Bennet, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Help People With Disabilities Access Care in the Setting of their Choice

Jun 23, 2026 | Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet reintroduced the Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, legislation to strengthen the right of Americans with disabilities to receive long-term services and support (LTSS) in the setting of their choice.

In 1991, Latonya Reeves left a nursing home facility in Tennessee to move to Colorado, where she could live independently while still receiving the care she needed. She dedicated her life to helping other people with disabilities do the same. Reeves passed away on January 9, 2023. The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, named in her honor, would strengthen the federally protected right of individuals with disabilities to receive LTSS and live meaningfully integrated into their own community.

"Like too many other Americans with disabilities, Latonya Reeves was institutionalized for years and unable to exercise her constitutionally-protected freedom to live on her own, until she moved to Colorado," said Bennet. "This bill honors Latonya's legacy of fighting for others by ensuring that people with disabilities can live independently and still access the care they need."

"I am honored for the bill to be named after me, and just want other people to get out of nursing homes. Thank you, Senator Bennet, for your support," said Latonya Reeves in 2021 when the original legislation was introduced.

In the United States, more than a quarter of individuals, about 67 million people, live with a disability. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Olmstead v. L.C. that people with disabilities have a qualified right under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to receive services and support in the community of their choice. This landmark decision has helped ensure that individuals are not unnecessarily institutionalized in settings such as psychiatric hospitals or nursing homes.

The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act would:

• Establish a comprehensive state planning requirement with enforceable and measurable objectives to transition individuals with disabilities out of institutions and into the most integrated setting, if they choose that transition;
• Prevent state governments and insurers from engaging in discriminatory practices, policies, or rules that would prevent an eligible individual from receiving community-based LTSS;
• Identify and address disparities in the provision of community-based LTSS; and
• Accelerate state compliance with the integration mandate of the ADA.

The bill would guarantee minimum requirements for coverage of LTSS, regulated by the U.S. Attorney General. Public entities and LTSS insurance providers would be required to conduct evaluations of their current practices and policies, identify current gaps in their systems, and implement a transition plan that addresses barriers to community living. The Department of Health and Human Services would be responsible for providing technical assistance, reviewing, and approving these transition plans.

"With the shift in the Supreme Court, it is clear that civil rights must be underpinned by something more than a court decision. At some point the Supreme Court will revisit the Olmstead decision and could wipe out decades of progress in shifting from institutional placement to supporting seniors and people with disabilities in the community. So now, more than ever, we need the Latonya Reeves Freedom Act to ensure that Disabled people and seniors have an enforceable civil right to Disability Freedom. We are profoundly grateful to Senator Bennet and his leadership," said Dawn Russell, an ADAPT activist who has spent more than 30 years fighting for freedom.

"Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) enthusiastically supports the adoption and passage of The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2023. As a longstanding leader and provider of Disability Services, we strongly believe that individuals with disabilities should have the autonomy, independence, and freedom to live in their desired location and be integrated in the communities they live. This legislation is a matter of civil rights for those with disabilities," said Linda Foster, President and CEO of Jewish Family Service of Colorado.

"Housing is a human right. The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act (LRFA) introduced by Rep. Cohen and Sen. Bennet emphasizes that this right includes community-integrated housing, with all necessary supports for those who need them. The LRFA is more crucial than ever to push back against the trend to increase forced institutionalization of unhoused persons with mental disabilities being pushed by the Trump administration-and to reaffirm that everyone deserves a safe, dignified place to call home" said Eric Tars, Senior Policy Director of National Homelessness Law Center.

In addition to Bennet, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Luján (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cosponsored this bill. Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) introduced the companion bill in the House.

The bill text is available HERE. A summary is available HERE.

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