TO: NDSC Members and Affiliated Parent Groups 
FROM: Susan Goodman, Director Governmental Affairs
DATE: October 13, 2008

Kennedy-Brownback Bill Signed Into Law
Down Syndrome Advocates Prevail

On October 14, 2008 President Bush signed into law the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, S 1810, known as the Kennedy-Brownback bill. NDSC and NDSS have been working with Senate and House staff and advocates since 2005 to develop and pass this important legislation.

This bill is designed to improve information and increase referral to support services for parents receiving a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and other conditions. When signed, the bill became Public Law 110-374. The next step is to get funds appropriated to implement this law when Congress reconvenes next year.

NDSC and NDSS will be issuing a joint information bulletin that explains the provisions of the new Act and its impact on families and affiliates. In the meantime, if you wish to read the bill as it passed, go to http://thomas.loc.gov and key in S. 1810 under bill number.

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Higher Education Act
Down Syndrome Community
Submits Comments on Process

NDSC, NDSS and eleven other national organizations submitted comments to the Department of Education requesting involvement in the rulemaking process that is about to be undertaken. This begins the process of developing regulations that will provide the details of how the law will work.

As reported in our August 21, 2008 Newsline, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) recently became law recently thanks, in large part, to the hard work and leadership of our partners at the NDSS Policy Center, NDSC and the entire Down syndrome advocacy community.

This act sets federal higher education policy for at least the next five years, will expand eligibility for grants and work study jobs to students with intellectual disabilities; authorize new model programs; and, infuse the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into the higher education law.

If you have questions or comments about this Newsline, please contact Susan Goodman at susan@ndsccenter.org.