Disability advocates in Alaska are urging the state to withdraw from a federal lawsuit challenging Biden administration regulations on disability rights. Alaska, along with 16 other Republican-led states, joined the lawsuit State of Texas et al v. Becerra et al in September, filing it in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
The lawsuit opposes updates to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which bans discrimination against disabled individuals in federally funded programs. Alaska officials argued that the revised regulations create unfunded mandates that burden Medicaid services and potentially reduce available care.
Attorney General Treg Taylor warned that the state risks losing federal funding if it does not comply with the updated requirements. He also stated that Medicaid providers could stop offering services if the regulations remain.
Advocates strongly resisted, emphasizing that Section 504 protects 90,000 Alaskans from healthcare, education, and employment discrimination. The Statewide Independent Living Council of Alaska, alongside other disability organizations, sent a letter to Taylor last week urging the state to exit the lawsuit.
Alaska’s legal filing claims it cannot afford to provide all required services in the most integrated setting, as defined by the Biden administration. Disability advocates countered that the regulations clarify existing laws and not impose new community-based care requirements.
They also noted that states could apply for exemptions if meeting the guidelines proves difficult. Legal experts and disability rights groups disagreed with Alaska’s concerns, arguing that Medicaid providers are unlikely to withdraw services.
Mark Regan, legal director of the Disability Law Center of Alaska, stated that the regulations do not introduce new obligations but reinforce long-standing protections. The Texas judge overseeing the Alaska disability lawsuit requested another status update in April, leaving advocates hopeful for a slow-moving legal process.
This news article was originally published by Anchorage Daily News.
