Keeping up with policy changes can be overwhelming, but Friday Five makes it simple. Join us on Friday afternoons for bite-sized updates on the FASD Respect Act, news from the broader disability space, and ways to advocate, all in under five minutes. Friday Five will keep you in the loop—without taking up too much of your time.
Videos will be posted here and on the FASD Respect Act Champions Facebook page. Check out this year’s first video below!
Friday 5 (2/7) Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Senator Amy Klobuchar have introduced The FASD Respect Act of 2025 (S.139)!
(https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/139)
Joining Sen Murkowski and Klobuchar were six other original cosponsors
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
Just this morning (2/7), two more cosponsors signed on
- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Meetings next week
- Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana
- Senator Bill Cassidy (Chair of the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee HELP)
- Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health issues.
State Legislation
o Kansas (Thank you Kat Meinhardt!)
- HB2202 will require colleges to educate future teachers on FASD. Apart from raising awareness of FASD, this will give teachers the knowledge and tools they need to serve their students better.
- HB2203 will explicitly include FASD under the other health impairment (OHI) definition in the Special Education for Exceptional Children Act. This breaks down a barrier to support and will benefit both families and schools.
o Texas (Thank you Rebecca Ciesielski, Lynn McMurry, and the rest of the Texas Team)
- HB2219 will explicitly list FASD as a qualifier for special education programs.
- DRAFT: will create FASD advisory council
o Massachusetts (Thank you Reuben Kitrell and Kristen Ericksen!),
- DRAFT: will create awareness, identification, intervention, and prevention programs. It would also include FASD in other state programs where appropriate. Designate a state coordinator and advisory committee.
Email melfi@fasdunited.org with any policy questions or if you want to get started!
