09/09/2026
NJACP deeply appreciates Governor Mikie Sherrill joining governors from across the country in calling for the continued protection of the rights of individuals with disabilities to live, work, receive services and fully participate in their communities.
Her voice and New Jersey’s is especially important at this moment. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion questioning the longstanding legal framework supporting the integration mandate. In July, DOJ announced that it would no longer rely on its longstanding Olmstead guidance in enforcing Title II of the ADA. And now, in an August 31 court filing, DOJ, acting on behalf of HHS and alongside five states, is asking a federal court to strike provisions of the federal Section 504 regulations requiring services to be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities.
Taken together, these actions have created significant uncertainty about the federal government’s approach to community integration at a time when we should be strengthening, not retreating from, our commitment to ensuring individuals with disabilities have meaningful choices about where and how they live.
New Jersey has long been a leader in advancing home and community-based services and creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live with greater independence, choice and inclusion. We cannot diminish that progress or turn back the clock. Community-based services make it possible for individuals to have homes, jobs, relationships and meaningful lives as part of their communities.
is grateful to Governor Sherrill for adding New Jersey’s voice at this critical moment and affirming a principle that must remain at the heart of our disability service system: individuals with disabilities belong in their communities and we must continue moving forward not backward. Read the full letter here:https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/Governors_Letter_on_Olmstead_9-2026.pdf NJ Department of Human Services