“We are deeply alarmed by this opinion, which is a blueprint for abandoning our family members and loved ones with disabilities.

Twenty-seven years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. affirmed that people with disabilities have the right to live and receive care in their communities instead of being forced into institutions. Olmstead affirmed a simple but profound principle: everyone deserves the dignity and independence to choose how and where they receive care.

For nearly 30 years, Olmstead v. L.C. has protected the right of people with disabilities to receive care at home and remain part of their communities. Close to one million Californians rely on home and community-based services, including IHSS, and much of this care is provided by SEIU Local 2015 members. Programs like IHSS allow seniors and people with disabilities to receive care at home from someone they know and trust, providing greater independence and better quality of life while also being more cost-effective than institutional care.

The Trump administration is attempting to abandon this commitment to home-based care and remove the federal protections against America’s dangerous past of mass institutionalization. This opinion does not overturn Olmstead v. L.C., but it is a deliberate attempt to weaken federal enforcement, dismantle the integration mandate and return America to a shameful era of segregation and isolation. 

SEIU Local 2015 calls on Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta and California health agencies to reaffirm California’s commitment to community living, protect and expand IHSS and other home services, and challenge any federal rule or agency action that puts this opinion into effect.

SEIU Local 2015 stands with the disability community, with our members, and with the nearly 900,000 older adults, people with disabilities, and children who rely on IHSS to live safely and with dignity at home. We will fight this in Sacramento, in Washington, and in every community where our members provide care.”