Achievements for the Special Needs Community

• Pete Sessions has raised awareness of Down syndrome at the national level. He is the leading Republican advocate for people with physical and mental disabilities. He has worked with the scientific community and served as a bridge between the scientific community, Congress and the National Institute of Health.

• In 2003, Pete Sessions testified before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on the importance of increasing federal funding for Down syndrome research.

• Congressman Sessions appropriations letter to National Institute of Health (NIH) in FY-06 encouraged the NIH to take up Down syndrome as one of their studies. The NIH has since created a National Down syndrome Research Plan to advance understanding of Down syndrome and speed development of new treatments for the condition, the most frequent genetic cause of mild to moderate mental retardation and associated medical problems. The plan sets research goals for the next 10 years that build upon earlier research advances fostered by the NIH. Congressman Sessions and the other co-chairs of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus called on the Dr. Yvonne Maddox, deputy director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) within NIH, to address the Caucus this past May.

• Sessions introduced The Dylan Lee James Family Opportunity Act of 2005 in March. The bill, originally authored by Sessions in the 106th Congress, is designed to help families of children with disabilities stay together and stay employed, without losing their access to appropriate health care for special needs. It was named after the late Dylan Lee James of Mesquite, Texas, and it passed the Senate in the 108th Congress. This legislation was included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

  FOA gives states the option to create a Medicaid “buy in” for families of children with disabilities whose family income or resources are up to 300% of federal poverty level.  States may charge premiums on a sliding scale.  Families with income or resources up to 200% of poverty level may be charged a premium of no more than 5%. Families with income or resources up to 300% of poverty level may be charged a premium of no more than 7.5%. 

  FOA also supports the development of family-to-family health information centers staffed by professionals and parents of special needs children to help families arrange health services for their children. Finally, FOA also allows for demonstration projects for home and community-based alternatives to inpatient psychiatric care

• The Higher Education Opportunity Act includes legislative language authored by Congressman Sessions in 2006 to grant students with intellectual disabilities access to federal work study funds for enrollment in comprehensive post-secondary education programs. Additionally, the legislation builds on his efforts by also providing individuals with intellectual disabilities access to Pell Grants and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants.

  In addition to student financial aid access, the Higher Education Opportunity Act establishes a model education demonstration for a comprehensive transition and post-secondary program for students with intellectual disabilities. By awarding competitive grants to higher education institutions, the development of this model demonstration will establish important first steps for the creation and expansion of additional transition and post-secondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities across our nation.        

  To ensure the integrity and success of these ground-breaking programs for students with intellectual disabilities, the bill also authorizes a coordinating center that can provide technical assistance, evaluation, and recommendations for the development of accreditation standards.

• Congressman Sessions is an Advisor to the President for Special Olympics in Texas.  He has been an advocate and leader for all of the athletes.  Congressman Sessions has recently recognized the 40th Anniversary of Special Olympics by submitting words of encouragement into the Congressional Record. He continues to speak to the athletes in Washington, D.C. and in Texas to encourage their efforts. Congressman Sessions has watched Alex, his son compete in numerous Special Olympic events.

• Congressman Sessions works to support other parents of special needs children and has led numerous forums in his district on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), helping parents understand the opportunities for their child’s educational development.

• Congressman Sessions’ work has earned him accolades locally and nationally. In 2004, the National Down Syndrome Society presented him the Outstanding Leadership Award.

• Congressman Sessions is on the Board of Best Buddies, an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. He is a true believer of the work that Best Buddies does, and the importance of their program with people of all ages.

• Congressman Sessions has held numerous fundraising events for Down syndrome research in Washington DC, brining in leading researchers on Down syndrome to discuss cutting edge research. He and his wife hosted an annual fundraiser in Texas for Special Olympics in 2007.

• Congressman Sessions started and organized the Congressional Down syndrome Caucus with the other Co-Chairs Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton in May of 2008. The mission of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus is to educate members of Congress and their Staffs about Down syndrome. The Caucus will support legislative activities that would improve Down syndrome research, education and treatment and promote public policies that would enhance the quality of life for those with Down syndrome.