us, friends, with a full slate of pro-disability community legislation awaiting our GRASSROOTS, as well as the annual slate of defensive positions we’ll need to take. Buckle up friends – this update will be relatively short, but as soon as the gears defrost and the doors of Cordell Hull reopen, we’ll be in full swing, and I’ll make sure you’re fully in the know. Onward!
What to expect this year:
- This is the second year of a 2-year session, which means any bill that either did not pass or fail are fair game.
- This doesn’t mean that every one of the 1500+ bills from last year with cards still in the hand will be moved this year, it just means that they could
- Second years tend to be fast-moving and early-ending – we know what’s on deck, nobody has to switch offices and the legislators want to get out and (some) want to get to campaigning
- The purse-strings will be tighter this year, especially when compared to the last 3 or 4 years
- The state is currently facing a budget deficit after years of big ol’ surpluses
- (that went to Ford, the Titans and tax cuts)
- We’re hearing from everybody that “there is no money”, so set your expectations accordingly
- That’s not to say there’s no reason to ask, we’ll just have to ask really nicely (and persuasively)
- The state is currently facing a budget deficit after years of big ol’ surpluses
- Any drama this year? Who knows. But it’s safe to say that the legislature didn’t spend the summer at summer camp singing kumbayas and making friendship bracelets
- We’ve already seen some vitriol over the new House rules that limit access to the chamber for media and the public at large
- That said, we’ll continue to keep our head down and doing the good work of making Tennessee a better state for people with disabilities, middle school hijinks aside
- We have just a few new faces this year
- Meet the new cast: Representatives Aftyn Behn and Timothy Hill (part deux) and the official returns of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson
- We already know some stuff too. We’ve heard legislative interest in the following:
- Universal School Vouchers (from the Gov), public safety/mental health/gun safety stuff from the August Special Session, Medicaid Expansion-ish rumors, school safety stuff
The important stuff – 2024 TDC Priority Bills
- We’ve got a couple so far this year, and I’m sure we’ll add more (hopefully good ones, not that mechanical restraint nonsense from last year)
- TennCare for Working Adults – this bill would create an option for working adults with disabilities to pay a premium to access TennCare services (like HCBS), while having income and assets above the current Medicaid eligibility threshold
- This is a Very Good Bill (VGB) – 46 other states have already figured this out and have such a program, it’s time for Tennessee to get on board
- The bill greatly expands the occupational prospects of adults with disabilities, reducing the need to make the awful choice between employment and healthcare
- And it’s super cost-effective
- This one will be our biggest lift/hardest to pass this year, mostly because it will cost money and all of Cordell Hull is saying “there is no money”
- But we’ve got a good ethical and economic case here, it will really come down to the dollars and cents
- It’s been introduced in the House, we’re still working on a Senate sponsor – don’t expect this one to sneak up on you – we’ll absolutely let you know when it’s moving and we need the GRASSROOTS
- Paid Family Caregiving Resolution – this resolution would urge the state (and TennCare) to work with community stakeholders in developing a comprehensive statewide paid family caregiving policy and program
- AARP, in their 2023 Annual Scorecard, ranked Tennessee DEAD LAST – 51 out of 51 – in the degree and quality of support it provides to family caregivers
- It essentially says we offer zero policies that can make caring for a loved one with a disability even marginally easier
- Note that this is a resolution, it’s an opportunity for TennCare and the state to do the right thing on their own and get to work
- Do we think that TennCare will? Ummm…
- This is part of a joint effort between TDC and the Tennessee Justice Center, with funding by Special Olympics International
- And it’s just the start for us – expect this one to take more work in the coming years
- AARP, in their 2023 Annual Scorecard, ranked Tennessee DEAD LAST – 51 out of 51 – in the degree and quality of support it provides to family caregivers
- Right to Repair pt. 2 – this bill would require suppliers of power and manual wheelchairs to offer twice-annual preventative maintenance and to repair malfunctions, and creates a pathway for independent repair persons to do some types of repair.
- The much-anticipated sequel to the wildly successful part 1, we think that passage of this bill would create enough pathways to repair for wheelchairs that we substantially cut down on the wait time
- And there is language to ensure that insurance companies are covering preventative maintenance and repair
- TennCare isn’t going to like it, private insurance companies aren’t going to like it, wheelchair suppliers probably aren’t going to like it (though it’s more business, so I don’t get it), but people who use wheelchairs should (and that's what matters)
- We’ll need some GRASSROOTS on this one too, so keep an eye out
- The much-anticipated sequel to the wildly successful part 1, we think that passage of this bill would create enough pathways to repair for wheelchairs that we substantially cut down on the wait time
- TCA Placard Cleanup – this bill would update language related to disability placards found in the Tennessee Code that refers to people who use wheelchairs as “confined to a wheelchair”; this bill would modernize that language
- This, hopefully, is our simplest bill with the easiest path toward passage
- Using appropriate language is important – it helps guide narratives about people and groups, and modern, updated language can help change perceptions of who people are just by the way we speak about them
- OREA Informal Exclusionary Discipline Study – this effort would request that the Office of Research and Educational Accountability (OREA) study the use of informal exclusionary discipline practices and policies in TN schools
- This isn’t necessarily legislative, but I thought I would share, because it will inform future legislation
- Informal Exclusionary Discipline are defined here as practices that remove children from the learning environment through informal and often illegal means
- Think calling a parent 4 times a week at noon to pick up their kid because of behaviors, and not logging those as suspensions, denying the parent, child and school the opportunity to problem solve in a manifestation determination meeting.
- Informal Exclusionary Discipline are defined here as practices that remove children from the learning environment through informal and often illegal means
- The idea here is to establish the existence of these practices, so we can begin to legislate them out of existence down the road
- Washington led the way, we’re following their footsteps.
- Stay tuned for more on this one
- This isn’t necessarily legislative, but I thought I would share, because it will inform future legislation
That’s it for today – I’ll get you a full report and update when the legislature thaws out and gets back to moving. I’m excited for the next few months ahead – I hope you are too! We’ve got a great slate of proactive legislation (and non-legislative efforts) ahead, and I can’t wait to see the GRASSROOTS back, kicking backsides and taking names.
Stay tuned for weekly Friday updates (full of GIFS and laughs), RSVP for Disability Day on the Hill (February 28th!) here to get in on even more fun, keep an eye out for our policy videos here, sign your friends up for policy updates here, follow us on socials - @tndisabilty, and lace up your sneakers, because it’s time to move!