Two Katie Beckett Bill HB0498/SB0476 Updates: 1) We are pleased to share that the bill has a fiscal note $$$ significantly lower than TennCare’s initial estimates and 2) The House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee will hear the bill on Wednesday, April 10th at 11am CT.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very complex injury that affects millions of individuals and families each year. Brain injury is a life-altering event which affects every area of a person’s life, including work. During this year’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, explore the lasting effects of a brain injury with us as we dive into what exactly a TBI means for employees and employers alike. 

         At 24 years old, Kali was an outgoing, friendly mother to a toddler. She played softball and enjoyed bowling in her free time after recently finishing her communications degree. For Kali and her family, everything changed the night she left a concert and avoided a head-on collision, where she smashed into two trees and was knocked unconscious. The long haul to recovery began.

The Katie Beckett Bill HB0498/ SB0476 passed the House Insurance and Senate Commerce & Labor Committees today! 

Committee members had already heard about the legislation by the time the first hearing began. Over the weekend, they received over 10,000 emails from Tennesseans calling for their support of a Katie Beckett Program for Tennessee.

When Chyna was four years old, she was involved in a car crash with her grandmother. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors told Chyna’s mother, Zennia, that the injuries to her brain were very severe. 

Amendment to Tennessee’s Katie Beckett Bill
This afternoon, sponsors of HB0498/ SB0476 filed an amendment to the bill that would define a Katie Beckett Program for Tennessee. The amendment replaces all language after the caption in the bill’s current form.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee began his State of the State Address this evening with an assessment that our state is “hopeful, prosperous and strong.” We at the Tennessee Disability Coalition share our newly-elected Executive’s hope for the year ahead and belief that with collective effort we can take on our state’s tallest mountains, it’s greatest challenges.

When her daughter, Lexi, was nine months old, Susan Carr dropped her off at the daycare center before going to work at her office. Later in the afternoon, Susan received a call that would transform her into a fierce self-advocate on behalf of children and adults with disabilities. 

Right now in Tennessee, legislative session is happening! While it’s important to advocate year-round for disability employment, now is a great time to meet with your legislators. Plus, the governor will be giving his State of the State address and budget proposal in early March. It’s important to pay attention to how the governor talks about disability employment and whether there is state funding to support further disability employment initiatives. 

Before Zoey Jones made her entrance into the world, she was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) in-vitro at a 20-week ultrasound. Shortly after, she was declared uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions. This meant Zoey’s mother, Tori, would have to foot the bills for her daughter’s complex medical needs.