Hoffman and Greenwood Advance Bill to Address Local Inadequacies with Developmentally Disabled

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To address locally disadvantaged persons struggling with developmental disabilities, State Reps. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, and LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, are advancing legislation to reform the grant process for the Developmental Disabilities Services of the Metro East (DDSME).

“It is clear that we need to overhaul the grant awarding process to ensure that those with developmental disabilities have a seat at the table, particularly in our area which has fallen on the list of priorities,” Hoffman said. “This bill is an attempt to guarantee that the appropriate institutional resources are in place to elevate the representation of our community’s most vulnerable residents.

In the summer of 2018, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) announced its plan to award grants on a competitive basis and subsequently reduced the number of service agencies under its discretion. The Developmental Disabilities Services of the Metro East (DDSME) lost its standing as a result of its inability to meet new requirements set forth by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

House Bill 844 is intended to correct this inadequacy by allowing the Development Disabilities Service of the Metro East (DDSME) to be legally exempt from these newly established standards to ensure it can operate effectively on behalf of locally disabled and disadvantaged individuals.

“We cannot sit on the sidelines and allow the most vulnerable among us to lose access to a system that is designed to support their best interests,” Greenwood said. “Being a strong advocate for those who do not have a voice is one of my highest priorities.”