The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities held its first in-person meetings since 2019 on September 25 and 26, 2024. This year's committee was notable in that self-advocates comprised a majority of committee members.

While the reports from HHS - sponsored agencies were informative and covered a variety of issues, all of the subject matter was directed to Home- and Community-Based Services. People with intellectual disabilities who receive long-term supports and services through the non-HCBS silo of Medicaid were once again left out of the conversation.

The Congressional Budget Office released an evaluation of the Budgetary and Econ omic Effects of S.2488, The Raise The Wage Act Of 2023. Since this bill includes a provision to phase out and eliminate 14(c) compensatory wages, the report includes a section on the negative effects of this provision.

The Office of Management and Budget has requested comments on revisions to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual which will be published in 2028. VOR has suggested changes to include Direct Support Professionals in the new manual. DSPs have never been recognized as a distint classification of workers. It's time to change that.

Read VOR's comments here