Search■ Register Online Now for 5th Annual H.I.R.E. Conference
■ NY Update: Paterson Vetoes Human Rights Law Bill
■ NY: 8 Re-entry Bills in State Budget Signed Into Law
Legal Action Center is thrilled to report that two of our re-entry bills and a number of other bills that we and other advocates fought for have now been signed into law!
■ Health Care Reform Implementation for Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health Services
Since its passage in March, many people and organizations have been trying to better understand how the new healthcare provisions will affect them, and when those changes will be implemented.
Using the larger insurance provisions timeline from The Commonwealth Fund, LAC has developed a timeline for measures being implemented in 2010 that directly affect individuals and organizations dealing with SUD/MH issues.
■ Summary of the Certificate Equivalency Bill Signed Into Law on June 22, 2010
The Certificate Equivalency Bill, which was included in the 2010-2011 budget and signed into law by Governor Paterson on June 22, 2010, makes changes to many different sections of the law to ensure that either Certificates of Relief from Disabilities (CRDs) or Certificates of Good Conduct (CGCs) are accepted for the purpose of overcoming barriers to obtaining employment and occupational licenses.
■ NY: Action Alert! Urge Albany to Use Federal Funds to Maintain ATI and Re-Entry Programs
■ The National Impact: Week of May 4, 2010
The National Impact newsletter provides the latest updates from the Legal Action Center and State Associations of Addiction Services' joint National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies (NAC). To learn more about the campaign, its goals, accomplishments, and how you can get involved, please visit the NAC website.
This week in the National Impact:
- ■ Health Information Technology Legislation (H.R. 5040) Introduced in the House; Bill Would Make Addiction and Mental Health Service Providers Eligible for HIT Funds
- ■ SAAS and LAC Leadership Meet with Federal Partners
- ■ SAAS and LAC Submit Comments on Parity, Funding and SSI/DI Eligibility
■ NY: Urgent Action Alert! Urge Legislature to Use Federal Funds to Restore Cuts to ATI and Re-Entry
Although ATI programs have been critical to reducing the prison population and crime and are essential to the success of Rockefeller drug law reform, they face potentially massive funding cuts because of the state’s fiscal struggles.
Now is the time to create enormous pressure on both houses to use federal funds to restore Alternatives to Incarceration and Re-entry related funding.