# Summary of S. 1193, Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2023
This bill strengthens and clarifies federal protections for people with disabilities who need long-term care services and supports, requiring states and insurance providers to offer community-based care options instead of institutional placements. The law applies to anyone with disabilities who needs help with daily living activities, instrumental tasks like managing finances, or medical care, and who either currently lives in an institution or risks institutionalization without community support. States and insurance providers are prohibited from discriminating against eligible individuals by denying community-based services, imposing arbitrary waiting lists, failing to provide necessary services, or restricting housing options—they must ensure people can live independently in integrated community settings like their own homes or small group residences of no more than four unrelated people. Within 30 months of enactment, states must conduct self-evaluations and submit transition plans to the federal government detailing how they will shift individuals and funding from institutions to community-based services within 12 years, with specific annual targets and measurable goals. The Department of Justice enforces the law through civil actions and can impose penalties up to $100,000 for first violations and $200,000 for subsequent violations, while individuals can sue for damages and court orders requiring immediate community-based services to prevent institutionalization. The bill also requires states to work with housing agencies to expand the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing for people with disabilities so they have real choices about where to live.
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