ANCOR Leads Coalition Letter Opposing ACL Cuts to DD Councils

As a leader of the national coalition, the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) DD/Autism/Family Supports Task Force, ANCOR led a sign on letter to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) expressing concerns about its proposed budget restructuring. Specifically, the letter flagged concerns about ACL’s proposed Partnerships for Innovation, Inclusion, and Independence (PIII), that will impact the State Councils on Developmental Disabilities and other key programs not legislatively intended to be consolidated.

Following pressure from the White House to reduce budgets in the President’s current proposed budget, ACL is seeking to achieve $57 million in savings for the upcoming fiscal year through this specific restructure. It proposes consolidating activities carried out by the State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils), Independent Living, and Traumatic Brain Injury programs into a single state grant program. CCD and ANCOR fear that this would significantly disrupt the goals and achievements of these programs while also counteracting the efficient funding mechanisms and primary intent of the legislation that created them. It would also require three pieces of legislation to be modified and changed by Congress, notably the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The full letter outlining concerns can be read here.