1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

On June 18, 2026, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion claiming that federal law never required states to serve disabled people in their communities rather than in institutions, and that the rule requiring it can be canceled. That rule is the integration mandate. It's backed by the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision, and it's the floor under group homes, Medicaid waivers, and community living. Here's what worries me. If this opinion becomes action, a state could place a disabled person in an institution and just say it ran out of community funding. Almost every state already has years-long waiting lists. That turns the most common problem our families face into a legal excuse to institutionalize. I'm asking you to publicly oppose this opinion, to oppose any move to rescind the integration mandate, and to use your oversight role to protect the right of disabled people to live in their own communities. Please tell me where you stand. I'd appreciate a written response.