Welcome to the new Executive Committee:

Chair: Emily Cooper

Chair Elect: Debra Maryanov

Past Chair: Tiffany Blackmon

Treasurer: Jan Atwill

Secretary: Rebecca Babarsky

Members at Large: Terisa Page, Bill Spiry, and Renee Caubisens

A complaint, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, is one of the first federal lawsuits seeking disability benefits based solely on post-Covid ailments under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Read more on the case here: https://www.bloomberglaw.com/product/blaw/bloomberglawnews/bloomberg-law-news/X80BMA3G000000

“Surviving members of same-sex couples who weren’t able to marry because it wasn’t yet legal may now be eligible for survivor benefits from Social Security.” Read the New York Times article here: More Same-Sex Couples May be Eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits

The nominating committee is currently seeking section members who would like to join next year’s executive committee. The Disability Law Section Executive Committee has several openings on the committee for 2022-23. The Committee is made up of a Chair, Chair Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large. We are seeking nominations (self-nominations welcome) for all positions. Voting will take place in December, and the new members will begin their roles in January 2022. If you’re interested in a role, please email [email protected] by the end of November.

The Federal Bar Association’s Social Security Section shared the below message today:

“Help Get Congress to Include as Much of the SSI Restoration Act as possible into the upcoming Reconciliation Bill.

Items that we will be fighting to include in the reconciliation bill include:

• Increasing the SSI benefit rate to at least 100% of the Federal Poverty Level and adjusting it annually to keep pace with inflation;
• Eliminating “in-kind support and maintenance” (ISM) as a type of countable income;
• Increasing and inflation-indexing resource limits for the first time since 1989;
• Updating the earned and general income disregards, which have not been adjusted since 1974; and
• Eliminating installment payment requirements and extending the time SSI recipients have to spend down retroactive benefits.

The Reconciliation bill is currently in mark-up so time is of the essence.

Text SignPXPBNX to 59409 today if possible.”

A new Eugene-based nonprofit, Jerry Adams Aquatics Resilience, (https://jaarprogram.org/), is a program teaching water safety and swimming skills to serve three groups: children with disabilities, in the foster care system, and with mental illness. JAAR is seeking an attorney to join their board. If you’re interested in the position, please contact Kent McIntosh directly at [email protected].

The Disability Law Section Executive Committee will have openings for the 2022-23 year. The committee includes:

• Chair
• Chair Elect
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• General members

If you’re interested in a position, please feel free to reach out with any questions ([email protected]), or if you’d like to attend a meeting this year to see what being on the committee entails. The nominating committee will be seeking members who are interested in a position in November, with voting taking place in December, so new members can begin their roles January 2022.

Commissioner Saul was fired today, 7/9/21, Kilolo Kijakazi has been appointed as acting commissioner. Read more here:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/social-security-commissioner-fired-by-biden/index.html

The MBA is hosting the following CLE:

Ginevra Ralph, who is Co-Founder of The Shedd Institute, a concert hall in Eugene, has been involved in getting hearing loops installed in community venues. She is planning to work on removing barriers in courtrooms, including working to get hearing loop systems in courtrooms in Oregon. She is interested in any stories that will help strengthen the case for why hearing loops are needed in courtrooms (ie: attorneys who had difficulty hearing during trial, or potential jurors who could not serve because they could not hear well enough to do so, etc.), and in talking through the work needed to get loops in courtrooms. If you’re interested in reaching out to her regarding this topic, Ginevra’s contact info is: (541) 434-7000, [email protected] 

Read more about the hearing loops installed at The Shedd and the Eugene Airport:

Shedd Article: Music To Their Ears

Eugene Airport Hearing Loop Press Release