Good day, CHIC and the Legislative & Advocacy Network -
Below, please find advocacy and public affairs-related information that you may find useful.
Best regards,
Tom Grady
Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs
FROM THE BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY
Virtual Support Groups At-A-Glance
: Brain injury-related support groups are meeting virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. The following is a snapshot of when groups are meeting. If you have questions, you may contact Shannon O’Connor at 732-997-2702 or
soconnor@bianj.org
. Our helpline can also help. Number is 732-783-6172.
- Monday April 27, 11 am- BIANJ Survivors
- Tuesday April 28, 6 pm- Somerset County Group
- Wednesday April 29, 2 pm- Ocean County Group
- Monday May 4, 12:30 pm - BIANJ Caregivers
- Monday May 4, 6:30 pm - Bergen County Group
- Tuesday May 5, 7 pm - Monmouth Group
- Monday May 11, 11 am - BIANJ Survivors
- Monday May 18, 12:30 pm - BIANJ Caregivers
- Monday May 18 - 6:30 PM - Bergen County Group
- Monday May 18 - 6:30 PM - Burlington/Camden Group
FROM STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor Murphy Signs Legislation To Expand Family Leave Protection During Covid-19 Outbreak:
Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation (S-2374), which expands protections of the Family Leave Act to allow employees forced to take time off to care for a family member during the COVID-19 outbreak with up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave in a 24-month period without losing their jobs.
Under the bill, employees will be eligible for leave to care for a family member as a result of an epidemic of a communicable disease, or efforts to prevent spread of a communicable disease. These job protections will extend to employees requiring leave to provide care or treatment for their child if the child's school or place of care is closed in response to a public health emergency.
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Termination of Internet and Voice Services
:
NJ Division of Disability Services Director Peri Nearon reported that last week Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 126, prohibiting cable and telecommunications providers from terminating Internet and voice service due to nonpayment until 30 days after the current public health emergency has ended. The order also mandated that all service downgrades, service reductions, or late fees due to nonpayment are prohibited unless they are imposed in accordance with a policy approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Additionally, any Internet or voice service that was disconnected after March 16 due to nonpayment must be reconnected. The order, effective April 14th, will remain in effect until 30 days following the end of the public health emergency.
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order 123 Extending Insurance Premium Grace Periods.
During which certain insurance companies, including health insurers, life insurers, and property and casualty insurers, will not be able to cancel policies for nonpayment of premiums. Extends minimum grace periods: A minimum 60-day grace period will be required for health and dental insurance policies, and a minimum 90-day grace period will be required for life insurance, insurance premium-financing arrangements, and property and casualty insurance, which includes auto, homeowners, and renters insurance.
A copy of the Administrative order can be found by visiting:
https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-123.pdf
From the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities
* The New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities is holding various webinars on topics that may be of interest to you.
Event: DDD Weekly COVID-19 Update Webinar
Date: Every Thursday from 4/16/20 – 5/28/20
Time: 10:30 a.m.
FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Supplemental Security Income Recipients Will Receive Automatic COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments // SSI Recipients with Dependent Children Should Still Go To IRS.gov to Provide Their Information
: The Social Security Administration announced that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department. Treasury anticipates these automatic payments no later than early May.
SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment. The payments will be automatic.
SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17, however, should not wait for their automatic $1,200 individual payment. They should now go to the IRS’s webpage at
www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here
and visit
the Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info
section to provide their information. By taking proactive steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If SSI beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait until later to receive their $500 per qualifying child.
FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
AUCD is a network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
Long-term Care Advocacy Organization can be Valuable to Advocates
: The Consumer Voice is the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. They are a primary source of information and tools for consumers, families, caregivers, advocates and ombudsmen to help ensure quality care for the individual. Perhaps any of you may be interested receiving their electronic news. Lean more by clicking
https://theconsumervoice.org/
Take Action: More is Needed to Protect Residents and Staff from COVID-19
: The Consumer Voice learns daily of more suffering and death in America’s nursing homes and assisted living and like many. However, it does learn what is working in some long-term care facilities to protect the lives of residents and staff.
Consumer voices are needed NOW to draw attention to the problems and solutions that are desperately needed to protect the 2.4 million people who live in these facilities.
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