Sponsors (2)
The bill would significantly expand national attention, training, and services for people with expressive communication disabilities—improving access, data, and representation—but does so within limited funded slots and reporting/eligibility rules that may leave many communities underserved, create administrative burdens, and require future appropriations that are not guaranteed.
People with significant expressive communication disabilities will gain materially greater access to evidence-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools, services, and supports across education, health care, employment, and community life through national and regional centers, training, and coordinated resources.
People who use AAC will have stronger legal/rights recognition and voice in program design because the bill frames communication as a fundamental right and requires disability-led representation in governance and advisory roles.
Students, educators, families, and direct support professionals will receive sustained training, technical assistance, and accessible materials that improve inclusion, educational access, and everyday communication supports.
Many people and communities may still lack access because funding is limited (three regional centers, $9 million/year cap) — leaving geographic, rural, and subpopulation gaps and constraining the scale of services.
Eligibility, partnership, and experience requirements favor established, well‑resourced institutions (nonprofits with IHE partners and multiple years of AAC experience), which risks excluding smaller community organizations and newer partnerships.
Extensive reporting, application, and data‑collection requirements will impose administrative burdens and staff time on lead centers, applicants, and resource centers, disproportionately disadvantaging smaller organizations.
Based on analysis of 11 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes three national AAC resource centers (one lead) and $9M/year (FY2027–2031) to provide training, technical assistance, outreach, and data collection to improve access to augmentative and alternative communication.
Official title: To support national training, technical assistance, and resource centers, to ensure that all individuals with significant expressive communication disabilities have access to the augmentative and alternative communication the individuals need to interact with others, in order to learn, work, socialize, and take advantage of all aspects of life in the United States.
Introduced September 10, 2026 by Debbie Dingell · Last progress September 10, 2026
Creates a national network of three federally funded Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) National Resource Centers to expand access to communication tools, training, technical assistance, data collection, outreach, and leadership development for people with significant expressive communication disabilities. It requires one lead administrative center to coordinate the network, produce annual reports, and submit findings and recommendations to HHS, the Department of Education, and relevant Congressional committees. Authorizes $9,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 to support competitive five-year grants to eligible nonprofit-led partnerships that include institutions of higher education or professional associations. The centers must carry out six priority activities (access expansion, capacity building, policy implementation, leadership/advocacy support, improved data collection, and public awareness) and follow application, governance, accessibility, and stakeholder-collaboration requirements set by the Secretary.