Breaking News: Bill has been released!

We are happy to report that the Joint Commitee on Health Care Finance has released House Bill 52, "An Act to Provide Access to Hearing Aids for Children." The bill will now go to the House Committee on Ways and Means. We continue to await a cost analysis on the bill from the Division of Health Care Finance.

Please call your Represenatives and Senators to let them know that House Bill 52 was released from committee and is now in Ways and Means!

To look up your Represenative or Senator, click on this link and look for "Find a Legislator" at top of page:  http://www.malegislature.gov/

We appreciate your continued support for this bill- this is great progress!!

LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING at State House on April 10th!

Rep. Sean Garballey will be hosting a LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING for House Bill 52, "An Act to Provide Access to Hearing Aids for Children," on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the State House, Room 437. This is an opportunity for legislators to learn more about the bill, for co-sponsors to show their support and for us to advocate for the bill's passage. If you would like to join several of us who will be attending the briefing to speak directly to our legislators, please contact me at lcadams3@gmail.com.

Alternatively, you may call your local Representative and Senator and ask them to attend the briefing.

Thank you!

March 6th is Deaf and Hard of Hearing Constituents' Day at the State House!

Come join us at the State House for "Deaf and Hard of Hearing Constitutents' Day" on March 6th! MassHAFCC will have a booth in the Great Hall, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and we have sent invitations to several legislators asking them to stop by. The Speaker and Senate President have been invited to the Great Hall to mingle with constituents as well. We hope to garner further support for HB 52, "An Act to Provide Access to Hearing Aids for Children." The event is being sponsored by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

If you cannot go, but wish that you could...consider writing a brief email to your legislator encouraging him/her to stop by our table and show support for the bill!

Below is a full schedule of events.

Thanks!

10am     Welcoming Remarks Master of Ceremonies

Kelly Kim, Vice Chair, Statewide Advisory Council for MCDHH

Legislative Greetings (Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo, President of the Senate Therese Murray invited)

Heidi L. Reed, Commissioner, MCDHH    

Special Recognition: Gail Sallop, first full time American Sign Language Interpreter, has served in Massachusetts for 30 years. (Senator Katherine Clark, Representative James Dwyer, Representative Bradley Jones, Jr. invited)

10:30-12  Partnership strategies, community priorities, 40 pieces of legislation, and lessons learned: Making Your Case

Presenter:  Mary Hartnett, Executive Director, Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans

12-1             Lunch on your own 

1-4               Legislative visits (contact your legislator and schedule in advance)

Please contact Carl Richardson, State House ADA Coordinator,
at 617‐727‐1100 x35502 or email: carl.richardson@state.ma.us for any questions or accommodations requests.

Where is HB 52 and What Can You Do to Help?

We have had a busy few months adovocating for HB 52 at the State House! During the legislative break in December, we met with several legislators to advocate for passage of the bill. We were also invited to meet with staff from the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to help define legislative intent for certain aspects of the bill. The bill rests with that committee as the Division of Health Care Finance conducts a mandate review (cost analysis). We are awaiting a report from that review, which we expect to see in March or early April.

We are also happy to report that MassHAFCC is now represented by the lobbying firm of Robert Travaglini, the former President of the Senate. We are thrilled to have the help of Mr. Travaglini and his colleagues and appreciate their efforts!

If you would like to help us advocate for passage of the bill, here is what you can do:

1. Write a brief email to your legislator asking him or her to support HB 52. This doesn't have to be anything formal or fancy-- it should take 10 minutes. Please scroll down to the bottom of this blog for a sample letter/email (feel free to cut and paste, adding in your family's story). To find out who your Senator and Representative and for contact information, go to: http://www.malegislature.gov/ and follow prompts.

OR

2. Call your legislator's office at the State House and ask him or her to support HB 52.

AND

3. Check our blog for updates on where the bill is and how you can help.

With your help, we can make this bill a law and a reality for our children. Your help really matters!

Join us for the Walk4Hearing on October 16th!

Join Team MassHAFCC on Sunday, October 16th for the Walk4Hearing to raise awareness and help eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss.

Why we walk? Hearing loss is a public health issue in the United States:

Where: Artesani Park (1234 Soldiers Field Road, Brighton) When: Registration @ 10am/ Walk @ 11am

• 36 million people have some form of hearing loss
• 22 million have noise-induced hear loss that could be prevented
• More than 59,000 military members have disability status for hearing loss from current wars.
• 30 school-aged children per 1,000 have a hearing loss

Distance: 5K (3.1 miles)
To join Team MassHAFCC: go to HLAA's website (http://www.hearingloss.org/) and follow link to Walk4Hearing. Our team ID is 20490.

Money raised is shared between the national organization and local Walk sites.

We hope you'll join us!

Please call committee!

We need your help!

House Bill 52 is with the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. The committee must request a cost analysis (or a "mandate review report") from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy before the committee can decide to release the bill. Only a few bills are costed out each session and we want to make sure House Bill 52 is costed out...or it will likely die in committee.

Please call Committee Chairmen Senator Richard Moore (617-722-1420) and Representative Steven Walsh (617-722-2430) to ask them to send House Bill 52 to the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy for a mandate review.

YOUR CALLS ARE VERY IMPORTANT!!

Thank you.

House Bill 52 sent to Health Care Financing

House Bill 52 has been sent to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. Here is a link to the committee page: http://www.malegislature.gov/Committees/Joint/J24/.

Please check the list of Representatives and Senators on the committee to see if any are from your district. If you are a constituent, please take 5 minutes to write an email to your legislators asking them to report the bill out favorably.

If you do not see your Rep. or Senator's name on the committee list, you may contact your Representative and Senator and ask them to contact the committee chairs (Senator Richard T. Moore and Representative Steven M. Walsh) to urge that the bill be reported out favorably soon.

This only takes a few minutes and it is very, very important for our legislators to keep hearing from us about the bill. We have made great progress so far with your hard work!

Here is a link to find your Rep. and Senator and their contact information: http://www.malegislature.gov/

Thanks!