House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn delivered remarks at Gov. Ralph Northam’s ceremonial signing of legislation to increase healthcare coverage for individuals with autism.
She is a co-patron of HB 2577, along with 17 other House Democrats.
In her remarks, Leader Filler-Corn stated, “Today marks a significant milestone in the lives of thousands of Virginians with autism and their families. Today, we say that these people – our family members, our friends, our neighbors and even the strangers in our midst – are entitled to a good quality of life, the ability to access the help and the healthcare that they need, and the ability to do so without being buried under costly medical bills.”
Leader Filler-Corn continued by applauding the Virginia families and advocates who championed this legislation, saying, “This ceremony today belongs to Virginians and to some of the hardest working parents and grandparents that I know.”
Leader Filler-Corn has a long history of working with advocates in the Autism community including the Autism Society of Northern Virginia, Autism Speaks and the Virginia Autism Project. Since her election in 2010, she has been a staunch advocate for Virginians with disabilities in the House of Delegates. Most notably, in 2015 she introduced and passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, which allows individuals with special needs and their families to set up tax-exempt 529-type accounts (similar to college savings accounts), permitting them to set aside adequate funds to cover such future living expenses as housing and transportation. The following year, she introduced and passed legislation ensuring these accounts would be free from means testing at the state level, allowing families to save for their loved ones future without losing Medicaid coverage.
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