Lawmakers, family detail $354 million in new funding for intellectual disability/autism

PITTSBURGH, August 9, 2024 - After years of advocacy, on Friday local lawmakers, families and service providers gathered at a local group home to highlight life-changing investments for the intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) communities contained in the new state budget.

This year's state budget includes a historic $354.8 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers. This includes $280 million to help raise wages for the direct support professionals who care for Pennsylvanians and are the backbone of the system.

"I am so proud that this year's budget included crucial dollars to support our friends and neighbors with disabilities, and the people who care for them," said state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny. "We absolutely must continue the fight to make care affordable and accessible to the ID/A community, and to care for our commonwealth's caregivers who support them. I look forward to continuing to expand on the great work we've done, and I'm grateful to have colleagues and leaders who keep this conversation moving forward."

In addition to increased funding for services, this year's budget included $74.8 million to continue the process of clearing the emergency waiting list - ensuring more Pennsylvanians receive the care they need and deserve. That funding builds on the $17 million allocated last year to begin a multi-year effort to eliminate the emergency waiting list.

"For years we have heard from the community and from caregivers that there are needs that we must address," said Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny and House Majority Whip. "This year's budget starts to keep the promises we have made and is an important downpayment toward ending waiting lists in our commonwealth. We still have more work to do, but I want to thank the Governor for his leadership in this arena and for being a true champion of the ID/A community."

The funding increase also increases support for service providers, which aims to improve the overall quality and accessibility of services

"Emmaus Community is a well-recognized provider of quality services for people with intellectual disability and autism," said Emmaus CEO Karen Jacobsen. "We recognize Dan Miller's support for community-based services for people with disabilities and we deeply appreciate his and Sen. Costa's leadership. We are also grateful to Gov. Josh Shapiro for understanding and investing in Intellectual Disability and Autism services!"

These historic financial commitments represent a significant investment in supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities/autism, directly contributing to their ability to lead fulfilling lives in their communities and represent a major step forward toward meeting the needs of this community in Pennsylvania.

"As a family member, I thank Gov. Shapiro and the Pennsylvania legislature for listening to people with intellectual disabilities and autism and families across Pennsylvania and then taking action to include $354 million in the 2024-2025 Budget for the waiting list and rate increases," said Nancy Murray. "This is the first year of Gov. Shapiro's multi-year growth strategy, so we still have work to do, but it is a much appreciated first step."