Statement on Pennsylvania’s Proposed Budget April 2015

Friends –

As Pennsylvania’s protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities, the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) supports a state budget that provides full funding for people with disabilities to have appropriate home and community-based services, to receive a free appropriate public education, and to get jobs in the community.

On March 3, Governor Wolf proposed his 2015-2016 budget for Pennsylvania. During March, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives held budget hearings with the Commonwealth agencies. The General Assembly (legislature) now has to pass a final budget for 2015-2016.

DRN appreciates that the Governor’s proposed budget will in many ways address the community living needs of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. In addition to maintaining services for those who are already being served, some initiatives include:

• Funds so that 1000 more people with intellectual disabilities (including those on the waiting list and students who are graduating from special education) and 50 more people with autism who are waiting for services can get home and community-based services. Click here for information from the Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign. Click here for the Campaign’s Spring 2015 fact sheet.

• Funds so that 90 more people in State Hospitals and 75 more people in State Centers can instead live in the community with home and community-based services.

• Restoration of one-third of the cuts made to county mental health, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities services in prior budget years. Click here for a budget summary by the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania.

• Funds so that 1140 more people with physical and developmental disabilities and 324 more people who need attendant care services can get home and community-based services.

• $100 million additional state dollars to provide needed special education services for students with disabilities.

• A $5 million increase in Vocational Rehabilitation state funds that would enable Pennsylvania to get about $18 million more in federal Vocational Rehabilitation funds. Vocational Rehabilitation enables youth and adults with disabilities to prepare for, start, or maintain employment.

Click here for a complete budget summary by the Policy Information Exchange (PIE). 

Without a doubt, full funding is needed to ensure that Pennsylvanians with disabilities have all opportunities for community living, including human services, education, and competitive employment. DRN looks forward to working collaboratively with the General Assembly and the Governor during this time. We urge Pennsylvania to arrive at a final budget that restores and protects this critical funding for people with disabilities.

For more information:

• Click here for the Governor’s Office of the Budget.

• Click below for the Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Committees:

• Senate Republican
• Senate Democratic
• House Republican
• House Democratic 

• Click here for the Department of Human Services (DHS) “blue book,” which has details on DHS’s budget request.

• Click here to find your legislator.

If you have questions, please contact:

Chava Kintisch, Esquire
Director of Civic and Government Affairs
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
(215) 238-8070, extension 210 (voice)
(877) 375-7139 (TDD)
ckintisch@drnpa.org

Thank you,

Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
Offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh
1-800-692-7443
www.drnpa.org