The House Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee approved its version of the spending bill for the next fiscal year, which — like the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee in July — includes full funding for the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC). This marks an important step toward protecting critical resources for people living with paralysis and their caregivers, made possible through the Reeve Foundation community’s strong grassroots advocacy. We now urge the Congress to finalize the FY26 appropriations process, and we call on advocates to keep speaking out to ensure the PRC is fully funded in 2026.

The PRC is a free, comprehensive, national source of informational support for people living with paralysis and their caregivers. Since its founding in 2002, the PRC has helped hundreds of thousands of people access information, receive direct mentoring and support. The PRC also directs funds to nonprofit organizations working in communities across the country through the Quality of Life grants program, helping all individuals impacted by paralysis live more independent lives. It is the only program of its kind in the country.

The PRC has been central to longstanding efforts to improve health, independence, and dignity for millions. It connects people not just to services and resources, but to hope, possibility, and a future. And it is cost-effective. That’s why it’s earned bipartisan support year after year. Ending it now would not only halt decades of progress, it would put lives at risk. 

Yet earlier this year, the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Proposal called for the complete elimination of the PRC, along with other cuts to vital programs serving people living with disabilities. While this news is deeply disconcerting, the President’s budget is only a recommendation. Ultimately, Congress holds the power to decide final funding levels each fiscal year. Committee approval of funding in both the House and Senate is a positive step, but the process is not yet over.

Please take action now and contact your House members and Senators and urge them to support level funding for this lifesaving resource. Let your members know how important the PRC is to the paralysis community, and they must ensure funding levels of no less than $10.7 million for the next fiscal year.

Act now to protect the PRC! Your voice matters.