2025 Press Releases

December 1, 2025 – The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, in partnership with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), released a new, comprehensive guide detailing what states must do to comply with federal disability rights laws and prevent wrongful Medicaid coverage loss as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) is implemented.

The OBBBA cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid and imposes significant new requirements, including an 80-hour-per-month work mandate and eligibility redeterminations at least every six months. While the law will create administrative challenges for millions of people, people with disabilities, many of whom rely on Medicaid for the services that enable them to live and participate fully in their communities, will face particular barriers.

The new guide outlines states’ legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to ensure equal opportunity in their Medicaid programs. These protections continue to apply even as the new federal law takes effect. Read the full press release here (PDF). 

September 4, 2025 – The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is thrilled to welcome Anne Raish as Senior Staff Attorney. Raish brings 15 years of experience at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she served for much of that time as Principal Deputy Chief of the Disability Rights Section.

“I am honored to join the Bazelon Center,” says Raish. “The Center’s deep civil rights expertise and outstanding lawyering are critically important today, and I’m proud to help advance litigation and policy that protect the rights of people with mental health disabilities.”

As Principal Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section, Raish led the Section’s work enforcing the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act and negotiated statewide agreements securing community-based housing and employment services for thousands of individuals. Read the full press release here (PDF).

July 9, 2025 – On July 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a federal class action lawsuit challenging Oregon’s failure to ensure students with disabilities receive a full day of education should proceed, reversing a prior dismissal. The appellate court’s ruling in J.N. v. Oregon Department of Education (ODE) means the case will return to federal district court for consideration. The Ninth Circuit rejected the State’s argument that policy changes and a new law (SB 819) that imposed additional data-reporting and procedural requirements on school districts are providing equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Read the full press release here (PDF).