Category: State News

Attorney General William Tong and United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced that Northeast Medical Group (NEMG) and Yale New Haven Health Services Corp. (YNHH) have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which they will pay $560,718 to resolve allegations they overbilled the federal Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid programs.

Northeast Medical Group is a physician and associated provider group affiliated with Yale-New Haven Health Services Corp., which owns several hospitals, including Bridgeport Hospital. A whistleblower filed a lawsuit alleging that NEMG and YNHH had submitted false claims to Medicaid and Medicare for services purportedly provided at Bridgeport Hospital by doctors and mid-level providers – advance practice registered nurses and physician’s assistants – that were instead performed only by mid-level providers. Services provided by mid-level providers alone are reimbursed at lower rates. A joint state and federal investigation of the allegations followed.

The government alleges that NEMG and YNHH submitted claims to the federal Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid programs for physician rate services provided by lower-level providers and that NEMG and YNHH knew or should have known about this improper billing and failed to take adequate steps to stop it. To resolve these claims, NEMG and YNHH have agreed to pay $560,718. Medicaid’s share of the settlement is $110,042.

The whistleblower will receive 19 percent of the total settlement, in the amount of $106,536. The case resolved by this settlement is captioned U.S. and Connecticut ex rel. Cadariu v. Northeast Medical Group et al. (Docket No. 19-cv-904).

“Northeast Medical Group and YNHH allegedly submitted hundreds of thousands of dollars of claims to government healthcare programs at rates they knew or should have known they were not owed yet failed to correct their inflated billing practices. I thank the whistleblower for stepping forward to report these dubious claims and to protect our public healthcare dollars,” said Attorney General Tong.

Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Government Program Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or by email at ag.fraud@ct.gov; or the Department of Social Services fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155, online at www.ct.gov/dss/reportingfraud, or by email to providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.

Assistant Attorney General Rick Porter and Forensic Fraud Examiner Lisa Bailey, under the supervision of Gregory K. O’Connell, Chief of the Government Program Fraud Section, assisted the Attorney General in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Gruber is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This press release was made possible by:

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to request the agency expedite processing Notices to Appear (NTA). With a growing number of people coming to the U.S.-Mexico border and Title 42 set to expire next week, Murphy and Lankford are pushing the administration to take immediate steps to improve the immigration system.

“We write to you today to request that you take appropriate steps to expedite the issuance of Notices to Appear (NTA) to noncitizens who are in US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Additionally, we request that you seriously consider exercising your authority under 8 C.F.R. § 2.1 to authorize Border Patrol Processing Coordinators (BPCC) and other appropriate law enforcement support staff to issue a NTA to individuals subject to removal pursuant to immigration laws. We believe permitting BPPC, after proper training and with supervisor approval, to issue NTAs while noncitizens are in the physical custody of CBP, would save resources for DHS and ultimately strengthen security on our borders as more Border Patrol Agents are able to swiftly return to the field,” the senators wrote.

The senators continued, “In light of these concerns, we believe that the Department should prioritize the expeditious issuance of NTAs, particularly as it is preparing for the unwinding of the Title 42 order.”

Earlier this year, Murphy and Lankford traveled on a bipartisan delegation to the Southwest border to learn about the security, humanitarian, and economic challenges facing border communities as well as asylum seekers. The delegation met with local law enforcement, community leaders, and non-profits that accept and care for asylum seekers leaving CBP custody.

This press release was made possible by:

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, joined U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and his colleagues in introducing the College Transparency Act (CTA), bipartisan legislation which would ensure that students and families have better information as they consider higher education opportunities. The CTA modernizes the college reporting system for postsecondary data by providing accurate reporting on student outcomes such as enrollment, completion, and post-college earnings across colleges and majors, while ensuring the privacy of individual students is securely protected.

This information will give students a better understanding of what to expect of the student experience and post-graduation prospects at colleges they are considering, helping them to make better decisions about the schools and programs of study that are best suited to their unique needs and desired outcomes. It will also promote better outcomes by aiding institutions of learning and policymakers in their work to improve our country’s post-secondary education system.

“The cost of a college degree is out of control, and too many students are left wondering if the experience they’re getting is worth the tuition. This bipartisan legislation would help make sure kids and their families have the information they need to decide which school is the right fit before they commit years of their life and potentially take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt,” said Murphy.

“College costs and student debt continue to soar. Students should have all the facts at their disposal and understand the value of their investment and likely outcomes,” said Cassidy. “The College Transparency Act gives students and parents a tool to make better decisions about where to attend college.”

“Students and their families need a clear understanding of how colleges support their students – including data on their enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates – so they can make informed decisions when choosing a college,” said Warren. “The College Transparency Act would close the information gap so that students and families finally have the tools they need to choose the best school for them.”

The current college reporting system is overly burdensome on institutions yet provides little practical information for students and families due to significant gaps in college data reporting. Under the updated system, institutions would securely report privacy-protected, student-level data to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NCES would be responsible for securely storing student information, working with relevant federal agencies to generate post-college outcomes reports, and presenting the summary information on a user-friendly website for students and families.

This press release was made possible by:

Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Kids Online Safety Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to protect children online and hold Big Tech accountable.

“Our bill provides specific tools to stop Big Tech companies from driving toxic content at kids and to hold them accountable for putting profits over safety,” said Blumenthal. “Record levels of hopelessness and despair—a national teen mental health crisis—have been fueled by black box algorithms featuring eating disorders, bullying, suicidal thoughts, and more. Kids and parents want to take back control over their online lives. They are demanding safeguards, means to disconnect, and a duty of care for social media. Our bill has strong bipartisan momentum. And it has growing support from young people who’ve seen Big Tech’s destruction, parents who’ve lost children, mental health experts, and public interest advocates. It’s an idea whose time has come.”

“Over the last two years, Senator Blumenthal and I have met with countless parents, psychologists, and pediatricians who are all in agreement that children are suffering at the hands of online platforms,” said Blackburn. “Big Tech has proven to be incapable of appropriately protecting our children, and it’s time for Congress to step in. The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act not only requires social media companies to make their platforms safer by default, but it provides parents with the tools they need protect their children online. I thank Senator Blumenthal for his continued partnership on this critical issue and urge my colleagues to join us in the fight to protect our children online.”

The Kids Online Safety Act provides young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harms. The bill requires social media platforms to put the well-being of children first, ensuring an environment that is safe by default. The legislation requires independent audits by experts and academic researchers to ensure that social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids.

Blumenthal and Blackburn first introduced the Kids Online Safety Act in February 2022 following reporting and after spearheading a series of five subcommittee hearings with social media companies and advocates on the repeated failures by tech giants to protect kids on their platforms and about the dangers kids face online. In July 2022, the Kids Online Safety Act passed the Commerce Committee on a unanimous, 28-0 vote.

The Kids Online Safety Act has been cosponsored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mark Warner (D-VA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Peter Welch (D-VT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Katie Britt (R-AL). More cosponsors may be added during today’s session.

The Kids Online Safety Act is supported by hundreds of advocacy and technology groups, including Common Sense Media, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Compass, Eating Disorders Coalition, Fairplay, Mental Health America, and Digital Progress Institute.

The Kids Online Safety Act:

· Requires that social media platforms provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of algorithmic recommendations. Platforms would be required to enable the strongest settings by default.

· Gives parents new controls to help support their children and identify harmful behaviors, and provides parents and children with a dedicated channel to report harms to kids to the platform.

· Creates a responsibility for social media platforms to prevent and mitigate harms to minors, such as promotion of suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and unlawful products for minors (e.g. gambling and alcohol).

· Requires social media platforms to perform an annual independent audit that assesses the risks to minors, their compliance with this legislation, and whether the platform is taking meaningful steps to prevent those harms.

· Provides academic and public interest organizations with access to critical datasets from social media platforms to foster research regarding harms to the safety and well-being of minors.

This press release was made possible by:

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is celebrating National Bike Month this May by encouraging the public to get outside and go for a ride. CTDOT is planning Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, with nearly 20 schools across Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) established a Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) in 2005. Since then, many communities participating in the Safe Routes to School Program have shown improved safety and accessibility for students with and without disabilities.

“Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day is a great way to kick off Bike Month here in Connecticut. Active transportation allows us to get some exercise and fresh air while being a more sustainable mode of transportation,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “I encourage schools to use this month as an opportunity to sign up and reach out for assistance in planning Safe Routes to Schools activities. We’re here to help ensure those biking, walking, or rolling to school can do so safely in their communities.”

“National Bike Month and Bike, Walk and Roll to School Day promotes physical activity, and healthy habits, while also reducing traffic congestion around our schools. It is important that we all work together to create safer and more accessible routes for transportation and inspire our students and communities to lead healthy and active lifestyles,” said Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker. “I encourage all school districts and community members to participate in Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day during National Bike Month.”

The new Federal infrastructure law allowed for an expansion of this SRTS Program to include high schools (grades 9-12) and tribal agencies to encourage ALL students in grades K-12 to safely participate in active transportation to get to and from school. CTDOT is pleased to share the following updates from the SRTS Team:

New Safe Routes to School Program coordinator onboard – If you have questions or want to schedule a meeting, email Kristen Levesque at Kristen.Levesque@ct.gov.

New and updated 6 “E”’s framework that includes equity

Updated communication and outreach

Refreshed website and new online registration opportunities for school districts and town officials

The CTDOT Safe Routes to School Team offers free program assistance to school districts that are interested in developing a Safe Routes to School Program in their community. Some examples of assistance from the program include:

Education – Pedestrian and bicycle safety training, including curriculum resources

Outreach – Collaboration in planning events (such as National Bike and Roll to School Day)

Training –Completion of Champion toolkit and walkability and bike-ability checklists

Technical Assistance – Pedestrian Safety Assessments (Walk Audits) and data collection

The first scheduled event for schools to participate in this year is Bike, Walk and Roll to school day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Register your school today and plan to participate in this event!

For more information on the Safe Routes to School Program, please visit ct.gov/dot.

This press release was made possible by:

TO CONSUMERS, WORKERS

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) led a group of 37 senators, including U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), and more than 80 members of the House of Representatives in introducing legislation to stop the use of unfair forced arbitration clauses, which are widely used to limit Americans’ access to justice. The FAIR (Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal) Act would eliminate forced arbitration clauses in consumer, antitrust, employment, and civil rights cases, and would allow consumers and workers to freely choose arbitration after a dispute occurs.

“Forced arbitration is unfair and un-American. Workers forced into a rigged arbitration system have lost one of the most powerful tools they have to hold employers accountable for gambling with their safety: access to justice,” Blumenthal said. “But workers aren’t the only ones at risk – nearly every American been stripped of their basic right to justice, whether they know it or not. One of the fundamental principles of our American democracy is that everyone gets their day in court. Forced arbitration deprives Americans of that basic right. The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act simply rights that basic wrong.”

“Forced arbitration is an underhanded maneuver that corporations use to trick consumers, workers and small businesses out of their right to go to court and seek damages from a jury of their peers,” said Johnson. “You can’t get a cell phone or credit card or even a job nowadays unless you sign away your rights because that’s what every corporation requires. They force you into binding arbitration because it benefits them, and it’s at your expense. If this sounds unfair, it is. Big businesses that already had all the power in the relationship between itself and someone like you or me, stacked the deck so that they can avoid the only thing out there that could hold them accountable – the United States justice system.”

Forced arbitration clauses restrict Americans’ access to justice by stripping consumers and workers of their right to go to court. Instead, consumers and workers are forced into an unfair arbitration system where corporations can write the rules; everything can be done in secret, without public rulings; discovery can be limited, making it hard for consumers to get the evidence they need to prove their case; and there’s no meaningful judicial review, so consumers and employees are often unable to appeal a decision even if the arbitrator gets it wrong. 

This press release was made possible by:

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to reject a “bloated, unsupported” $130.7 million rate hike sought by United Illuminating, and to further impose a $2 million annual penalty for the company’s ongoing failure to remediate the former English Station power plant in New Haven.

United Illuminating is requesting to raise electric rates by as much as 8 percent over three years, increasing its revenues by $91.1 million in the first year alone, followed by an additional $20.1 million in the second year, and yet another $19.5 million in the third year.  New rates would take effect after September 2023.

Attorney General Tong’s brief identifies numerous areas where the utility is seeking to shift inflated, inappropriate costs onto ratepayers, including subsidized dog walking for employees working from home, “loyalty” bonuses for workers, advertising and membership fees, and an increased profit margin far exceeding the return on equity for any publicly regulated utility in Connecticut, among many other areas.

“On September 9, 2022—at a time when its customers were struggling to afford their skyrocketing electric bills—UI filed a bloated, unsupported proposal to increase its electric distribution rates by $136.5 million* over the next three years.  During the next seven months of administrative litigation before PURA, the Company failed to meet its burden to justify its exorbitant rate increase proposals, despite answering over 1,800 interrogatories from stakeholders, testifying over the course of 15 total evidentiary hearings, and answering 145 Late-Filed Exhibits.  The Company failed to demonstrate, as it must, that its proposed distribution rate hike up to 8 percent in the first rate year is necessary to provide safe, adequate, and reliable electric service,” Attorney General Tong states in the brief.

*United Illuminating initially sought a $136.5 million increase. They subsequently amended their request to $130.7 million.

English Station

English Station operated as a coal and oil-fired power plant for United Illuminating from 1929 until it was deactivated in 1992, leaving behind a site extensively contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a known carcinogen, heavy metals, and other contaminants.  

United Illuminating is obligated by a 2015 PURA order to remediate certain environmental conditions at English Station regardless of cost. UI was required to do so within three years of a 2016 Partial Consent Order between United Illuminating and the State. Since then, the company has made little to no progress, including failing to secure the site so that individuals vandalized the property exposing themselves to harmful contaminants well after the property was supposed to be remediated. The company has cycled through six project managers, who appear to lack any meaningful decision-making authority, contrary to PURA’s directive in the matter. 

“UI committed to fully remediate the English Station site within three years…These commitments were made to the State in the Partial Consent Order and to the Authority as a condition of its proposed acquisition by Iberdrola.  UI has failed utterly in those commitments.  Seven years later, UI has spent less than $17 million—the accounting for which DEEP has neither approved nor accepted—and the site remains a contaminated blight on the residents of New Haven who were promised better.  There remains no completion date in sight,” Attorney General Tong states in the brief. 

PURA “should send a message that this continued delay will no longer be tolerated.  UI’s continued failure to make reasonable progress is not an accident—it represents a deliberate corporate policy of indifference to the residents of New Haven, the State, and to this Authority…. A 20 basis point penalty represents approximately $2 million each year…This ROE penalty should continue until the site is fully remediated, and DEEP has so certified,” the brief states.

This press release was made possible by:

Following a recent earnings report showing Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation over-collected $8 million from Connecticut families and businesses, Attorney General William Tong, Consumer Counsel Claire E. Coleman, Connecticut Industrial Energy Consumers, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority Office of Education, Outreach, and Enforcement submitted a joint petition to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority seeking a new rate hearing to drive down costs for consumers.

It has been five years since CNG’s last rate case before PURA. Per state statute, rate review hearings must be conducted at least every four years.

CNG’s most recent earnings report shows the company has been earning 177 basis points above its authorized return on equity (“ROE”) of 9.3 percent. This was not a billing error—CNG was accurately collecting previously approved rates. Due to a variety of factors that must be thoroughly scrutinized in a rate case, those rates appear well beyond what is necessary to cover their expenses. That 177 basis points translates into more than $8 million in excess payments by ratepayers. Of that, approximately $4 million will be returned to ratepayers to offset bills during the highest use winter months. The remaining excess profit will be distributed to shareholders.

This latest earnings report demonstrates that CNG’s rates may be more than just, reasonable and adequate to provide essential utility services.  The joint petition urges PURA to conduct a full rate proceeding to ensure that ratepayers are paying no more than absolutely necessary for that service.

“CNG is profiting off the backs of Connecticut families and businesses. We pay far too much for our utilities as it is, we should not be charged a penny more than needed. CNG needs to come before PURA right away for a full rate hearing so we can scrutinize their books and get these inflated costs under control. Connecticut ratepayers should not be subsidizing CNG shareholders,” said Attorney General Tong.

“CNG is overdue for a full rate review, routinely required by Connecticut statute, and the company’s most recent earnings report shows that consumers paid CNG $8 million more than it needed in order to provide service. When rates fall out of sync with a utility’s actual cost needs, the pocketbooks and quality of life of Connecticut residents can suffer. As the state’s independent ratepayer advocate, we’ve joined our partners to call CNG before PURA for a line by line accounting of the their earnings. Given our current economic situation, families, non-profits and businesses across the state have had to make tough decisions to ensure they live within their means. Filing today’s joint motion is the first step in ensuring CNG does the same,” said Consumer Counsel Coleman.

“Businesses are under enormous pressure to stay competitive in Connecticut with the high cost of utility service.  Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation reported an appalling rise in earnings last year, demonstrating that customers are paying far more than necessary for their gas service.  This hurts businesses and makes it harder to grow the economy in the company’s service territory.  The Connecticut Industrial Energy Consumers is pleased to collaborate with the Attorney General, the Consumer Counsel, and the Authority’s Office of Education, Outreach, and Enforcement to advocate for new gas rates that are just, reasonable, and do not force customers to continue paying extra money every month to fund excessive shareholder profits,” said Jay Goodman, attorney for the Connecticut Industrial Energy Consumers.

CNG serves 184,000 customers in central Connecticut and Greenwich.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-Ill.-10) on Wednesday reintroduced legislation that would allow caregivers to receive a Social Security credit. The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act would provide retirement compensation in the form of Social Security credits to individuals who leave the workforce to care for their loved ones. U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also co-sponsored the legislation

More than 1 in 5 Americans are currently caring for loved ones who are ill, disabled, or elderly, and tens of millions of Americans leave the workforce entirely or reduce their hours significantly to care for loved ones at some point in their career. Studies indicate that, on average, income losses due to caregiving total more than $300,000, threatening retirement security. Women, who make up two-thirds of unpaid caregivers, are disproportionately impacted. According to recent research from AARP, there are more than 420,000 caregivers in Connecticut providing $7.2 billion in unpaid care to loved ones.

“Caregivers shouldn’t be docked their Social Security benefits because they step away from the workforce to care for a loved one. Caregiving is work, and it’s time we start treating it that way. This legislation would ensure that the selfless decision to care for a family member no longer jeopardizes if and when you can retire,” said Murphy.

“We’ve seen more and more workers have to make the impossible choice between receiving Social Security or caring for their loved ones,” said Schneider. “Americans who make the selfless decision to leave the workforce to care for their family or friends should not be financially penalized. This commonsense legislation will finally recognize caregiving as work and reduce financial hardship for American families.” 

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in introducing the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act, legislation to put Congress on a fiscally responsible path to fully fund Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on a mandatory basis.

“Schools serving students from low-income backgrounds and children with disabilities have been short-changed for far too long because Congress has failed to fully fund IDEA and Title I. This legislation would ensure that our most vulnerable students get the support they need by providing the range of services and resources that truly transform students’ lives. I’ll keep pushing until every kid gets a quality education,” said Murphy.

“Fully funding the education of students with disabilities and low-income students should be nonnegotiable. School districts and educators deserve adequate resources to provide all students with a meaningful classroom experience. By bolstering Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, our legislation ensures our students are supported rather than shortchanged,” said Blumenthal.

“Keeping the American promise of equal opportunity for all means ensuring every child has access to a first-rate education. But too many students have been left behind as a result of the federal government shortchanging Title I and IDEA. The Keep Our PACT Act is about upholding our end of the bargain to make the needed investments in education for underserved communities and students with disabilities,” said Van Hollen.

The bill is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

Title I, which gives assistance to America’s highest-need schools, is a critical tool to ensure that every child, no matter their zip code, has access to a quality education. However, it has been deeply underfunded, disadvantaging the most vulnerable students living in poverty. According to the National Education Association, the Title I funding gap for school year 2020-2021 was $30.6 billion.

Similarly, IDEA calls on the federal government to fund 40 percent of the cost of special education, but Congress has never fully funded the law. According to the National Education Association, IDEA state grants are funded at less than 14 percent.

The Keep Our PACT Act would create a 10-year mandatory glide path to fully fund both Title I and IDEA, ensuring that education is a priority in the federal budget. It is supported by education, civil rights, and disability rights organizations nationwide, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), National Urban League, Council for Exceptional Children, Council of the Great City Schools, Journey for Justice Alliance, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Disability Rights Network, UnidosUS, National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and National PTA.

“Ensuring schools and communities have equitable access to resources to provide high quality learning, no matter where they are located, is a matter of justice,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “Passage of the Keep Our PACT Act would fully fund Title I and IDEA, two indispensable federal education funding mechanisms, and move us toward this goal.”

“We are proud to once again endorse the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children’s Act which fully funds the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,” said Marc Egan, Director of Government Relations, National Education Association (NEA). The Keep Our PACT Act ensures that no matter the zip code, disadvantaged and student with disabilities have equal access to a well-rounded, high-quality public education. We must do right by our children and invest in their education which also strengthens our nation.”

“Passing the Keep Our PACT Act would infuse our schools with funds educators and kids need to thrive,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “With increased investment in programs like Title I and IDEA, we can provide our most vulnerable students the boost they need to succeed, breaking down barriers and giving every child the chance to shine. School leaders are ready to work with Congress to get this done.”

This press release was made possible by: