March 8, 2024
The Boost News
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2024-25 budget proposal and amendments have set the stage for the usual disputes with legislators and advocates, including, of course, those who advocate for the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) community.
One major issue affecting this population and their families are the changes and cuts the governor is proposing to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) program. Another is the non-living wage being offered, again, to Direct Support Professionals.
RELATED NEWS: State budget ‘corrections’ once again make no sense
For CDPAP, the no less than 15 changes “would, in many cases, fundamentally change” the program, writes CDANY executive director Bryan O’Malley in a statement. They include eliminating Designated Representatives (DRs) and setting maximum daily and weekly limits on the hours PAs can work. Read all about the proposed changes here.
For DSPs, advocacy groups are demanding a minimum of a 3.2% cost-of-living-adjustment and the passing of a proposed $4,000 Direct Support wage enhancement bill to retain and recruit essential staff.
If you’d like to make your voice heard, below are some (mostly) one-click action items.
One-click action items from NYC FAIR
- https://cpstate.org/advocacy/
- https://p2a.co/lRPDZ5C
- https://www.ancor.org/advocac
y/ - https://nyalliance.org/Advoca
cy (this also offers a guide to advocacy) - To Find Your Senator: https://www.nysenate.gov/find
-my-senator - To Find Your AssemblyMember: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/se
arch/
CDPA asks that you take this survey on the impact of CDPAP cuts
New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities (NYADD) suggests reaching out to your representatives:
- Advocacy should be targeted, says a post on its Facebook page, to the NYS Department of Health (your regional offices) and your representatives, especially Assemblymember Amy Paulin https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Amy-Paulin/contact/ and Senator Gustavo Rivera https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/gustavo-rivera/contact.
Image: Freepix