Policy Committee update - NABWIS on Capitol Hill!

Policy Committee Update

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Debora Wagner visited Capitol Hill to meet with legislative staff regarding issues that impact NABWIS members and the work that we do. Thank you to all the NABWIS members, and especially the members of the Policy Committee, who provided input and stories to prepare for these meetings. The following topics were discussed with legislative staff:

Requesting a GAO audit to ensure that Social Security is spending funds as allocated in the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.

Enacting strategic SSI changes for people who work, including the exclusion of specific retirement accounts from the resource limit and increasing the earned income exclusion (currently only $65).

Fighting Medicaid work requirements because many people need Medicaid to get well before they are able to go to work. 

In addition, Debora shared information about a significant increase in the denial rate for Social Security reimbursement requests made by state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Finally, Debora learned that staff from the Senate Finance Committee plan to draft new legislation to modernize Social Security return to work rules. Debora agreed to provide technical assistance in that drafting process with input from NABWIS members.