Fw: ACTION ALERT - PLEASE CALL, FAX AND EMAIL NOW!!!!

[Guest guest]

----- Forwarded Message -----

Regards,

Ven Sequenzia

President

Autism Society of America

State of Florida Chapter

Action

Alert – SB 1516

The

Florida Senate Health Regulation Committee is about to take up SB1516 which

will substantially alter how services are prioritized and individual consumer

iBudget allocations are decided. The

bill was amended this week but key issues were not resolved. The bill is scheduled be heard as early as

Tuesday January 31st.

Background:

Sen. Joe Negron filed SB 1516 on

behalf of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) earlier this

year. This bill changes APD’s

responsibilities for services to those related primarily to health and safety. As filed, the bill limits APD’s

responsibility for quality of life to individuals living in its two major state

institutions. What this means in terms

of iBudget allocations is that an individual’s need for funds excludes any need

for adult day training, transportation, respite care, dental care, companion

services and several others. With this

methodology, people would have to choose what to give up if they wanted any of

these services or find another way of funding them.

While there is no House companion, this

is a very dangerous bill. APDs strategy

is to get this bill passed through the appropriations process which could

happen even without a House version of the bill.

Action Needed: Contact

your Senators and tell them (in your own words) what it would mean if you had

to give up any of these services. If

your Senator is on the Health Regulation Committee ask them to vote against

this bill. Below are the members of the

Health Regulation Committee.

First

Name

Last

Name

District

City

District

Phone

Tallahassee

Phone

Email

Address

de la Portilla

Miami

(305)

643-7200

(850)

487-5109

portilla.miguel.web@...

Mike

Fasano

New

Port Richey

(727)

848-5885

(850)

487-5062

fasano.mike.web@...

Don

Gaetz

Destin

(850)

897-5747

(850)

487-5009

gaetz.don.web@...

Rene

Hialeah

(305)

364-3100

(850)

487-5106

garcia.rene.web@...

Dennis

Seminole

(727)

549-6411

(850)

487-5065

jones.dennis.web@...

Jim

Norman

Tampa

(813)

265-6260

(850)

487-5068

norman.jim.web@...

Eleanor

Sobel

Hollywood

(954)

924-3693

(850)

487-5097

sobel.eleanor.web@...

Regards,

Ven Sequenzia, Jr.

President

Autism Society of America

State of Florida Chapter