Where Maryland Falls in this Debate

by Paul Rasinski

As you may know the Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP), as well as the other 55 Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (ATA) Programs, is funded by federal dollars to carry out its mission of providing a link to accessing AT for individuals with disabilities. The original Technology Related Assistance Act for Individuals with Disabilities of 1988 (Tech Act) was enacted with a five-year life span; it was reauthorized in 1994 as the Tech Act Amendments of 1994, again with a five-year life. In 1998 the ATA of 1998 was enacted giving all 50 states and 6 territories the right to the full ten years of funding under the Tech Act plus a three year extension under the ATA. Maryland was one of the original nine states to apply for Tech Act funds and has received the thirteen years of funding plus the last two years thanks to the efforts of Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland. MD TAP has received funding through amendments to appropriations bills at the Federal level to extend ATA activities.

The ATA is again in jeopardy since President Bush has eliminated funding for the ATA and similar laws in his fiscal year 2004 budget. Congressman Hoyer and the Appropriations Committee are again attempting stopgap measures through an amendment in an appropriations bill. There is a lot of work to do at this level since Congress has okayed an amendment at 11 million dollars, enough to allow the ATA to terminate on schedule, while the Senate side bill would appropriate funds to allow all the state programs to remain at last year's funding level for another. The hopes of the ATA programs lay on the shoulders of the legislators assigned to the conference meetings on the bill. The conferees have been named for the upcoming conference of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. They are, in the Senate: Specter (R-PA), Cochran (R-MS), Gregg (R-NH), Craig (R-ID), Hutchison (R-TX), Stevens (R-AK), DeWine (R-OH), Shelby (R-AL), Domenici (R-NM), Harkin (D-IA), Hollings (D-SC), Inouye (D-HI), Reid (D-NV), Kohl (D-WI), Murray (D-WA), Landrieu (D-LA) and Byrd (D-WV).

In the House, they are: Regula (R-OH 16th), Istook (R-OK 5th), Wicker (R-MS 1st), Northup (R-KY 3rd), Cunningham (R-CA 50th), Granger (R-TX 12th), Peterson (R-PA 5th), Sherwood (R-PA 10th), Weldon (R-FL 15th), Simpson (R-ID 2nd), Young (R-FL 10th), Obey (D-WI 7th), Hoyer (D-MD 5th), Lowey (D-NY 18th), DeLauro (D-CT 3rd), Jackson (D-IL 2nd), Kennedy (D-RI 1st), Roybal-Allard (D-CA 34th).

A proposed new version of an ATA bill, "Independence Through Assistive Technology Act of 2003" has been investigated by a task force that polled AT leaders in the House and Senate. If enacted it would give the Tech Act Programs five years of renewed life; however, the defeat of this bill would cause the collapse of the national AT infrastructure that the 56 ATA projects have formed over the last 15 years. The programs have devised cutting edge strategies to provide individuals with disabilities, their families and support systems access to AT through projects offering awareness of AT, device loans, fiscal loan programs, training, and legislative advocacy among other activities. The new bill proposes similar activities, and has two main sections. The first section of this new legislation includes technical assistance and funding to address ongoing and emerging technology-related activities. The second section focuses on protection and advocacy to ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families can realize timely access to the AT they need.

If you are interested in supporting the issues surrounding the reauthorization of the ATA, please contact your local representatives and lend your voice for the continuation of the Maryland Technology Assistance Program or the Tech Act Program in your state.
You can find contact information for your local representative by visiting www.capwiz.com.