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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April 01, 2020
Following Calls from Hassan, Brown, and Colleagues, Treasury Reverses Course and Says Social Security Beneficiaries Do Not Need to File Tax Returns to Receive COVID-19 Direct Cash Assistance
WASHINGTON - Tonight, following calls from Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and colleagues, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Social Security recipients will automatically receive direct cash assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns.
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March 21, 2020
Senators Hassan, Shaheen Introduce Bill to Help Mitigate COVID-19 Risk to Seniors and People with Disabilities
WASHINGTON - Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen joined with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, to introduce a bill to mitigate the risks that COVID-19 poses to seniors and people who experience disabilities. The Coronavirus Relief for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act would address critical health and financial needs of older adults, people with disabilities, home health workers and family caregivers.
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March 19, 2020
Senator Hassan Leads Group of Colleagues in Urging Department of Labor to Provide Support for Workers Who Experience Disabilities During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON - Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, led a group of her colleagues in urging the Department of Labor to better support workers who experience disabilities and who may be at particular risk as a result of COVID-19. The letter was also signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
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March 06, 2020
Following Request from Senator Hassan & Colleagues, FDA Finalizes Rule Banning Use of Electrical Shock Devices on Children and Adults with Disabilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, issued a statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s final rule to ban the use of electrical stimulation devices on children and adults who experience disabilities. The announcement comes following a February 10 request from Senators Hassan, Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and other colleagues urging the Food and Drug Administration to finalize the rule. The rule was first proposed in 2016, but years of delays and missed deadlines allowed for electrical stimulation devices - which attach to the skin and allow another person to administer electric shocks — to continue being used as a form of punishment and behavioral control.
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March 02, 2020
Senators Hassan, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Address Critical Need for More Direct Support Professionals
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), both members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, introduced bipartisan legislation today to address the critical need for more Direct Support Professionals in the workforce. Direct Support Professionals provide vital support to individuals who experience disabilities, like assisting with communication, providing on-the-job coaching, and helping with daily living needs. Unfortunately, home and community based service providers in New Hampshire, Maine, and across the country are struggling to recruit and retain Direct Support Professionals.
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February 10, 2020
Senator Hassan Joins Colleagues in Urging Food and Drug Administration to Immediately Ban the Use of Electrical Shock Devices on Children and Adults with Disabilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined her colleagues in urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn to immediately ban the use of electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) on children and adults with disabilities.
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December 04, 2019
Senator Hassan Continues to Lead Charge to Eliminate Discriminatory Pay for Workers Who Experience Disabilities
WASHINGTON - Senator Maggie Hassan sent a letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights urging it to support repealing a discriminatory federal policy that allows employers to pay subminimum wages to employees who experience disabilities. Then-Governor Hassan led efforts to eliminate the payment of subminimum wages to individuals who experience disabilities in New Hampshire, which became the first state in the nation to outlaw this practice.
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