[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             PROTECTING ACCESS TO SPEECH-GENERATING DEVICES

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an important 
issue for millions of Americans, and that is protecting access to 
speech-generating devices.
  For those living with ALS and other neurological and degenerative 
disabilities, these life-improving devices give them the ability to 
communicate with their friends and their loved ones, something that we 
all take for granted.
  Unfortunately, a government agency is now threatening to limit access 
to speech-generating devices, causing unnecessary hardship for those 
who are living with ALS or other disabilities.
  That is why I have helped author H.R. 628, the Steve Gleason Act, to 
ensure that Medicare's most vulnerable patients have access to the 
communication technology that they deserve during the most challenging 
points in their lives. The bill is named after NFL pro Steve Gleason, 
who has championed the needs of the ALS community.
  Mr. Speaker, passage of this important legislation will make a world 
of difference for those that are suffering from degenerative 
disabilities and their families.

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