State, county, and local governments may also pass laws related to disability that apply to both persons living in and organizations operating in areas covered by those governments.
Statutes provide details about what is meant by a law that has been passed.
This process is designed to provide some assurance that programs and services continue to address needs of individuals or groups for whom they were initially created through the legislative process. The reauthorization process provides opportunities to correct problems with legislatively mandated services and programs that may not have been anticipated when the legislation was passed initially. This provided a window of opportunity to inform legislators and their staffs about changes in the Act that would strengthen the independent living program and improve community-based services for people with disabilities. It is important that independent living and disability rights advocates become familiar with the reauthorization schedules for all disability-related legislation. Advocates can then be actively involved in informing legislative personnel and policy makers about problems with the legislation that should be addressed in the reauthorization process.