State Rehab Council

SRC members meet with their respective legislative representatives to discuss employment and disability issues. Above: (l to r) Carol Lewis (SRC), Delegate William Frank, Joyce Callahan (SRC).

The Maryland SRC held its annual legislative event on February 3, 2009.

Many Council members visited with their representatives in the House of Delegates and in the Senate. Each thanked the representative for last year's additional state funding for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. These funds allowed DORS to cut its waiting list from 5,230 to less than 2,600. The length of time spent on the waiting list has been cut by 50%.

They also urged legislators to:

• Support the Governor’s allowance of state general funds in the MSDE budget for the Division of Rehabilitation Services; the DORS state general fund allowance is decreased by 6.8% from its initial appropriation level in the FY 2009 budget ($1.04 million decrease).
  
  
• Oppose Senate Bill 253 Vehicle Laws, which provides exceptions to the prohibition against operating or riding on a motorcycle without protective headgear. 
  
  
• Support House Bill 20 – Intellectual Disability (Rosa’s Law) which changes references to "mental retardation" in state law and language to “an intellectual disability.”

The Council has also written a letter in support of the Prosthetic Parity bill of 2009 (Senate Bill 341). This bill enhances insurance coverage for prosthetic devices and services.