NAMI Minnesota Legislative Update – Mar. 2, 2010
Quick Update
GAMC: As you have heard, the Minnesota House did not have enough votes to override the
Governor's veto of the GAMC bill. It was a straight party line vote. What did happen though, is
that the bill was placed on the table - meaning that it is not dead and could be taken off at some
time in the future. There were several Republicans that did vote to do this. Negotiations are
continuing today and they are working to try and find a solution. NAMI is concerned that the
department is beginning to send out notices to people currently on GAMC that they will be
transitioned to MinnesotaCare. Watch the news for up-to-date information. We will also try to
post breaking news on the NAMI Minnesota website.
Budget Forecast: The state's in a little better shape than we thought - it's $209 million better
meaning we can cut that much less. Let's hope it's less cutting from human services.
Come to the Capitol - meet outside the House chambers on the second floor at 10 am on
Thursday and, if the House Health Care and Human Services Finance Division meets at 9 am on
Friday, join us to show how important it is to fund mental health services. We will post it on our
website.
Tell Your Member of Congress To Vote "Yes" For House Bill 4247 - Preventing Harmful
Restraint & Seclusion In Schools Act!
ACT NOW! - HR 4247 Will be Voted on by the House on Wednesday
Call your Congressional Representatives and ask them to VOTE YES for HR 4247. Also tell
them to vote against any amendments that will weaken the bill.
The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act (HR 4247) is a bill that will stop
schools from restraining children except in emergency circumstances, confining them in
seclusion rooms, and using aversive interventions to harm them. A Government Accountability
Office (GAO) study found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death from restraints and
seclusion in public and private schools over the last two decades. The majority of students in the
GAO study had disabilities, including mental illness.
HR 4247 creates a federal minimum level of protection for school children that all states must
meet or exceed. Currently, almost half of the states have no laws or laws with little protection for
children.
ACT NOW! We need your help to get this vitally important legislation enacted. Contact your
House Representatives and tell them to vote YES for HR 4247. Call them by using the Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and email them by using NAMI's Legislative Action Center. You
should know that two Minnesotans sponsored the bill - Ellison and McCollum. Today, NAMI
received a phone call today from Congressman Walz's office that he will vote for the bill! So, the
people that need contacting include:
Kline
Paulsen
Oberstar
Peterson
Bachmann
Every child deserves to be safe and protected in school. Without federal regulation, more
children, especially those with disabilities, will be harmed and traumatized by the unregulated
use of restraint and seclusion in public and private schools. The children in our nation, especially
those with mental illness, deserve far better and the time for this federal legislation is long
overdue.