Episode 78. Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill 2023

Raising Kellan

In today's episode, I chat with Jeff Strand who is the Coordinator of Government and External Affairs at the Tennessee Disability Coalition. The Tennessee Disability Coalition is an alliance of organizations and individuals joined to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

This year TDC will be hosting an in-person event Disability Day on the Hill on March 8, 2023, in Nashville TN. This is a chance to gather as a community and take part in the legislative process. The priority Bills on the table this year include:

1)The ABLE Estate Recovery- "This bill would prohibit the state from seeking estate recovery (clawback) of funds in an ABLE account following the death of a beneficiary, beyond what is required by federal law."(Source TDC Newsletter)

2) Right to Repair- "This bill would prohibit insurance companies from requiring a prior authorization for the repair of power wheelchairs and some durable medical equipment"(Source TDC Newsletter)

Timeline:

2:47 The workings of the State General Assembly

9:10 How to get an Idea to the Hill.

9:56 Priority Bills for TDC 2023

10:42 Bills of Interest: Corporal Punishment, Paid FML, Mechanical Restraints, Third Grade Retention

21:00 Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill Events:

2023 VIRTUAL EVENTS

Webinar with Legislators

1pm CT - Thursday, March 2nd, 2023

Disability Advocacy Day

Saturday, March 11th, 2023

IN-PERSON EVENTS

TDC Community Party

5-7pm CT - Tuesday, March 7th, 2023

Disability Day on the Hill

9am-2pm CT - Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

Here are some ways to participate: Hashtag #MyTennesseeLife for social media posts related to the event

You can email [e-mail] to receive weekly updates on the above-mentioned Bills

You can also join the Facebook Group: Tennessee Disability Advocates Group

An edited transcript of this podcast can be found at www.raisingkellan.org