Stimulus Bill Features Several Provisions For Americans With Disabilities

By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express


WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, known more commonly as the "stimulus package".

While the bill is intended to stimulate the economy and increase jobs, in its latest form, the bill includes a number of features that apply specifically to people with disabilities.

Allocates $500 million to states for Vocational Rehabilitation grants to help people with disabilities prepare for gainful employment;

Provides an immediate, temporary increase of $450 in individual Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits ($650 per couple) for 7.5 million seniors and people with disabilities;

Allocates $7.5 billion for repairing public housing and making energy efficiency upgrades to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) -assisted housing, including a new program to improve emergency efficiency -- with new insulation, windows, and furnaces -- in low-income housing for disadvantaged groups, such as seniors and people with disabilities;

Sets aside $13 billion in grants for schools for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, increasing the federal government's share of the costs of the special education law to 27 percent -- higher than at any time since the IDEA became law more than three decades ago;

Provides $600 million to states to assist in making IDEA services available to children with disabilities who are two years of age or younger and their families; and

Protects Medicaid health care coverage for millions of Americans, by providing an estimated $87 billion in additional federal matching funds over a two-year period to help states maintain their Medicaid programs in the face of massive state budget shortfalls. This could help offset cuts in 39 or more states that are facing budget shortfalls.

The measure will likely face several changes before it finally becomes law. Congressional leaders expect to have a final version ready for President Obama to sign by President's Day, February 16.