Bill · H.R. 9940· House(119-HR-9940)
Disability Community Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 7/23/2026
- Last activity
- 7/23/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Paul Tonko
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Disability Community Act of 2026 aims to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act. It seeks to provide a temporary higher Federal medical assistance percentage for Medicaid expenditures. These expenditures must be associated with the cost of complying with specific Federal regulations. This applies to services in certain intermediate care facilities or home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The increased assistance would occur during the years 2027, 2028, or 2029. Additionally, the bill updates terminology across the Social Security Act to use more current language regarding disabilities.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?+8
The bill directly increases funding for services and updates language to be more respectful of the disability community.
Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities?+7
The bill enhances support for individuals with disabilities and updates outdated, stigmatizing terminology in federal law.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill provides increased Medicaid support which benefits low-income households relying on these services.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Federal Funding for Compliance: The bill provides a higher Federal medical assistance percentage of 90 percent for costs associated with complying with certain Federal regulations (Section 2(a)(3)). This could benefit individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by helping cover the costs of services in intermediate care facilities or home and community-based services.
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Updated and Respectful Terminology: The bill implements numerous changes to replace outdated terms with updated language, such as replacing "mentally retarded" with "individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities" (Section 2(b)). This change is applied throughout various sections of title XIX of the Social Security Act.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Temporary Nature of Funding: The higher Federal medical assistance percentage is specific to expenditures made during a quarter in 2027, 2028, or 2029 (Section 2(a)(3)). This means the increased financial support is not permanent.
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Dependency on Secretary Determination: The increased funding is subject to the Secretary determining that the amounts expended are attributable to compliance with specific Federal regulations (Section 2(a)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For People With Disabilities+8Good For Low Income Households+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+5Increases Medicaid Funding+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Disability Rights+7
- 7/23/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania