ATLANTA — Georgia disability advocates are calling for the creation of a special commission devoted to the problems Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities face.
State Sen. Sally Harrell, D-Atlanta, introduced legislation this week that would create an “Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Innovation Commission” akin to the highly successful behavioral health commission formed in 2019.
Harrell’s proposal has drawn bipartisan support, including from Republican Senate co-sponsors John Albers of Roswell, Mike Dugan of Carrollton, Chuck Hufstetler of Rome, and Ben Watson of Savannah.
The 22-member commission would include members appointed by the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the House of Representatives. Appointees would include, among others, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their family members and caregivers.
The commission would be required to focus on proposed changes to state laws and regulations around providing services to people with disabilities.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will need to approve Harrell’s bill before it can move to the Senate floor for a vote.
Georgia provides funding slots for people with disabilities to receive home and community-based services so they are not segregated in institutions. Those slots are jointly funded by the state and the federal governments, with the state paying about one-third of the cost and the federal government picking up the rest.
Advocates contend the state should dramatically increase the number of slots to meet the needs of Georgians with disabilities. There are currently 7,155 people on the waiting list.
A state Senate study committee co-chaired by Harrell and Albers that met last fall recommended the state increase the number of slots by about 2,400 this year. However, the…
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