Public Policy
Policy Priorities to Support Children with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities and Their Families
Our Strategic Policy Priorities
Children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, and their families, face systemic barriers and biases that impede their ability to experience their best possible lives. Systems of care do not respond to their needs holistically or facilitate access to supports that enhance their quality of life.
To make the most impact, we focus our policy actions across all levels of government – federal, state, and local. We work with our family and organizational partners to lean on the various levers of policy change through education and advocacy.
Our current policy agenda includes:
- Expand access to peer-to-peer support for families of children and youth with special health care needs
- Support and expand Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs and their families and caregivers
- Improve the transition to adult health care for youth and young adults with disabilities and their caregivers and families
- Eliminate language access barriers
Family Voices collaborates with national child health and disability organizations, such as the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, The Arc, Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other groups.
Recent Policy Briefs
Recent Policy-Related News
Washington Update November 21, 2022
Both houses of Congress returned this week to kick off a busy "lame duck" session to close out the 117th Congress. The date to watch, other than the end of the year, is December 16th, when government funding is set to expire. What is a lame duck session? This is the...
Washington Update November 10, 2022
Congress will return to Washington, D.C. next Monday, November 14, 2022. Read the full newsletter here
Washington Update October 31, 2022
Both chambers of Congress will return to Washington after the November 8 midterm elections. The next votes in the House and Senate are scheduled to occur during the week of November 14. Read the full newsletter here
Washington Update October 12, 2022
The senate is in session this week and focused on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Usually, there are not standalone defense-related bills each year, so everything is tacked onto this one… and this is why staffers will spend this week sorting through the...
Washington Update September 23, 2022
Both chambers are back in session this week, and there are just 3 weeks left to avert a government shutdown. A temporary spending bill to keep the government funded until mid-December is still expected this week. Read the full newsletter here
Legislation
The legislation tracked below is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be an endorsement for or against the legislation. Action updates may occur daily, if actions are taken by Congress. Newly introduced legislation will be added weekly.
The legislative tracker is sorted by latest action. To navigate this page, you can scroll through just as you would a normal webpage. You can also click Ctrl+F on your keyboard and type in the search box.
For additional information and to read the full text (if available), click the highlighted bill number. You can also navigate to Congress.gov and search using key terms or phrases, or the bill numbers listed below.
Encourage confidence to act