This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy. Beginning Thursday, January 26, people with disabilities and their families can save and invest without losing means-tested benefits. ABLE accounts are affordable, tax-advantaged accounts that allow eligible individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities that occurred before the age of 26 to save…
ABLE Accounts Coming in Early 2017
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy. Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have been eagerly anticipating the availability of ABLE savings accounts, which allow a person with a disability to save for critical expenses while still allowing eligibility for means-tested disability supports and health care. North Carolina…
Share Your Public Policy Priorities
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. The Autism Society of North Carolina advocates with policymakers at the General Assembly, state departments and divisions, and LME/MCOsĀ to help create better services and opportunities for people on the autism spectrum. We are developing our public policy targets for…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: Other Highlights
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the third of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assemblyās 2016 short session. IDD Caucus: Establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral IDD caucus: North Carolina is the fourth state in the United States to have an officially established…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: Education Budget and Bills
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the second of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assemblyās 2016 short session. Teacher and school staff raises, education programs and supplies: The budget adjustments bill adds $240 million for teacher and school staff raises, plus an…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: The Budget
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the first of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assemblyās 2016 short session. The NCĀ House and Senate agreed on a budget adjustments bill for the second year of the stateās two-year budget, which allocates a total of…
Help Shape Crisis Services for Children
North Carolina will soon expand START crisis services to children and youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) and autism. Many of these children with complex mental health or behavioral needs have not been served by current crisis services due to a lack of space, and are held in emergency rooms or transferred to…
Speak Out on NC Budget Proposals
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. On June 1, the NC Senate released its version of the budget adjustments bill for this year. Despite advocacy directed at the Senate to improve on what the NC House budget offered, the Senate includes no funding for federally required…
Governor Proposes New Funding to Assist Autism Community
Today Governor Pat McCrory announced new initiatives that will be included in his proposed 2016 budget to be presented to the legislature before this yearās short session. The Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) and other partners have worked with the governorās office and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to include these…