Council designee warns federal staffing, budget and regulatory changes could harm disability programs

Craig Hall, executive director of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council and the council—s designee to the Permanent Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, told commissioners on March 12 that recent federal budget uncertainty, hiring directives and executive actions could threaten supports people with disabilities rely on.

Hall said the combination of continuing resolutions, automatic rescissions and Office of Management and Budget hiring and reduction-in-force directives risk reducing discretionary, nonstatutory federal programs and regulatory capacity. "The overarching theme is the reduction of federal spending on nonstatutory activities," Hall said, describing how fewer staff and smaller discretionary budgets could mean delays and cuts to services.

He highlighted several specific…