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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
Address1 | 120-34 Queens Blvd., #320 |
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City | Kew Gardens |
State | NY |
Zip Code | 11415 |
Country | USA |
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5. Senate ID# 12994-12
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6. House ID# 334210000
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TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2017 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
Signature | Digitally Signed By: Alexandra Bennewith |
Date | 1/19/2018 5:35:18 PM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code VET
16. Specific lobbying issues
H.R. 2123/S. 925, The Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act of 2017
United Spinal, along with other disability organizations, signed onto a letter to the bipartisan leadership of Congress which introduced the Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act of 2017 to improve the ability of veterans to access care via telehealth by relieving geographic restrictions on telehealth services and promoting access to high quality, coordinated care for all veterans, particularly those in rural areas. United Spinal is a member of the HealthIT Now Coalition which works on telemedicine initiatives at the national and state levels.
Proposed Rule, Prosthetic and Rehabilitative Items and Services:
This proposed rule would strike and replace Title 38, CFR 17.150, and update 17.3200-3250, by addressing vague and subjectively interpreted language regarding the feasibility and medical need of certain medical equipment and services for disabled veterans, as well as update the currently limited list of such services and items. Submitted comments regarding our support for efforts to improve current policy and benefit disabled veterans.
S. 1318, Air Carrier Access Amendments Act:
This bill is to amend Title 49 of U.S.C., Section 41705, by addressing the needs of disabled Americans, including veterans, traveling by air, including needed safety training for TSA staff and flight attendants, reasonable accommodations for Americans with spinal cord injuries and/or disease, and accessibility issues throughout the airline industry for such Americans.
United Spinal's VetsFirst program sent a letter to the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity opposing proposed legislation which is designed to diminish the current approved and valuable training and education track for veterans. It would "liquidate" the GI bill and push veterans to end their benefit in 18 months, thus discouraging selection of aviation education programs at approved public universities.
United Spinal's VetsFirst program sent a letter of support to Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) specifically in support of her bill HR 3197, which puts an end to research practices at the Department of Veterans Affairs which do not lead to any positive outcomes for veterans.
United Spinal's VetsFirst program signed onto a letter in support of S.1318, the Aircraft Carrier Access Amendments Act, and S.1405, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, which are both designed to expand access measures for disabled aircraft passengers, as well as training requirements for aircraft and TSA personnel in handling disabled passengers and their equipment.
United Spinal co-wrote a letter to the Senate stating objections to amendments added to the National Defense Authorization Act bill on the Senate floor that would harm vital defense health research programs specifically initiated to help US soldiers who sustain traumatic brain (TBI) and spinal cord injuries (SCI). The letter was sent to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Veterans Affairs - Dept of (VA)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Jasey |
Cardenas |
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Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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Bethany |
Keirans |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code AVI
16. Specific lobbying issues
Supports FAA Reauthorization including some disability specific sections (H.R. 323). Supported language in S. 1872, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Modernization bill regarding improvements for screening of passengers with disabilities related to training, handling and airport signage.
United Spinal supports Air Carriers Access Amendments Act, S.1318.
U.S. Department of Transportation Notification of Regulatory Review: in response to DOT's notification of regulatory review, United Spinal and others signed onto a letter to DOC which points out that the ACAA, a civil rights law that prohibits disability-based discrimination in air travel and its regulations, are crucial to safety issues and calls on DOT to move forward in publishing rules concerning access to lavatories on single-aisle aircraft and in-flight entertainment.
United Spinal, along with numerous other disability organizations, and as a member of the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) working group, signed on to a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supporting a proposal to add a Request for Assistance in electronic form
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Transportation - Dept of (DOT), Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Kent |
Keyser |
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Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BUD
16. Specific lobbying issues
Supported adequate administrative funding for SSA and opposed a substantial reduction in SSA's Limitation on Administrative Expenses (LAE) in Senate Labor, Health and Human Services,and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for FY 2018.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code MMM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Support H.R. 750 The Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Act will create a separate category for CRT within the Medicare DME benefit.
Support H.R. 3730 - provides a permanent exemption from Medicare's competitive acquisition program for manual CRT and wheelchairs and related components(including endorsing a letter to Congress).
Support S.486 - Protecting Beneficiary Access to Complex Rehab Technology Act of 2017
United Spinal and National Disability Leadership staff met with CMS' Office of Minority Health to discuss issues around the representation of disability professionals in the healthcare sector.
Support S. 253/H.R 807 - Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2017. Also support therapy cap extenders to be included in CR government funding.
Support improved payments at CMS for joint replacements and improving the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries who use custom orthotic braces and prosthetic limbs.
Met with MedPAC to discuss our opposition to including non-commodity items into Medicare's competitive bidding program.
United Spinal signed onto a CMS comment letter: HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019. This proposed rule sets forth benefit and payment parameters, provisions related to essential health benefits (EHBs), qualified health plans (QHPs), risk adjustment, and the operation of Federally-facilitated exchanges (FFEs) and State-based exchanges (SBEs), as well as many other policies implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This comment letter focusses on key proposed provisions that relate to enrollees in need of medical rehabilitation and post-acute care, specifically rules related to the essential health benefit category of rehabilitation and habilitation services and devices, as well as provider network adequacy requirements.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Health & Human Services - Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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Jasey |
Cardenas |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code COM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Submitted comments during the open comment period on restoring internet freedom/net neutrality. We recommended that the FCC continue to promote internet freedoms. We urged for the FCC to not place barriers on the lives of individuals living with disabilities as net neutrality is important to telehealth and connected devices. The comments were submitted during the open comment period in July.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Jasey |
Cardenas |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code INS
16. Specific lobbying issues
United Spinal Association, along with numerous other disability organizations, signed on to a letter encouraging Congressional bipartisan leadership and members of Congress to honor the original intent of the Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (ABLE Act) and stand with the individuals with disabilities who are denied the opportunity to achieve a better life experience simply due to the age at which they became disabled.
The letter requested, that the ABLE Age Adjustment Act (H.R. 1894/S. 817) be passed before, or concurrently with, any legislation that provides for further benefits to those already eligible for the program. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act would increase the age requirement from 26 to 46 as a first step to eliminating the age restrictions in allowing certain individuals with disabilities the opportunity to save resources in a tax advantaged savings account (an ABLE account) for the purposes of covering disability related expenses. The resources saved in an ABLE account are not taken into consideration when determining the individuals eligibility for federally funded means tested benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid.
United Spinal is concerned about the movement of any legislation related to the ABLE Act that does not include a meaningful increase to the age requirement within the eligibility criteria of the law. It supports both the ABLE to Work Act (H.R. 1896/S. 818) and the ABLE Financial Planning Act (H.R. 1897/S. 816), however it opposes their movement absent the movement of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act.
United Spinal, along with numerous other disability organizations, signed on to a letter addressed to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations bipartisan leadership regarding Senate appropriations language considering eliminating the Ticket to Work Program. The letter detailed the disability communitys long-standing support for the Social Security Ticket to Work Program.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Kent |
Keyser |
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Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code CIV
16. Specific lobbying issues
Oppose H.R. 620, ADA Education and Reform Act and H.R 3571, Reasonable ADA Compliance Act. Both these bills limit rights of people with disabilities under the ADA.
United Spinal policy staff attended the quarterly meeting with AMTRAK to meet their new Vice President on Accessibility. AMTRAK holds quarterly meetings throughout the year with the disability community to hear from disability stakeholders how they can improve their work in being as accessible as possible and to update disability stakeholders on their ongoing projects.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, AMTRAK - Natl Railroad Passenger Corporation
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Jasey |
Cardenas |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code LBR
16. Specific lobbying issues
United Spinal Public Policy staff discussed the topic of autonomous vehicles (AV) and their potential to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities. The chat was co-hosted by the US Department of Labors Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and Securing Americas Future Energy (SAFE). United Spinal stressed this years NDEAM theme Inclusion Drives Innovation. And that the unemployment rate for PWD is about double those without disabilities, but that by improving transportations reliability, accessibility and affordability for people with disabilities improves employment opportunities for all. We also made the important point that autonomous vehicles universal design will bring production costs down to pass on to customers, both public and private.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
Labor - Dept of (DOL)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code HCR
16. Specific lobbying issues
United Spinal signed onto a letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to ensure continued engagement with the patient advocacy community on the issues of safe use of biopharmaceutical products.
United Spinal policy staff met with officials from NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institute on Aging (NIA)and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development(NICHD) to discuss an increased focus on disability rehabilitation research and planning.
Supports S. 910/H.R. 2472 - To prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities who need long-term services and supports, and for other purposes.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Natl Institutes of Health (NIH)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code DOC
16. Specific lobbying issues
United Spinal policy staff coordinated and presented on a Lunch & Learn panel discussion for employees of the DC Transportation Department to bring home the importance of an accessible transportation system to people with disabilities.
The panel focused on the critical accessible transportation systems and infrastructure are to our community's education / employment challenges and opportunities.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TAX
16. Specific lobbying issues
Oppose provisions within HR 1628 - the American Health Care Act/the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Opposed provisions in H.R.1 - the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Support the medical expense deduction, individual mandate, disabled access credit, work opportunity tax credit
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code MED
16. Specific lobbying issues
United Spinal and other members of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) sent a letter to Eric D. Hargan, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, expressing concerns regarding media reports involving directives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) not to use certain words in FY 2019 budget documents and justifications, words such as evidence-based, science-based, vulnerable, diversity, and entitlement, to name a few.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
Health & Human Services - Dept of (HHS)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Alexandra |
Bennewith |
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Kent |
Keyser |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
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FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
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2 | 4 | 6 |