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Senator Warner Statement On Lifespan Respite Budget Amendment

Statement

Date: March 13, 2008


Senator Warner Statement On Lifespan Respite Budget Amendment

On March 13, 2008, I successfully helped shepherd an Amendment through the Senate that reserves $53 million for Lifespan Respite Care programs as part of S. Con. Res. 70, the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. While this amendment does not guarantee funding for the program, it is a critically important step in the budget process and will make it easier to secure funding during the upcoming appropriations process.

I have long been a major supporter of efforts to provide family caregivers with the resources they need. In 2006, I worked closely with several members of Congress to pass legislation entitled, the Lifespan Respite are Act of 2006. The bill passed both houses of Congress overwhelmingly and was signed into law by President Bush on December 21, 2006.

The Lifespan Respite Care Act authorizes competitive grants to states and other eligible entities to make respite care available and accessible to family care-givers of children or adults with special needs, regardless of their age or disability.


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