Advocacy
Representation Done Right
Advocating Excellence in Automotive Mobility (AutoMobility)
NMEDA is the only national trade association representing the automotive mobility industry at the federal and state levels. We actively engage with Congress, state legislatures, and regulatory agencies to influence policies that impact our members and the clients they serve.
Our core mission is to advance government policies that enhance the delivery of automotive mobility services, drive industry excellence, and support the continued growth and innovation of our field.
Discover information and resources related to NMEDA’s advocacy activities.
NMEDA’s Advocacy team focuses its resources and expertise on advancing legislative, regulatory, and other government efforts to support, promote, and enhance the automobility industry.
This broadly includes:
- Educating elected officials and decision makers on the critical importance of quality and safety relative to automobility products and services
- Establishing performance requirements for providers of government-funded automobility solutions
- Improving third party payment standards and processes
- Supporting legislative and regulatory proposals that will enhance mobility, increase independence, and achieve best outcomes for people with disabilities
NMEDA PAC is a federally registered political action committee (PAC) supporting candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
NMEDA PAC collects contributions from members and uses those funds to support federal candidates who understand and will advance the advocacy priorities and initiatives of our unique industry.
Online contribution portal coming soon. Contact NMEDA at 813.264.2697 for more information on our PAC activities and how you can support auto mobility industry advocacy and awareness.
H.R.7342 – Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2024
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access to address the accessibility of the VA for individuals with disabilities. Prior to establishing the advisory committee, the VA must take action to abolish or consolidate advisory committees that are currently inactive.
Sponsor: Representative David G. Valadao -Republican- California, District 22 118th (2023- Present)
Last Action: Received in the Senate (09/18/24)
Bill Tracker
H.R.522 – Deliver for Veterans Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay the total shipping price for the delivery of an automobile or other conveyance to certain disabled veterans or members of the Armed Forces. Currently, the VA may pay the lesser of (1) $24,115 (adjusted annually for inflation) or (2) the full purchase price associated with providing an automobile or other conveyance to such individuals (not including delivery costs).
The bill also extends certain loan fee rates through November 29, 2031, under the VA’s home loan program.
Sponsor: Delegate James C. Moylan- Republican- Guam, District At Large 118th (2023- Present)
Last Action: Received in the Senate (09/25/2024) and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Bill Tracker
H.R.1364 – ASSIST Act of 2025 – Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation Act of 2025
The Automotive Safety and Servicemembers Transportation (ASSIST) Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) on Feb. 14, 2025, seeks to amend Title 38 of the United States Code to clarify that medically necessary automobile adaptations are included in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ definition of “medical services.”
Sponsor: Representative Tom Barrett -Republican- Michigan, District 7 119th (2025- Present)
Last Action: Received in the Senate (05/20/2025) and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Bill Tracker
VA Past Due Invoice Program
NMEDA’s Past Due Invoice (PDI) Program—an exclusive members-only benefit—will now include a monthly collection (instead of quarterly) from our members. VA’s slow payment practices have been an issue of great concern for years, and we recently negotiated an increase in the frequency of PDI collection and submission in order to better serve our members struggling to be paid promptly by VA. As NMEDA continues to work with Congress and VA to establish a uniform procedure for enforcing prompt payment across the VA health care system, this NMEDA member benefit can help you get those VA PDIs resolved sooner and more frequently.
How the PDI Program Works
If you are having difficulty getting invoices 30+ days old paid by VA, the PDI Program is for you. Please review the program criteria below, and submit your PDIs as appropriate. Questions? Contact the NMEDA office or Mikala.Poulos@nmeda.org.
Program Criteria Checklist
If you have past due invoices, we ask that you…
- Only submit invoices that are properly documented, pre-authorized, and not currently in dispute
- Make at least one attempt to resolve the outstanding payment directly
- Make certain that the invoices have not already been paid
This program will be suspended or even terminated if invoices do not meet the above requirements. We appreciate your cooperation.
Using the Excel spreadsheet linked below, please submit your past-due invoices by the first of each month.
Only forms filled out COMPLETELY will be accepted.
Directions:
- Click the link below and fill out the requested information directly into the Excel file on your computer. (Please do not print and fill out by hand or submit PDFs.)
- Save the file to your desktop or hard drive as an “Excel Workbook”.
- Attach the Excel file to a new email (SUBJECT: past due invoices) and send it to webmaster@nmeda.org.
Questions? Please call 813.264.2697 and we will assist you.
US Department of Veterans Affairs
NMEDA’s advocacy efforts focus on the agency’s automobile grant and automobile adaptive equipment program.
NMEDA’s advocacy team works with both Congress and VA to enhance the agency’s automobile allowance and adaptive equipment benefit for veterans with service-connected and non-service connected disabilities. Learn more about these important benefits.
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
VR agencies deliver evaluation, rehabilitation, and vehicle modification services to individuals seeking automotive independence.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies are federal-state programs that help people who have physical or mental disabilities obtain the tools, resources, and assistive technology necessary for them to obtain, maintain, or regain employment. Following a vocational assessment, a VR may determine that rehabilitation technology and/or assistive devices – including mobility aids, vehicle modifications, and adaptive driving equipment – are needed in order to achieve the individual’s desired employment outcome. Program rules and requirements vary, but most state VRs do provide financial assistance for driver evaluation and vehicle modification services.
While most VRs provide automobility-related services, not all VRs require credentialed vendors. For example, one state may require vehicle modification vendors to be NMEDA QAP accredited while another state may have no formal requirements for such providers. To promote safety, quality, consistency, and fiscal responsibility in the provision of driver rehabilitation and vehicle modification services, NMEDA and ADED developed recommended practices for VRs providing these unique services. NMEDA’s advocacy team also works directly with VR agencies and staff to assist with editing, updating, or otherwise refining a state’s official vehicle modification procedures.