[Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 6/26/2017

[Pare, John]

Dear Fellow Federationists:

Last week was fantastic in terms of legislative 
support. Our AIM HIGH bill (H.R. 1772) gained 
eight new cosponsors! The new cosponsors are Tim 
Ryan (OH), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX), Michelle 
Lujan Grisham (NM), Al Lawson, Jr. (FL), John 
Yarmuth (KY), Seth Moulton (MA), David Cicilline 
(RI), and David Rouzer (NC).  These eight 
representatives bring the total number of 
cosponsors for AIM HIGH to thirty-one, and we 
couldn't have gotten this far without your help.

We would also like to give you a quick update on 
the progress of one of our other legislative 
priorities, the TIME Act (H.R. 1377). Last 
Thursday we held a legislative briefing hosted by 
Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi, the 
sponsor of the TIME Act, to discuss why this 
legislation is so critical to people with 
disabilities. The event drew a huge crowd of 
Congressional staffers that filled one of the 
hearing rooms in the Longworth House Office 
Building to capacity. We hope to ride this wave 
of momentum all the way to the bill’s passage.

While we are excited about the new Congressional 
support for our legislation, we can't let that 
progress slow our efforts. This marks the last 
week that Congress will be in session before 
their Independence Day recess week. We ask that 
all of you keep calling and emailing your 
representative and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 
1377, H.R. 1734, and H.R. 1772. And don't forget 
to call your two senators to get them to 
cosponsor our Senate bill, S. 732 so that this 
surge of support will continue. The bill 
summaries and complete list of cosponsors for all 
of our legislation is included at the end of this email.

Despite our excitement regarding the increased 
support for our legislation to improve the lives 
of people with disabilities, we cannot be content 
to rest on our laurels. H.R. 620 is still a very 
real threat to the rights and freedoms of 
Americans with disabilities. If passed, this 
legislation will dramatically weaken the ADA, 
hindering education, independent living, and 
community participation for all people with 
disabilities. The bill prevents people with 
disabilities from filing a lawsuit regarding an 
ADA violation until the person first notifies the 
violator. The violator then has 60 days to 
respond and then has another 120 days to remedy 
the problem, for a total delay of 180 days. While 
you have your members of Congress on the phone to 
urge them to support our legislation, please 
remind them to oppose H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017.

The best way to contact your member of Congress 
is to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 
224-3121 and ask for the office in question. 
Emailing your member of Congress is also a good 
idea. If you do so, please copy JPare at nfb.org.

Thanks for all you do!

Warm regards,

John

John G. Paré Jr.
(410) 659-9314 x 2218
National Federation of the Blind

Bill Summaries

Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM HIGH)
This bill will promote instructional technology 
and content that are accessible to the blind and 
other students with print disabilities. Read the 
AIM HIGH fact sheet to learn more.

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732 (ATAA)
These bills will facilitate the purchase of 
access technology for blind people by creating a 
refundable, per person tax credit. Read the 
Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017 fact sheet to learn more.

Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful 
Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377 (TIME)
This bill will increase employment opportunities 
by removing stigmas and low expectations 
propagated by section 14(c) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act. Note that the bill now phases out 
subminimum wages over a six year period 
corresponding to the recommendation of the 
National Council on Disability. Read the TIME Act fact sheet to learn more.

Current cosponsors

Accessible Instructional Material in Higher 
Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM HIGH) Current Cosponsors
Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] - Sponsor
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]
Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]
Rep. Ross, Dennis A. [R-FL-15]
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16]
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]
Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3]
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29]
Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]
Rep. Grisham, Michelle Lujan [D-NM-1]
Rep. Lawson, Jr., Al [D-FL-5]
Rep. Yarmuth, John [D-KY-3]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Cicilline, David [D-RI-1]
Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 
1734 and S. 732 (ATAA) Current Cosponsors
Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] - Sponsor
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]

Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful 
Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377 (TIME) Current Cosponsors
Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] – Sponsor
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]
Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]
Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1]
Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]
Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170626/db00191c/attachment.html>