Greetings from The Arc Maryland's Public Policy Team! Throughout the 2018 Session of the Maryland General Assembly, we bring you weekly recaps and updates every Monday on key legislation from the previous week, along with some action items for the week ahead. The Legislative Session runs from January 10 - April 9, 2018.
There are a lot of new bills and several hearings this week. Please check out our bill tracker and the hearing schedule below!
We Need Your Help
The Arc Maryland is collecting stories on the impact that various bills and actions could have on individuals with I/DD and their families.
The Governor's 2019 draft budget only includes a 1% increase to Developmental Disabilities Funding for Community Based Services. This is instead of the 3.5% increase that we need and that is mandated by the Minimum Wage Act of 2014.
This critical funding directly impacts Direct Support Professional wages and the ability of Community Providers and individuals with disabilities to hire and retain qualified staff. The budget also does not include any funding for Peyton's Law; a measure passed last session to create grants for schools to provide robotic technology to recovering students to attend school. Finally, although the budget includes full funding for Transitioning Youth Services, we understand the the Transition period is difficult for many individuals. Last year, several graduates did not connect with a provider of choice until months after graduation. These gaps are highly disruptive to young adults and their families and we believe the transition from school to adult services should be seamless.
Please join our advocacy efforts by clicking on the links below to share your stories!
