April 18, 2025
Plain language summary: A federal budget proposal was shared in the news during the planning process. The first round of proposed federal budget cuts includes Councils and many other important programs. These are not final decisions. There is still a lot of work that must happen and Congress must approve any budget proposals. National and state partners are working together to make sure lawmakers know how important our programs are.
Detail: Recently, an internal budget document called a “passback” was leaked from the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) document for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Fiscal Year 2026 budget. This document outlined the movement of programs reorganized within HHS and the proposed elimination of many vital programs such as Protection & Advocacy Agencies and State Developmental Disabilities Councils that are essential to the rights and well-being of our community.
These draft documents are usually internal and not shared at this point in the budgeting process. Programs will still need to respond to the OMB and there are typically several internal rounds of negotiations prior to the public debates in the House and Senate for congressional approval. It is important to note that these are not final budget decisions while maintaining awareness that conversations about budget cuts at the federal level are happening across multiple programs.
Nationally, our membership organization National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) is working with other national partners to organize a response, including continuing to speak to the value of the Administration of Community Living and its programs and the importance of including longstanding bipartisan programs for people with disabilities in the federal appropriations process. Our national leaders are skilled, savvy, smart, and connected. They are developing a strategic approach to ensure the voice of the developmental disability community is heard during this time.
Locally, our Council staff has met with key state partners to collaborate and share information across our network. We are deeply committed to supporting our disability community and each other in this work, and we are grateful for the strength of our state disability network and committed advocates. We will continue to educate, advocate and elevate the importance of vital services and systems to support people with disabilities. We will keep our community informed as new information becomes available.