Urge Governor Perry to Sign House Bill (HB) 978, the “Texans with
\nDisabilities Act,” into Law – Today!<\/p>\n
HB 978 is now in the Governor’s office for signature. Governor
\nPerry’s signature is needed for HB 978 to become law in the State of
\nTexas. HB 978 has made it through the Texas State Legislature with
\nbi-partisan support in the House and unanimous support in the Senate.
\nWe have come a long way. Just as our State Representatives and
\nSenators needed to hear from us, so does Governor Perry and his office
\nstaff. Please call and write Governor Perry and ask him to sign HB 978
\ntoday!<\/p>\n
Call Governor Perry and leave a message on the Citizen’s Opinion
\nHotline at: (800) 252-9600.<\/p>\n
To email Governor Perry go to http:\/\/governor.state.tx.us\/contact
\n and email Katherine Yoder at katherine.yoder@governor.state.tx.us.<\/p>\n
If you decide to mail a letter, please Cc: Katherine Yoder. The
\nGovernor’s Staff is analyzing bills now. It is important to include
\nKatherine Yoder on your correspondence and to contact Governor Perry
\nimmediately. Following is an example you can use in your letter or
\nemail message. Remember to include your name, address, and telephone
\nnumber at the end. Thank you for your support!<\/p>\n
Tracey and Friends<\/p>\n
TAF003@gmail.com<\/p>\n
http:\/\/yourvotecountsp2.wordpress.com<\/p>\n
(Sample Letter)<\/p>\n
Dear Governor Perry,<\/p>\n
Please follow the path of President George W. Bush and sign House
\nBill 978, the \u201cTexans with Disabilities Act.\u201d<\/p>\n
House Bill 978 had bi-partisan support in the Texas House and passed
\nunanimously in the Texas Senate.<\/p>\n
Last September President George W. Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act
\ninto law, stating that the original ADA was \u201cinstrumental in
\nallowing individuals with disabilities to fully participate in our
\neconomy and society,\u201d and that his administration supported this
\neffort \u201cto enhance its protections.\u201d In essence, H.B. 978 will
\nmake sure that Texas disability law will conform with the ADA
\nAmendments Act of 2008.<\/p>\n
The ADA Amendments Act was the product of extensive bipartisan effort
\nby stakeholders in both the disability and the business community, and
\nit largely reflects a bipartisan consensus. The major reason for its
\npassage was that certain U.S. Supreme Court and lower court decisions
\nrefused to recognize many conditions as disabilities, including, for
\nexample, amputation, intellectual disabilities, epilepsy, multiple
\nsclerosis, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and cancer. The Amendments
\nAct rejects those court opinions and clarifies the terminology used in
\nthe definition of disability.<\/p>\n
H.B. 978 will ensure that:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Texas law will conform to the ADA as it has been clarified with
\nbipartisan consensus, passed by unanimous consent, and having been
\nsigned into law by President George W. Bush;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Texas law will continue to \u201cprovide for the execution of the
\npolicies embodied in Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
\n1990 and its subsequent amendments,\u201d as set out in Tex. Labor Code
\n\u00a7 21.001(3);<\/p>\n
\u2022 Texas law will conform to the federal consensus among
\nstakeholders in both the disability and the business communities,
\nincluding, for example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Disabled
\nAmerican Veterans, the National Association of Manufacturers, the
\nSociety for Human Resource Management, the Human Resource Policy
\nAssociation, the American Diabetes Association, the Epilepsy
\nFoundation, and the National Council of Independent Living Centers,
\nwho described the ADA Amendments Act as \u201can appropriate balance
\nbetween the needs of individuals with disabilities and those of
\nemployers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Texans will be protected from discrimination on the basis of such
\nconditions as cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, intellectual disabilities,
\namputations, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Employers and employees will have a single legal standard that
\ngoverns their conduct (rather than facing differing standards under
\nstate and federal law);<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Texas Workforce Commission will have a single legal standard
\napplicable to their investigation of charges of disability
\ndiscrimination (which among other things will simplify their continued
\noperation as the state \u201cfair employment practices\u201d agency);<\/p>\n
\u2022 Protects veterans who were disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan from
\ndiscrimination when they return to the workforce;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Promotes keeping the disabled in the workforce and off the
\nwelfare rolls.<\/p>\n
Thus, please sign H.B. 978 to conform Texas law to the ADA Amendments
\nAct of 2008 signed into law by President George W. Bush.<\/p>\n
Thank you,<\/p>\n
(Your Name)<\/p>\n
(Your Address)<\/p>\n
(Your Telephone Number)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Urge Governor Perry to Sign House Bill (HB) 978, the “Texans with Disabilities Act,” into Law – Today! HB 978 is now in the Governor’s office for signature. Governor Perry’s signature is needed for HB 978 to become law in…<\/p>\n