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Please see below for the IARP SSVE Lobbyist Update. We are sharing this with all of IARP as many of our activities have made meaningful impacts on our field. 

In the past five years, we have worked together to build strong relationships on Capitol Hill and within the Social Security Administration. We were successful in persuading SSA to back off of plans to abandon individual BPAs in favor of a national or regional contractor(s). In the most recent BPA renewal, we were able to obtain a modest, but meaningful fee increase for SSVEs. We also were successful in our effort to convince SSA to include IARP-proposed qualifications for SSVEs in order to assure the quality of VE testimony. 

During the pandemic, we maintained regular (sometimes as often as weekly) virtual meetings with top SSA officials to address the multitude of issues that arose when SSA was forced to transition to an entirely remote hearings process on a moment's notice. We regularly raised scheduling, billing and other process issues with SSA, giving IARP members an effective way to address the administrative challenges as they arise. We have instituted quarterly meetings with senior officials from OAG, Policy, OHO and Operations to talk through issues and attempt to resolve the concerns IARP members face in dealing with SSA.

In Congress, we have carefully built and strengthened long-term, trusted relationships with key congressional staff on the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees. We have used appropriations report language and congressional staff inquiries to persuade SSA to do the right thing. And we have raised the visibility on Capitol Hill of the critical role SSVE's perform in SSA's disability determination process. 

When the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on SSA service delivery during COVID, we drafted and submitted a statement for the record raising concerns about the impact of office closures on the most vulnerable claimants: those applying or Supplemental Security Income benefits. The Committee appreciated IARP's willingness to look beyond its members' immediate concerns to speak up for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves. 

We also have built relationships with the broader disability community. We facilitated a letter of support from the CCD Social Security, Employment and Training, and Veterans Task Forces to CACREP regarding its 2023/2024 rehabilitation counselor curricular standards revision. We have opened dialogue for IARP with the National Association of Disability Representatives on the importance of full development and implementation of the ORS and SSA's replacement of the DOT with a workable OIS tool and arranged for IARP to brief NADR members on the issue. 

As you will note, IARP SSVE has worked for the betterment of the entire field. If you feel inclined please donate to the legislative fund so we can continue to do more: https://rehabpro.org/donations/donate.asp?id=15249