AHCA’s 2015 ID/DD Hill Fly-In Event Right Around the Corner!

AHCA’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In event will occur on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at the AHCA offices in DC. This important event is free to attend, and the registration form can be found here.  

Breakfast and a boxed lunch will be provided to registrants. Congressional speakers are being invited, a legislative update will be provided, and Hill visits will follow in the afternoon.  Further details about Hill visits are included in the registration form, and AHCA will provide one-pagers and talking points for registrants to take to the Hill. 

If you would like to attend, please fill out the registration form and email it back to AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. You can also fax or mail it as well.  If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to let Dana know.  AHCA hopes to see you at this important event! 

One of the 2015 ID/DD Hill Fly-In Speakers

Senator Blanche Lincoln, who is the Founder and Principal of the Lincoln Policy Group, is confirmed to speak at AHCA’s ID/DD Hill Fly-In event.  During her 16-year career in the U.S. Congress — first as a two-term member of the House of Representatives and then as a two-term member of the U.S. Senate — Lincoln built a reputation as a results-oriented, bipartisan legislator.  She served on several Committees in Congress, including the House Committee on Agriculture, House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and the Senate Finance Committee.  She continues to be recognized as a national leader in the areas of agriculture, anti-hunger, aging, healthcare, international trade, taxes and energy policy.  

Emergency Preparedness requires a Communications Plan

A problematic area in emergency planning is the Communications plan.  Accurate communications with stakeholders, especially the media, contributes to a successful resolution of the emergency and may lead to a positive evaluation by the community.  Download the AHCA/NCAL Communications Plan.

The Department of Labor Home Care Final Rule and Litigation Update

The Department of Labor’s Home Care Final Rule, which was released on Sept. 17, 2013, extends the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime protections to most of the nation’s workers who provide home care assistance to elderly people and people with illnesses, injuries or disabilities.  According to the DOL’s website, the Department issued the Home Care Final Rule to extend minimum wage and overtime protections to almost 2 million home care workers effective Jan. 1, 2015.
  

However, on December 22, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon issued an opinion and order in Home Care Association of America v. Weil, Civil Action No. 14-967 (D.D.C.), vacating the third party regulation amended by the Home Care Final Rule.  On January 14, 2015, Judge Leon issued an opinion and order vacating the Final Rule’s revised definition of companionship services.  Noted on DOL’s website, the Department strongly disagrees with both orders, and they are considering all of their legal options.  More details on this matter can also be found in this disabilityscoop article.  

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy

Renee Naylor, AHCA's ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2015.  AHCA would like to help you get facility tours and in-district meetings set up over future recess days.  Please provide your name, facility address, and email address and we will craft the invite and send it to you to send to the Congressional office.  The four brief steps for a successful facility tour visit can be found here.  Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana Halvorson who can help you with all of the logistics. 

U.S. Congressional Calendars

As you are planning your visits with members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C., or in your district, the Congressional calendars will be of assistance to you. The U.S. House of Representatives calendar for the 114^th Congress, first session, can be found here. The U.S. Senate schedule for the new Congress can be found here. The dates in black reference the times the U.S. Senate is in session.  The red dates represent when the U.S. Senate is in recess.  

Social Media Strategies

Communicators and advocates from across the sector host a webinar every 3^rd Thursday of each month at 3pm Eastern to coordinate social media strategy and share ideas.  From beginners to seasoned social media gurus, we welcome anyone willing to learn more about these important platforms of information sharing.  They’re becoming crucial in our campaigns on and off Capitol Hill.  Be sure to also visit our Facebook page.  Email AHCA’s Manager of Grassroots and Member Advocacy, Michael Cowden, to become involved today!