Inclusion for People who Experience Disabilities
“I first became involved in public service because I wanted to make sure that children like my son, Ben, who experiences severe disabilities, would be fully included in their communities, and I will continue fighting to ensure that people with disabilities have the support that they need to thrive.” - Senator Hassan
Senator Hassan is working to ensure that individuals who experience disabilities receive the support that they need to be fully included in society.
Senator Hassan believes that all students – regardless of personal circumstance – should have access to a high-quality public education. Under the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students who experience disabilities are guaranteed the right to a free and appropriate public education. Unfortunately, since IDEA’s passage in 1975, Congress has failed to provide the funding it promised under the bill, and Senator Hassan strongly supports legislation to fully fund IDEA so that communities across the country have the resources that they need to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
Senator Hassan also joined in introducing the RISE Act that would remove burdensome and unnecessary barriers for students who experience disabilities during their transition from K-12 to higher education, and she has cosponsored legislation to better protect students with disabilities – who face higher rates of sexual assault – from sexual violence on college campuses.
It is imperative that individuals who experience disabilities have access to employment opportunities and the resources and support that they need to enter and remain in the workforce. Senator Hassan supports increasing tax credits for employers who hire and retain employees who experience disabilities and who make their workplaces more accessible. When everyone comes together to support these efforts, our economy and our businesses will thrive.
As Governor of New Hampshire, Senator Hassan signed legislation banning employers from paying workers with disabilities at a lower rate than the minimum wage, making New Hampshire the first state in the nation to ban sub-minimum wages, and she is a cosponsor of the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, which would phase out this practice nationwide.
Senator Hassan will continue to work across party lines to build on our nation’s promise of equality and inclusion to ensure that all Americans and Granite Staters, regardless of personal circumstance, have the opportunity to join in our shared success.
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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation yesterday that Senator Maggie Hassan cosponsored to better ensure that law enforcement officers and first responders who become disabled in the line of duty, as well as the families of those who died in the line of duty, have prompt access to the benefits that they deserve.
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Portman, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Relief to Parents of Children with Disabilities
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Duckworth, Casey & Hassan Secure $12.6 Billion for Home Community-Based Services in American Rescue Plan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today announced the successful inclusion of more than $12.6 billion in dedicated emergency funding for State Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) in the American Rescue Plan that passed the Senate today. HCBS are essential to assisting older Americans and people with disabilities, who receive critical healthcare and support services in their homes. The HCBS program is especially vital in the midst of a deadly pandemic that has tragically killed more than 500,000 Americans and disproportionately harmed individuals living in congregate care settings, who are at greater risk of exposure, severe illness and death from COVID-19.
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) voted today to pass the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package that supports public health and provides critical assistance to Granite Staters and small businesses. The package includes Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bill to support new businesses that are currently left out of most relief programs and Senator Hassan’s amendment that passed on a bipartisan basis to require schools receiving relief funds to develop and make publicly available plans to return to in-person learning.
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