We are extremely thankful to announce the passage and funding of the Katie Beckett bill! $27.3 million was allocated to fund this bill and support children with long-term disabilities or complex medical needs whose family incomes have prevented them from qualifying for TennCare. The Katie Beckett program will create a dedicated pathway for children to access TennCare and other home- and community-based services (HCBS) to help keep them healthy and their families together.

At the age of two, Cyndi Leach contracted the polio virus and as a result, became paralyzed from the waist down. However, Cyndi does not remember anything other than living with the effects of polio. She views her disability as part of who she is and has always found alternative ways to approach her goals.

Big news! The House Finance Committee has passed their version of the state budget—which includes $27 million funding for the Katie Beckett bill! We are so grateful to the House Leadership, Sponsor Representative Sam Whitson and Representative Matthew Hill for championing this legislation. We anticipate that the House of Representatives will pass their version of the budget in their session tomorrow morning.

Today the House of Representatives voted 50-48 for Governor Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) proposal after three hours of debate. The Senate plans to vote on its version of the legislation on Thursday.

Tennessee Disability Coalition Statement on the Education Savings Account proposal

KBSocialCampaign.pdf

Valerie moved to Tennessee in 2016 to be closer to her extended family and was pleased to find a vibrant Down syndrome community to support her daughter Ella, as well as her whole family.  

Two Katie Beckett Bill HB0498/SB0476 Updates: 1) We are pleased to share that the bill has a fiscal note $$$ significantly lower than TennCare’s initial estimates and 2) The House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee will hear the bill on Wednesday, April 10th at 11am CT.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very complex injury that affects millions of individuals and families each year. Brain injury is a life-altering event which affects every area of a person’s life, including work. During this year’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, explore the lasting effects of a brain injury with us as we dive into what exactly a TBI means for employees and employers alike. 

         At 24 years old, Kali was an outgoing, friendly mother to a toddler. She played softball and enjoyed bowling in her free time after recently finishing her communications degree. For Kali and her family, everything changed the night she left a concert and avoided a head-on collision, where she smashed into two trees and was knocked unconscious. The long haul to recovery began.

The Katie Beckett Bill HB0498/ SB0476 passed the House Insurance and Senate Commerce & Labor Committees today! 

Committee members had already heard about the legislation by the time the first hearing began. Over the weekend, they received over 10,000 emails from Tennesseans calling for their support of a Katie Beckett Program for Tennessee.