House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	October 15, 2020 11:14 AM
From:	Representative Dan L. Miller
To:	All House members
Subject:	SSP Funding/Line Item Legislation

In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that will codify and appropriate via line item an expired grant program which has provided a lifeline for many deafblind Pennsylvanians by providing access to support service providers who facilitate communication and provide sighted guidance. In 2014, the Department of Labor and Industry allocated a pilot grant to start a statewide support service provider program in Pennsylvania. This program has since allowed many more deafblind Pennsylvanians to access their communities and avoid costly in-home care or nursing home placement. To ensure this program continues to succeed in supporting individuals who are deafblind, our legislation would codify the grant program into statute. Unfortunately, effective October 1st, 2020, this program ended. My bill appropriates $1.5 million to the Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Deaf & Hard of Hearing to run a statewide SSP program. Support service providers are trained to assist deafblind individuals specifically by providing environmental information and acting as a guide and communication facilitator. It is imperative that deafblind Pennsylvanians continue to enjoy services that empower them to live more independent lives. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
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Introduced as HB2938