In 1999, the Supreme Court held that disabled folx have the right to live in the community, with the services and supports they need, rather than be placed in institutions.  

That decision is being challenged.

In the lawsuit, Texas vs. Kennedy, 6 states (as of June 25, 2026) claim Olmstead does not require states to be “coerced” into spending their Medicaid dollars for community integration.

The June 9, 2026 House Appropriations Committee Report (starts on page 215) for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services says that Olmstead held that the ADA does not require removing disabled people from institutions. 

On June 18, 2026, the Department of Justice released a memo that states, Olmstead did not hold that Section 504 or the ADA requires states to treat disabled people in the most integrated setting. 

We cannot go back. Our children deserve to grow up with the same rights and protections they were born with.