April 16, 2026
The Boost News
SPOTLIGHT: PENNSYLVANIA STRONG
A governor made news this week for actually wanting to help people with disabilities. The governor in question is Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, who signed three promising executive orders. They are to:
- Create a Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities
- “Protect the disability community’s rights, dignity, and privacy within state government”
- Modernize the Developmental Disabilities Council within the Department of Human Services.
How these orders will manifest themselves and whether they’ll actually help those with disabilities remains to be seen, but it’s a start, and has people talking. Katy Foxen Faivre of the New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities, for one, said, “I’m ready to volunteer for [a commission] when [NYS] Governor Kathy Hochul follows suit. … We need a direct line to our leadership.”
Pa. Gov. Shapiro signs orders to bolster disability services, data protections (Pittsburgh NPR)
Press Release (PAgov)
HBCS
Long-Awaited Safeguards For Medicaid Home And Community-Based Services Put On Hold Under the 2024 regulation “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services,” states must create a grievance process so that beneficiaries in traditional Medicaid plans can file complaints against a provider or state if they have trouble receiving the home and community-based services called for in their service plan. It was supposed to be in place by July 9, but now CMS says it will not take any enforcement action until Dec. 31, 2027. (Disability Scoop/paywall)
FEDERAL BUDGET
Inside Trump’s 3.5% budget boost for special education For more on education and the budget, see last week‘s newsletter. (K-12 Dive)
Explainer from on the President’s FY 2027 Budget A look at the budget justification document from the Dept. of Health and Human Services, released after President’s Trump’s budget announcement on April 3. (NCID)
EDUCATION
The Digital Accessibility Deadline Is Here. Schools Aren’t Ready. More on the ADA rule, which set varying deadlines for school districts and state and local governments (April 2026 or April 2027) based on population size. (EdSurge)
MEDICAID ‘FRAUD’
Medicaid fraud at Minnesota autism centers was said to be rampant. Two people have been charged. (Star Tribune)
Minnesota’s plan to fight fraud underway as federal Medicaid money remains frozen (MPR News)
Kentucky auditor claims Medicaid fraud; Beshear pushes back (WASS 11)
AUTISM
For People With Autism, Can Restaurant Kitchens Be a Haven? (The New York Times)
Does Tylenol Increase Autism Risk? A New Study Has Answers Yes, there’s another study showing no link. (MedPage Today)
STATE NEWS
Note: This starts with New York, where a majority of The Boost’s readership currently is based, and continues alphabetically by state.
NYS Governor Hochul Announces Awards Totaling $25 Million to Expand Health Clinics and Improve Access to Healthcare Services for People With Developmental Disabilities The release from OPWDD notes that NYU’s Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities received the single largest award of $5 million. (Governor.ny)
Medicaid and SNAP are set for an overhaul. Colorado counties and lawmakers are wondering how to respond. (Aspen Times)
CT governor backs off plan to sunset Community First Choice home care program Under the service, people with disabilities that require long-term services at home are able to self-direct their own caregiving services. Under the governor’s budget, state officials wanted to change it into a waiver structure. (CTmirror.com)
Florida sits on millions in unspent funds for disability care while thousands wait Around 16,000 Floridians with severe disabilities remain on a state waitlist for home-based care; some wait most of their lives. (Fox News 13)
Florida caregivers struggle amid disability services waitlist: ‘No one should ever experience this’ (Fox 13)
Archdiocese of Chicago, public school system spar over halt in special education services (The Pillar)
Maryland bill to cut red tape for developmental disability waivers nearing approval Advocates say approval would be a small victory for the community that has been hit twice by steep budget cuts to services. (Maryland Matters)
Mississippi exposed to SNAP penalties after legislation dies (Mississippi Today)
A bill explores making NH a ‘technology first’ state on disability. Here’s what that means. It would mean the state prioritizes new technologies that might be able to mitigate the need for hard-to-come-by Direct Support Professionals. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
Pittsburgh Public Schools eyes proactive discipline approach for students with special needs The district plans to shift from a reactive discipline model to a preventative approach. (Trib Live)
A proposed crackdown on corporate landlords could threaten Philly-area homes for people with intellectual disabilities Providers say it could destabilize housing for residents with I/DD by sweeping certain group home landlords into a ban aimed at Wall Street-style investors. (WHYY)
HEALTH CARE
STUDY: Parents of Kids With Neurodevelopmental Disorders May Face Greater Heart Risk (MedPage Today)
ENTERTAINMENT
Rent Will Get a Majority Neurodiverse, Disabled NYC Staging (Playbill)
OPINION: Special agents: the rise of the neurodivergent hero in TV crime drama (The Conversation)