Hello,

My name is Tamarah Bush. Over the last 2+ years, I have been given the enormous gift of living in L'Arche, a community of people with and without intellectual disabilities  sharing life together. Our mission is to share in mutually transforming relationships in which we recognize our needs for one another. I also have the privilege of supporting people in the home as a direct support provider. In this setting, I have learned so much about love and forgiveness and what it means to truly be human from my housemates. In our weekly celebrations, we name one another's gifts and share memories. Around the table each night, we talk about our day and connect over our joys and sorrows. Throughout the year we celebrate holidays and travel together. We also laugh quite a bit. We all have chosen to live here together and mutually have richer lives for being in relationship with one another. I feel that the wording of this bill will further remove people with so-named intellectual disabilities from greater society and the ability to decide for themselves with whom they would like to live. It hurts my heart to think this bill could be passed. Please remove "who do not live in the home" from the proposed wording of this bill. 

Thank you for your time, 

Tamarah