17 states still want to take down disability civil rights law
If you're from these states, ask your attorney general to withdraw from the lawsuit
Last February, I mentioned an important ongoing court case for disability rights.
In Texas v. Kennedy (previously called Texas v. Becerra), 17 states sued Health and Human Services to get rid of the civil rights law known as Section 504. The name of the defendant changed when POTUS named a new Secretary of Health and Human Services. These are the states that sued:
Thanks to the advocacy of the disability community, the states dropped their claim that Section 504 is unconstitutional. Nonetheless, they continue to challenge these parts of Section 504, as per this explainer (PDF):
• the right to receive services in the community instead of institutions
• a ban on disability discrimination in medical treatment decisions including
- life-saving healthcare
- organ transplants
- allocation of scarce resources like ventilators during a pandemic
• accessible medical equipment, websites, and kiosks
• reasonable accommodations and effective communication
The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) still has the same request: If you're from any of these 17 states, ask your attorney general to withdraw from the lawsuit. Also, protect Medicaid, which is an important part of disabled people's access to services.
