[Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - December 13, 2017

Wed Dec 13 22:59:44 UTC 2017

Dear Fellow Federationists:

Good news! The Accessible Instructional Materials 
in Higher Education (Aim High) Act has been 
incorporated into the Promoting Real Opportunity, 
Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform 
(PROSPER) Act (H.R. 4508). We anticipate the 
PROSPER Act will be passed by the House Committee 
on Education and the Workforce this week.

In other news, the conference committee for the 
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act continues to negotiate this 
bill. There is still a possibility that the 
Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) could 
be merged into the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Along 
with your calls, we have had several meetings 
with members of the conference committee. We also 
know that Congressman Young and Senator Boozman, 
the corresponding House and Senate bill sponsors, 
are working hard to promote these bills.

Currently, the Access Technology Affordability 
Act has eighteen cosponsors in the House (H.R. 
1734) and four cosponsors in the Senate (S. 732). 
The Senate version of the Aim High Act (S. 2138) has one cosponsor.

We need to continue our final 2017 surge on these 
two items. So please make three phone calls or 
send three emails. Please contact your two 
senators and urge them to cosponsor both the Aim 
High Act (S. 2138) and the Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 732).

Please also contact your representative and urge 
him or her to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734).

When you call or email your senators, you might 
say something like the following:

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a 
constituent of [your senator. I live in [city, 
state]. I am calling to urge [your senator] to 
cosponsor S. 732, the Access Technology 
Affordability Act. This bill would increase the 
availability of access technology, thereby 
increasing educational and employment 
opportunities for all blind Americans. The bill 
does this by creating a tax credit for the 
purchase of access technology. The National 
Federation of the Blind has analyzed the cost 
impact and the bill is either cost neutral or 
will save the government money. I also urge [your 
senator] to cosponsor the Accessible 
instructional Materials in Higher Education Act, 
S. 2138. This bill will foster the creation of 
guidelines for accessible instructional material 
in higher education. I urge [your senator] to 
cosponsor both of these bills. Thanks.”

When you call your representative, you might say something like this:
“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a 
constituent of [your representative]. I live in 
[city, state]. I am calling to urge [your 
representative] to cosponsor H.R. 1734, the 
Access Technology Affordability Act. This bill 
would increase the availability of access 
technology thereby increasing educational and 
employment opportunities for all blind Americans. 
The bill does this by creating a tax credit for 
the purchase of access technology. The National 
Federation of the Blind has analyzed the cost 
impact and the bill is either cost neutral or 
will save the government money. I urge [your 
representative] to cosponsor the bill. Thanks.”

Also, please check the list at the end of this 
email for the current list of Senate and House 
cosponsors. You do not need to call anyone on 
this list, unless you would like to call them and 
thank them for their cosponsorship.

If you are in a meeting, you will want to go into 
more detail but general calls and emails do not 
have to be very long. The key points to mention: 
the bill number, that you are a constituent, and 
that you urge the member of Congress to cosponsor the legislation.

You can contact your member of Congress by 
calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for 
the office in question. The number is (202) 
224-3121. If you email your representative or 
senators, please copy me at <mailto:JPare at nfb.org>JPare at nfb.org.

It is critical that we move on this quickly, so 
please strive to make your calls and send your emails as soon as possible.

Warm regards,

John

John ParÃ©
(410) 659-9314 x 2218
National Federation of the Blind

Senate ATAA Cosponsor List:
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] - Sponsor
Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Senate AIM HIGH Cosponsor List:
Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] - Sponsor

House ATAA Cosponsor List:
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4]
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3]
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] - Sponsor
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]

John G. ParÃ© Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | <mailto:Jpare at nfb.org>Jpare at nfb.org

<https://nfb.org/>
National Federation of the Blind

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The National Federation of the Blind is a 
community of members and friends who believe in 
the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every 
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

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