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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January 13, 2021
Senators Hassan, Casey, Cassidy Request Review of Higher Education Resources and Access for Students with Disabilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) are requesting a Government Accountability Office review of how colleges and universities are working to ensure that students with disabilities can access the same learning opportunities as their peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three Senators serve on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
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December 22, 2020
Senator Hassan Secures COVID-19 Relief, End to Surprise Medical Billing in Year-End Legislation
WASHINGTON - Last night, the Senate passed a year-end government funding package with substantial COVID-19 relief for Granite Staters based on a bipartisan compromise that Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) helped negotiate. The package also includes a number of other priorities that Senator Hassan fought for, including provisions to help end surprise medical billing, which Senator Hassan has led bipartisan efforts on for the past two years.
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October 16, 2020
Hassan, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Better Track COVID-19 in Congregate Care Facilities to Protect People with Disabilities and Older Adults
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in urging Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to protect people with disabilities and older adults and finally expand data collection and reporting on COVID-19 cases in congregate care facilities-including assisted living facilities, institutions for people with disabilities, and mental health facilities. Despite the importance of data collection for identifying and responding to COVID-19 outbreaks, current gaps in CMS guidance are leaving many people with disabilities and older Americans at risk.
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September 17, 2020
Following Calls from Senator Hassan, Federal Agency Backs Ending Discriminatory Pay for Workers who Experience Disabilities
WASHINGTON - Following calls from U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights urged the repeal of a discriminatory federal policy that allows employers to pay subminimum wages to workers who experience disabilities. Earlier this year, the Senator wrote the Commission, calling on its members to support ending this discriminatory and unfair practice.
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September 03, 2020
Senator Hassan Joins NH Veterans in Recreational Therapy Session on the Lamprey River
NEWMARKET - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan joined New Hampshire veterans yesterday who participated in recreational therapy on a kayaking trip on the Lamprey River. The event was organized by Northeast Passage, an organization that works to empower people living with disabling conditions, both visible and invisible, to define, pursue and achieve whole life health, community engagement and fulfillment through the purposeful use of sports and recreation such as kayaking.
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August 17, 2020
Senator Hassan, Bipartisan Group of Senators Call on Federal Health Officials to Better Protect Seniors and People Who Experience Disabilities from COVID-19
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues in requesting that federal health agencies bolster efforts to protect residents and workers in nursing homes. In New Hampshire, more than 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths are associated with nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The letter was led by Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Bob Casey (D-PA).
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July 24, 2020
Senator Hassan Statement Ahead of 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
WASHINGTON - Senator Hassan released the following statement ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Sunday, July 26:
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