Legislative Advocacy needed!

There are 4 major bills that will affect the future of community supports and services for people with developmental disabilities.  They are sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature by November 21, 2014.  A description of each is HERE.  There is a note from Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg to the Governor’s Office is HERE.

We are requesting that you please write a letter to the Governor or use the template provided below strongly urging him to sign these four bills into law before the deadline.  You can send his webpage (http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php) or his office at 518-453-8130.  His office hours are 8:30am and 4:30pm.

You can write your own letter or feel free to use the following template:

Template:  (Just copy and paste into the “message” portion of the contact page:

Dear Governor Cuomo,

There are four bills regarding the future of community services and supports for those of your constituents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) awaiting your signature before November 21, 2014.  They are:

  1. People First (A8452  – Gunther) which enacts the People First Act of 2014
  2. Task Force (A8835A – Gunther) relating to the establishment of a task force on adults with developmental disabilities
  3. Front Door (S6641C – Carlucci) which relates to the administration of services offered by the office for people with developmental disabilities
  4. Restriction of DISCO use of For Profit Providers (A9766A – Gunther) Relates to oversight of developmental disability care organizations and coordinate services

 

Each one of these bills protects the rights of NYS citizens with developmental disabilities to have the community services and supports they need.  Because these bills are vitally important to the ways in which they will be able to live and to be integrated successfully within their communities across our state, it is imperative that, as their Governor, you use your executive power to sign them into law.  These are the citizens whom you have promised to support in the past, who ask only to have the ability to take their rightful place among the rest of your constituents.

Your signature on these bills passing them into law will answer their earnest request.

Thank You,