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The health overhaul package passed by the House Sunday and sent to the Senate for final action is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

While the underlying Senate bill will become law as soon as President Barack Obama signs it, additional changes will occur if the Senate passes the reconciliation-bill part of the package. The following is a look at the impact of the entire package, which would extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but also have an effect on almost every citizen. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected:

The head of Montana’s Office of Public Instruction traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to stand up for rural schools, especially schools on reservations. Rural districts face challenges in complying with the methods set for improving results in their lowest-performing schools – action required as a condition for receiving billions of dollars in federal aid, Education Week’s Lesli Maxwell writes here.

But rural means something very different on the East Coast than it does in the far-flung reaches of the West, Juneau told the annual legislative conference of the Council of Chief State School Officers. “The frontier is really where we are,” she says. “We are more rural than rural.”

May 5, 2010, Washington, DC:--The Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) thanks Senators Mark Pryor (AR) and John Kerry (MA) for introducing the “Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act” (S. 3304).  The measure is a major step forward for people with disabilities in ensuring accessible technology. Also co-sponsoring are Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad, both from North Dakota. Similar to the “Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act” (H.R. 3101) introduced in the U.S. House,  S. 3304 would modernize disability accessibility mandates in the Communications Act, bringing existing requirements up to date as television and phone services connect via the Internet and use new digital and broadband technologies.

What: Now 620 nonprofits strong and growing, MNA is the voice for charitable nonprofits in Montana. In the true spirit of association, join together with MNA and your colleagues for this great event and celebrate the vital role that nonprofits play in community and civic life. All activities are free of charge except the afternoon workshop. Participants may attend any and all activities.  At Nonprofit Day, MNA will unveil our new Nonprofit Sector Report – details and analysis that will help legislators, the general public, and your donors better grasp the scope and scale of our sector and its importance to the economy in our state. Please pass this message along to others in your networks – it is critical that we have a strong showing for the 2011 Nonprofit Day on January 27 in the Rotunda.  In previous years, our day at the Capitol has had the largest number of attendees of any professional Association.  Term limits have made it increasingly important that we band together and speak with a common voice as we work to protect nonprofit rights in Montana and the US Capitol. And, don't forget to send us photos of your organization that we can share in our Nonprofit Showcase presentation in the Rotunda. Send photos that exemplify your nonprofit's mission in action to: Patty White (pwhite@mtnonprofit.org). Who: Montana Nonprofits When: Thurs, January 27, 2011 Time: 9:30 am-12:30pm & 1:30pm-4:30 Where: Capitol Rotunda in the morning and afternon workshop at the Downtown Holiday Inn, Helena Cost:  Morning session at the Capitol is FREE; afternoon workshop cost is $45 for members, $90 for non-members. You must register for either event.

Click here to register for this event What: The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness jointly present the second in a series of webinars on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its implementation in the states. This webinar will give advocates the strategies and tools they need to interact effectively with state legislators, administrators, and others charged with the development of mechanisms and regulations for implementation of the ACA in their states. When: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 1:00pm Mountain Time For more information: Contact Courtney Kirk at ckirk@magnasystemsinc.com.

President Barack Obama signed a three-year extension of the Combating Autism Act Friday, the very day the law — and many of the programs it established — was set to expire. The reauthorization Obama signed calls for $231 million annually through 2014 to fund everything from autism research to prevalence tracking, education, early identification and intervention programs.

Today, the Obama Administration outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready. “To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,” President Obama said. What this means for you:   For Teachers: A collaborative learning culture where teachers can target instruction towards the needs of students and offer a well-rounded curriculum. Fair and responsible evaluations that are based on multiple measures including peer review, principal observation, and classroom work.  For Principals: Greater flexibility to tailor solutions to the unique educational challenges of their students and recognition for progress and performance.  For Parents: Accurate and descriptive information about their children’s progress and honest accountability that recognizes and rewards success – where schools fall short – targeted and focused strategies for the students most at risk.  For Students: A system that measures student growth and critical thinking to inspire better teaching and greater student engagement across a well-rounded curriculum. For more information on how this flexibility package may affect you, read our blog post: What NCLB Flexibility Means for You

Lives Worth Living is both an historical documentary about the Disability Rights Movement and a biography about one man's struggle to survive. Charismatic leaders of the movement narrate the story of a long, hard, and successful drive for civil rights — a drive that brought together a once fragmented population into a powerful coalition that created some of the most far reaching civil rights legislation in our nation's history. People with disabilities are one of the largest of any minority within our nation, and this is the first television history on the subject. It is a window into a world inhabited by people with an unwavering determination to live their lives like anyone else, and a passage into the past where millions of people lived without access to schools, apartment buildings, public transportation, etc. — a status quo today's generation cannot imagine.

The Impact on Students with LD and AD/HD The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was passed by Congress in December 2008 and became effective January 1, 2009. This significant piece of legislation corrected what Congress considered to be a departure from the intent of the original ADA (passed in 1990) brought about by several narrow interpretations of the law through Supreme Court rulings. These rulings weakened the law and made it difficult for people with disabilities to receive the protection the law intended.The ADAAA also has a direct and substantial impact on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) -an important law that provides protections for school-age children with disabilities.   This Parent Advocacy Brief will help you understand the changes brought about by the ADAAA, how they apply to Section 504, and how these changes may impact children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, as well as other conditions such as Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), Aspergers Syndrome, diabetes, asthma, and life-threatening food allergies.

Welcome to Montana's "No Child Left Behind Report Card".  The "Report Card" is required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The information is helpful in determining how Montana schools and districts are meeting the requirements of this federal legislation.  It should not be considered a comprehensive report on the quality of education provided by any Montana school or district.

President Barack Obama signed an expanded hate crimes bill into law Wednesday making it a federal offense to commit a crime against a person based on their disability.

In the early 1970s, it was rare for a student to see a child with a disability in the hallways of their school. The disabled were invisible; their education was provided in isolated programs that rarely allowed them to access what every other child enjoyed. The landmark legislation, Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and the subsequent revisions, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dramatically changed the face of public education.

What: This webcast will introduce information for professionals on some of the emerging trends in biomedical research and health care environments that present new opportunities for partnership, collaboration, and support, as well as: Provide an overview of translational science, e-science and health information resources in electronic health records, including the related trends and issues affecting information professionals. Identify skills that information professionals need to work with researchers, information technology professionals, clinicians and community partners in these environments. Learn about community engagement in translational science research and roles for clinicians and information professionals in this arena. Address meaningful use of health information by patients accessing their electronic health records, as required by recent legislation to facilitate quality improvement at the point of care. The discussions at these webcasts are invaluable even if you are not in a medical library.  Please contact Tori Koch at 406-238-2226 or by email at library@billingsclinic.org if you are interested in attending. When: April 20, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Mountain Cost: Free

Click here to register for this event What: Social inclusion occurs when individuals and entire communities of people have access to rights, opportunities, and resources that are usually available to members of American society. People with mental health and substance use problems are more  likely to fully recover and rebuild their lives when they have access not only to care and services, but also to social, economic, educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities that most citizens take for granted.  A socially inclusive society also provides opportunities for individuals in recovery to contribute to their communities as peers, employees, parents, residents, students, volunteers, teachers, and active citizens. Social inclusion provides a policy framework to make this vision a reality.  The SAMHSA ADS Center invites you to a FREE teleconference training to learn about three innovative community programs that are improving lives, changing communities, and transforming systems through social inclusion practices. The training will highlight the promising practices of the 2010 Campaign for Social Inclusion Award recipients, including:  SC SHARE’s Dream Team, which is reaching thousands of young people throughout South Carolina through partnerships with key government, faith, and community leaders. The Dream Team uses lived experience to show that there is hope; that a full, productive life can be the expectation; and that recovery is possible.  Heartland Consumer Network’s Poetry for Personal Power, which is changing lives and influencing educational systems by bringing open mic spoken poetry competitions to colleges throughout Missouri. This program is offering young people with mental health and substance use problems the chance to use personal experience and creativity to inspire others.     Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., which developed a 30-minute documentary titled Shining Stars – Young Adults in Recovery to give a voice to young people with mental health and substance use problems who teach about what recovery looks like and the important role all of us play in supporting each other. This program will be featured during a public viewing of the documentary in June at the State Legislative Office Building in Connecticut.    These SAMHSA-supported community-based efforts will demonstrate how social inclusion programs improve lives, communities, and systems. Participants will also learn how they can apply for the 2011 Campaign for Social Inclusion Awards and become a pioneer for building a socially inclusive America.   Date and Time Monday, May 9, 2011 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain

Last week several hundred disability rights advocates were on Capitol Hill to support the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act. The current version of the bill was introduced in February 2013 and would allow individuals with disabilities or their families to open a tax-sheltered savings account to pay for certain long-term expenses.

I’ve always believed that as a parent I am the best advocate for my children. If I don’t do it, who will? I also believe in giving back and paying forward so I joined the Bozeman Area Special Education PTA to help advocate for families who are still in need. Please join me in helping to raise awareness regarding disability issues in the community at the Legislative Candidate Forum on Disabilities on August 27. The forum will be held at Eagle Mount at 6901 Goldenstein, at 6:30 p.m., with a reception to follow. Childcare, accommodations, and transportation will be provided. This event is sponsored by The Arc Montana, Disability Rights Montana, Bozeman Area SEPTA, NAMI Bozeman, and PLUK and hosted by Eagle Mount Bozeman. For more information and transportation, please contact Mary at 406-461-2384.

The proposal would expand on a set of pilot youth crisis diversion programs around the state. In the last year, four programs -- serving Helena, Missoula, Yellowstone County and Eastern Montana, have been having some "good results," said Jani McCall of the Yellowstone Youth Crisis Network, who works with the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

The panel unanimously endorsed the draft legislation, setting it up for discussion in the 2015 Legislature.

This week, we celebrate the 24th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law. This landmark legislation was the nation’s first comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. It prohibited discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is proposing new legislation that would ensure parents who successfully challenge a school district under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act can recoup costs for psychologists, behavior specialists, physicians and other experts they engage in order to bring their case.