The following report on the President’s newly proposed 2011 budget is from CSAVR’s Paul Seifert.
Back to the Future VR Budget
In a move similar to the previous administration's budgets, the White House has proposed a budget that consolidates several programs in the Rehabilitation
Act into Title I, merges the Independent Living Center Funding and State IL Grants into one State Grant and creates three new programs. Released today,
the President's FY 2011 overall budget proposes spending $3.84 trillion, terminates or consolidates a host of programs in every federal department and
includes a jobs creation proposal.
For Vocational Rehabilitation, the economy has produced an unexpected and very negative side effect. There is no Title I State Grant COLA for FY 2011 because
economic data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on November 18, 2009, show a decrease (-0.2 percent) in the annual change in the CPIU.
In addition, all of the nearly $57 million currently appropriated for Supported Employment, Projects With Industry, Migrant & Seasonal Farmworkers program,
and in-service training, are rolled into the Title I State Grant Program, and the Administration proposes modifying the Title I formula so that agencies
receive the same amount under the proposed consolidated Title I program as they did under the current funding arrangement.
The Administration also proposed funding for three new programs.
The Budget includes $25 million to fund a new Supported Employment Extended Services for Youth with Significant Disabilities program to assist States in
expanding supported employment opportunities for youth with significant disabilities as they transition from school to the workforce. The limited availability
of resources for extended services is a major barrier to increasing supported employment opportunities for youth with significant disabilities transitioning
from secondary education to employment who require ongoing support in order to work in the competitive labor market. Under this new program, State and
local agencies would be required to work together to develop and implement innovative methods of expanding the availability of extended supported employment
services for youth with significant disabilities.
The request includes $6.5 million for a new National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services program that would replace Demonstration and Training
programs and consolidate the resources used to support technical assistance and projects designed to improve program performance and the delivery of vocational
rehabilitation and independent living services under the Evaluation and Program Improvement programs.
And of note: The Budget also includes $30 million for a proposed Workforce Innovation Fund, combined with $30 million requested under Adult Education National
Leadership Activities to support a partnership with the Department of Labor to develop innovative strategies for improving the delivery of services and
outcomes for individuals with disabilities participating in programs authorized by the Workforce Investment Act.
Paul J. Seifert
Director of Government Relations
CSAVR
1 Research Court, Suite 450
Rockville, MD 20850
301-654-8414 (ph)
301-219-4719 (cell)
301-654-5542 (fax)
paulseifert@rehabnetwork.org