• Support for the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act (S. 1332 / H.R. 2941), to urge the Office of Management and Budget to revise the Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate code for direct support professionals. Support for HCBS Relief Act (S. 3118/ H.R. 6296), which would authorize increased federal match for states for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services. Support for the Disability Community Act (H.R. 7267), which would provide increased funding for Medicaid intellectual and developmental disability services to offset costs of compliance with regulations, including the DOL proposed overtime rule. Advocated for better coordination between HHS and DOL for recognition of the impact of regulatory changes on the cost of services for providers and the need for updated state reimbursement rates. Advocated for increased funding and reimbursement rates in response to CMS' proposed HCBS access rule.
• Support for S. 1332 and H.R. 2941, Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, to urge the Office of Management and Budget to revise the Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate code for direct support professionals.
• Advocated for better coordination between HHS and DOL to raise concerns about financial impact of proposed overtime rule on Medicaid-funded providers. Support for the Disability Community Act (H.R. 7267), which would provide increased funding for Medicaid intellectual and developmental disability services to offset costs of compliance with regulations, including the DOL proposed overtime rule.
• Support for the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (S. 2767 / H.R.7138), legislation to increase the asset limitation for qualifying for SSI.
• Support for the VITAL Act (S.1377/ H.R.3963), a bill which increases the low-income housing tax credit to serve the housing needs of older people and people with disabilities.

Duration: January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2011

General Issues: Medicare/Medicaid, Government Issues, Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace, Welfare, Housing, Health Issues, Budget/Appropriations, Disaster Planning/Emergencies, Transportation, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

Spending: about $1,315,000 (But it's complicated. Here's why.)

It can be tricky to figure out how much an organization spent on a particular lobbying engagement. The law only requires lobbyists to report the amount they were paid for federal lobbying each quarter rounded to the nearest $10,000—and if it's less than $3,000 in a given quarter (or less than $13,000 for organizations with in-house lobbyists), they don't have to disclose it at all. Plus, some organizations include spending that doesn’t belong in the report—for instance, money spent lobbying state governments or other legal work.

Agencies lobbied since 2008: U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Health & Human Services - Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Labor - Dept of (DOL), Administration for Children & Families (ACF), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Transportation - Dept of (DOT), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Education - Dept of, Housing & Urban Development - Dept of (HUD), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),, U.S. Senate,