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Urgent
Legislative Alert
Lifespan Respite Care Act (HR 1083, S. 538)
Less Than Ten Legislative Days Left!!
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The Lifespan Respite Care Act authorizes
competitive grants to states to make quality respite available
and accessible to family caregivers, regardless of age, disability,
or family situation. The bill allows grantees to identify,
coordinate and build on federal, state and community-based
respite resources and funding streams, and would help support,
expand and streamline planned and emergency respite, provider
recruitment and training, caregiver training, and evaluation.
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Status: The Senate has passed the
Lifespan Respite Care Act (S. 538). The House bill
has 134 cosponsors from both parties. Both bills have been
referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The full
text of S. 538 has been incorporated into the "Ronald
Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act," (S. 2533, H.R.
4595) presenting a second strategy to pass the Lifespan
Respite Care Act.
ACTION
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House
Action: Face-to-face visits with legislators are very
effective. So is a phone call. It's so easy! Call 202-225-3121
for the Capitol Switchboard and ask for your Member's office.
You can also fax or e-mail. For your legislator's contact
information and to send a prepared message, visit the Association
of University Centers on Disabilities' Action Center and enter
you zip code at http://capwiz.com/aauap/issues/?style=D.
For more information, visit the Lifespan Respite Task Force
at www.archrespite.org/tforce.htm.
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White
House Action: Contact the President and urge him to
support the Lifespan Respite Care Act. Email Tracy Justesen,
Associate Director for White House Domestic Policy at TJustesen@opd.eop.gov
or call the White House at 202-456-1414 and urge support for
the Lifespan
Respite Care Act (HR 1083, S. 538) and the "Ronald Reagan
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act" (S. 2533, HR 4595)
today.
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Message:
Congress should enact the "Lifespan Respite
Care Act" (HR 1083, S. 538) before the
end of this Congress. The Senate has already passed
the legislation. Please cosponsor HR 1083, which authorizes
competitive grants to states to make quality respite
available and accessible to family caregivers, regardless
of age, disability, or family situation. To provide
a second strategy for enacting the Lifespan legislation,
and to demonstrate your support, please also cosponsor
"The Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act,"
(H.R. 4595; S. 2533), which contains the full text of
the Senate-passed Lifespan Respite Care Act.
Respite,
the most frequently requested family support service,
provides family caregivers with relief necessary to
maintain their own health, bolster family stability,
keep marriages intact, and avoid or delay out-of-home
placements. Respite, however, is in short supply or
inaccessible for all age groups.
The
Lifespan Respite Care Act is based on model Lifespan
Respite Systems in Oregon, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
These systems provide easy access to an array of affordable,
quality respite services; ensure flexibility to meet
diverse needs; and assist with locating, training, and
paying respite providers. We know Lifespan Respite Systems
work. Pass the bill before Congress adjourns.
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To
Join the ARCH National Respite Network
and keep up to date on the bill and NRC activities, please
email Mike Mathers at mmathers@chtop.org,
ARCH, Chapel Hill Training-Outreach
Project, Inc. For more information on the legislation,
please contact Jill Kagan, ARCH National
Respite Coalition at jbkagan@aol.com
or 703-256-9578. Visit www.archrespite.org/nrc.htm
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