Priority TN Disability Bills

Jeff Strand Coordinator of Government and External Affairs from the ⁠Tennessee Disability Coalition⁠ will discuss the Priority Bills for Part 2/2 of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly. Here is a link to what we discussed last year (2023) on ⁠Episode 78⁠ and this is the link to Episode 111 (2024) discussion.

TDC Priority Bills for 2024

1) TennCare for Working Adults, where persons with disabilities can potentially buy into TennCare services (like HCBS) by paying a premium. Eligibility to participate in this program will exclude present income and asset thresholds, making Tennessee the 47th State that could allow for this provision.

2) Paid Family Caregiving Resolution. As Jeff explains, this resolution would urge TennCare to work with community stakeholders to develop a comprehensive statewide paid family caregiving policy and program. If TennCare is unable to provide a solution in 2024, then TDC could write a Bill and bring this before lawmakers in 2025.

3) Right to Repair, Part 2. This Bill will require payors to pay for wheelchair maintenance and make provisions for "less complex" repairs, like flat tires, to be made by independent repair persons.

4) HB 2497/SB2146 will exempt two organizations from building dormitory-style, congregate living spaces within the State and bypass the State's anti-institutionalization laws, which prohibit the residence of more than four unrelated persons with disabilities in a group home or less than 500 yards from another group home.

5) HB2497/SB2146 – IDD Residential CON – this Bill would increase the allowable bed limit for a Certificate of Need (CON) for residential facilities that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities * The potential of this bill to create an exception for more than 4 individuals living together in a congregate setting less than 500 yards apart. This law was passed to prevent the institutionalization of persons with IDD in TN. On the podcast, we discussed there needs to be more housing options for persons with disabilities, and there needs to be more understanding and conservation about what this means for the Disability Community as a whole.

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