Advocacy for Federal Resources and Adapted Physical Activity (APA) Programs.

In this issue, we discuss the federal budget and resources appropriated for adapted physical activity programs for children and adults with disabilities. We first discuss the President's budget, the process for funding programs such as these, the appropriation's process for appropriated programs, and finally we discuss the various types of advocacy necessary for addressing various levels of intervention to positively impact programs for individuals with disabilities.

The President's Budget

Each year the President releases the Administration's budget which is a baseline from which the Administration negotiates with Congress. Each year, there are programs of interest to adapted physical activity and recreation. These federal programs cross school programs, recreation programs, and community-based programs for adults with disabilities. For example, the Rehabilitation Services Administration Program (Sec. 317) is of interest to children and adults with disabilities. Other programs include the federal Physical Education for Progress Act supporting unique physical education initiatives and the Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs of the CDC Division of Chronic Health Disorders. The "Steps to a Healthier U.S." also provides federal funds supporting health and wellness of U.S. citizens.

Process for Funding APA Programs

There is a legislative process for funding adapted physical activity programs, as there is for funding any program of the U.S. government. This process includes: a) raising revenues; b) authorizing revenues; c) moving funds to government functions through the budget process; d) approving the President's budget; e) legislative appropriations; and f) signing the budget by the President. This is the process that occurs each year as the budget is developed and presented by the President and Congress. Effective advocates are able to convince legislators from the beginning of the process that their cause is critical. Legislators who understand important causes very early are able to secure funds when revenues are being raised, authorized, appropriated, and signed into law. So it is critical for advocates of physical activity programs for individuals with disabilities to engage decision makers early in the budget process to ensure a fair chance at federal funding for APA programs. The next sections clarify these steps in the process for fending of APA programs.

Raising and Expending Revenues

Revenues are raised by various types of taxes. Revenues are expended by tax credits, deductions, and spending federal resources for programs such as APA and recreation costs. The House Ways and Means Committee raises the money and budget expenditures spent on programs that support APA programs. Advocacy should focus early on the need to fund APA programs when members of the House Ways and Means Committee are discussion expenditures.

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The Budget

After the President proposes his annual budget in February of each year, the House of Representatives and Senate propose their own budgets. There are several federal budget functions to which monies are awarded. Function 550 is related to Health issues, and adapted physical activity resources are found in this Function of the budget. Advocacy activities include attempting to get as many dollars as possible in Function 550.

Appropriations

Resources (monies) secured by the Budget Committee go to the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate to be distributed to specific programs that include APA activities. The Appropriations Committees of both the House and the Senate are the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Committees, respectively. Advocacy strategies include securing resources for APA and recreation programs. The President then reconciles the budget programs with the legislature.

Types of Advocacy

Three different types of advocacy are discussed below. Each is used at different times throughout the budget process, and each is effective in different ways along the process.

* Systems Advocacy. System advocacy fights for effective public health changes through physical activity and includes joining local, state, and national health coalitions that advocate for physical activity and the reduction of secondary conditions.

* Program Advocacy. Program advocacy includes joining coalitions and advocates for increased and appropriate physical activity for persons with disabilities. This results in limits of support for specific budget line items of interest.

* Individual Advocacy. Individual advocacy focuses upon an individual's program inside the agency. This is typically outside of the advocacy loop and is not as effective in securing funding due to the limited nature of individualization.

Program Status after the President's Budget

Several federal programs supporting adapted physical activity for persons with disabilities were very strong during the 1980's and 1990's. Lately, however, they have not been funded at the rates they were in the past. Some of these programs and resultant losses in funding are briefly described below.

* Office of Special Education Programs. The OSEP Professional Preparation for Adapted Physical Education Program has been flat funded for the past 10 years, resulting in an equivalent loss of 30% when compared to the cost of living.

* Steps to a Healthier USA. This program has been reduced by more than 60% in funding over the past four years.

* Rehabilitation Services Administration Recreation Programs. Recreation programs for persons with disabilities (Sec. 317) have been defunded in the President's current budget.

* Physical Education for Progress Act. This program is also defunded in the current President's budget.

* Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs. These programs sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Chronic Health Disorders have lost 30% of their value since FY 2003.

* Nutrition Programs with School Wellness. Programs focusing on nutrition tied with school wellness are currently undergoing sufficient funding.

Advocacy strategies include addressing these specific programs with members of the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriation sub-committees to ensure members understand and realize the critical and emerging need for programs like these that support physical activity for persons with disabilities.

Legislative Update is a regular feature of PALAESTRA, providing the reader with updates and analyses of current federal and state legislative activities relative to public policy development of interest to professionals and others interested in adapted physical activity. David A. Auxter, Legislative Chairperson of the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities, 35 E. St. NW,, Apt. 607, Washington, DC 20001-1518; [phone]; [e-mail]; and Robert W. Arnhold, Coordinator, Adapted Physical Activity Program & Center on Disability and Health, Room 15 Stoner Educational Complex, Department of Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences, Slippery Rock State University, Slippery Rock, PA 16057; [phone], [phone] (FAX); [e-mail] are Department Editors for Legislative Update.