October 23, 2015 CRT Stakeholders and Friends, Great news! A bipartisan Senate companion bill to HR-3229 to stop competitive bid pricing for Complex Rehab wheelchair accessories was introduced yesterday afternoon. The bill number is S-2196 and the language is the same as HR-3229. The bill was introduced by Senator Casey (D-PA) and he was joined in the introduction by Senators Portman (R-OH), Schumer (D-NY) and Cochran (R-MS). This is a great bipartisan starting lineup with 3 of the 4 Senators on the Finance Committee! Now we need more co-sponsors, especially Finance Committee members. This will add significant Congressional attention to our complex rehab wheelchair accessory issue and the need to get this legislation passed by the end of the year! We currently have 41 House members signed on to House bill HR-3229. This is progress, but we need many more to increase our chances of passage. The time to take action is now! Another big advantage. Eight national disability advocacy organizations have submitted letters to Congress in support of the legislation and you should share them with your Members. This downloadable document includes a cover sheet reviewing the issue and needed solution. Special thanks to these eight organizations for their continued support! This is a powerful document to share with Congress. The links and documents on the www.access2crt.org website have all been updated to incorporate the Senate bill and are ready to be shared. So here's the CALL TO ACTION (use the clickable links): 1.) Visit the webpage: We've set up a webpage dedicated to this issue which provides access to helpful background documents you can use in your outreach as needed. You can also view the list of current co-sponsors to determine if your Members have signed on yet. This list will be updated daily as we get new co-sponsors. 2.) Send an Email: If your Members have not signed on, use the link provided to send an email. Just supply your home address and your Members will be identified. A template message is provided to use as is or you can modify. 3.) Make a Call: Wait 24 to 48 hours after sending your email and then call the offices of your Members using the guidelines provided on the web page. Remember your follow up with your Members is critical. We have seen that polite persistence is what will get your Members of Congress on these bills. And also share this CALL TO ACTION with other CRT stakeholders to get them engaged. Thanks for the continued outreach and let us know if we can be of assistance! Regards, Don Donald E. Clayback Executive Director | NCART Office 716-839-9728 | Cell 716-913-4754 dclayback@ncart.us | www.ncart.us