Moving forward, vol. 10, no. 8 (2005 February 18)

Moving Forward February 18, 2005
Disability Day at the Capitol is Thursday, February 24, 2005!
Join with others from the disability community to hear Governor Sonny Perdue and other policymakers at the Capitol. Be sure to invite your legislator to join you for our free BBQ lunch at the Depot ! Events begin at 10:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM. For details, directions, and to register see www.gcdd.org or call (404) 657-2126 today!
The House and Senate have not yet agreed to the FY `05 budget. Advocates continue to attend Subcommittees of Appropriations to share their views on particular budget items in the FY'06 budget.
The Legislature will be adjourned Monday for President's Day. Tuesday, February 22 is the 22nd legislative day.
Contact Information Questions for House Members: 404-656-5082 Questions for Senate Members: 404-656-0028 General Mailing Address Information: Representative or Senator (Last Name) Georgia House of Representatives or Georgia Senate State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Legislation Tracker You may view any bill in its entirety at: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/leg/legislation.htm
Senate SB 6: Exchange of National Criminal History Background Checks: to authorize the exchange of national criminal history background checks on providers of care to children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, volunteers with youth sports organizations and other youth activities. Sponsors: Stoner and Rogers. Status: Senate Read Second Time
SB 17: Establish the Georgia Long Term Care Partnership Program: to provide that certain assets of persons not be considered when certain determinations concerning eligibility for Medicaid assistance are made. Sponsors: Golden. Status: Senate Prefile
SB 23: Establish Dekalb County Commission on Disability: to bring about full inclusion of all DeKalb County residents, whether disabled or not disabled, into all aspects of community life in DeKalb County through collaborative partnership among residents, local government, nonprofit organizations, and other entities and through strategic management, education, advocacy, training, research, and improved service delivery. Sponsors: Butler, Henson, Weber, Miles, Thompson, Adelman. Status: Read & Referred
SB 33: Authorize the establishment of the Georgia Virtual School; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for a Georgia Virtual School grant account, and others. Sponsors:

Moody, Douglas, Balfour, Hooks, Bulloch. Status: House Committee Favorably Reported
SB 34: Provide for the establishment of the "Georgia Master Teacher Program"; to provide for the establishment of criteria for Master Teacher Certification; to provide for the establishment of rules and regulations by the Professional Standards Commission; to provide for the establishment of the "Academic Coach Program"; to provide for the establishment of rules and regulations by the State Board of Education; to provide for the employment of an academic coach by a public school in accordance with a school improvement plan; to provide for monetary and other incentives for academic coaches; to provide for the establishment of a Master Teacher and Academic Coach Implementation Committee. Sponsors: Moody, Weber, Johnson, Williams, Thomas. Status: Passed Senate, House Committee Favorably Reported
SB35: relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the revision of certain provisions regarding education flexibility; to change certain provisions relating to expenditure controls for the 2005-2006 school year; to change certain provisions regarding program weights; to amend Code relating to school attendence and driver's licenses; and other matters. Sponsors: Moody, Carter, Stephens,Starr, Hill, Rogers. Status: Senate Committee favorably reported.
SB 78: related to dental hygienists, so as to provide for additional exception to the requirement of direct supervision of a dental hygienist in certain settings. Sponsor: Williams. Status: Senate Read and Referred
SR 78: Urging the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to approve the waivers requested by Georgia to further expand Georgias self-directed care initiative. Sponsors: Williams, Staton, Johnson, Moody. Status: Senate Committee Favorably reported.
House
HB 35: Provide for the Community Service Board Overview Commission; to provide for such commissions organization, vacancies, duties, powers, and expenditures; to provide for the appointment, qualifications, terms, compensation, allowances, and expenses of members; to provide for commission assistance, staffing, and services; to provide for community service board cooperation; to provide for reports; to provide for legal enforcement. Sponsor: Mitchell. Status: House Second Readers
HB 50: Exchange of National Criminal History Background Checks: to authorize the exchange of national criminal history background checks on providers of care to children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, volunteers with youth sports organizations and other youth activities. Sponsor: Teilhut. Status: House Committee Favorably Reported.
HB 105: Provide for accurate and complete electronic format versions of certain textbooks; supplying copies of electronic text versions to local boards of education; authorize local boards of education to provide electronic versions of textbooks to schools and students; provide for payment; provide for construction; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Status: House Second Readers
HB 133: Establish the Georgia Long Term Care Partnership Program; to provide a short title; provide definitions; to provide for the administration of the program; to provide for certain duties and responsibilities; to provide that certain assets of persons not be considered when certain determinations concerning eligibility for Medicaid assistance are made; to provide for criteria for asset disregard; to provide for reciprocal agreements with other states; to authorize the Department of Community Health and the Commissioner of

Insurance to promulgate certain rules and regulations; to provide for certain contingencies; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Status: House Second Readers

HB 142: Change certain provisions relating to voluntary separation, abandonment, or driving off of spouse; to create a duty to provide child support for a mentally or physically disabled child beyond the age of majority; to provide for postmajority child support in final verdict or divorce decree; to provide that a childs eligibility to receive public benefits shall not be impacted by an award of postmajority child support; to change certain provisions relating to inclusion of life insurance in order of support; to change certain provisions relating to parents obligations to child; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. Status: House Second Readers

HB 206: To define and provide for a new category of facilities to be designated as "assisted living facilities" and to include "assisted living facilities - Level I" and "assisted living facilities - Level II" within such category; to amend Code relating to respite care for mentally retarded persons, so as to revise certain terms; to change various statutory references to "personal care homes" so that they refer to "assisted living facilities" Sponsors: Walker, Brown, Lane and Burns. Status: House Committee Favorably Reported

HB 252: To amend the Code relating to the effectiveness of educational programs, so as to provide that a student who does not achieve a passing score on the high school graduation test may be eligible to graduate under certain conditions. Sponsor: Williams. Status: House Second Readers

HB 288: Orthotics and prosthetics practice; To change certain provisions relating to supervision of assistants and technicians. Sponsors: Parsons, Wilkinson, Graves, & Wix. Status: House Second Readers

HB 394: Disabled adults and elder persons; protective services; discharge and transfer from facilities; so as to revise a definition; to revise certain provisions relating to investigation of reports of need for protective services relating to involuntary transfer of residents discharged from a facility and return to facility after transfer, so as to revise the notification provisions; to provide for related matters. Sponsors: Walker, Willard, & O'Neal. Status: House Second Readers

HB 421: Student violence against teacher, remain in classroom at discretion of teacher; seeks to end the requirement that teachers continue to teach students that have attacked them physically. Sponsor: Ehrhart. Status: House Second Readers

HB: 424: Bianca Walton Anti Bullying Act; requires local school boards to have a definition of bullying, provide policies relating to bullying behavior, personnel training on bullying behavior, and to require schools to report information on bullying behavior to the DOE. Sponsor: Hughley and Watson. Status: House Second Readers

Budget Overview

The Supplemental Budget, or FY 2005 Budget as shown here, covers the remaining part of Fiscal Year '05, until June 30, 2005. All numbers in parentheses are cuts.

FY 2005 Supplemental Budget

DHR Budget 2005

Transfer 79 nursing home clients from nursing homes who are able to function in the

community to the DHR CCSP program. House: 647,262

Senate: $511,350

DOE Budget 2005
Provide funds for the Atlanta Area school for the Deaf, the Georgia Academy for the Blind and The Georgia School for the Deaf to avoid interruption of services to students and add a teacher pay grade $689,000
Provide start up funds and two positions for development of Georgia Virtual High School Project $500,000
Fiscal Year 2006 Budget
Effective from July 1, 2005 to June 30th, 2006. Items reported as appeared in budget document. Analysis will be on-going.
DHR FY06
Olmstead - Fund 925 MR/DD slots to Unlock the Waiting Lists. (Total funds: $8,302,823) $3,284,597
Fund an increase to MR/DD provider rates by 3% beginning 1/1/2006. $2,302,148
Provide state funds to replace lost federal social service block grant funds that are used to serve developmental disabled consumers. $4,514,508
Reduce room and board payments to MR/DD providers. ($1,732,058)
Convert 166 consumers from state-supported developmental disability services to Medicaid eligible waiver services ($915,832)
Fund 2 ORS surveyors to support increased mental retardation/developmental disabilities waiver slots $130,000
Eliminate 2 special purpose contracts in the Home and Community-based services program ($180,150)
Reduce funds for East Central Regional Hospital by moving 30 consumers with developmental disabilities into the community, and relocate 62 consumers with developmental disabilities to Gracewood Campus ($3,517,885) (This reduction also includes some transfer of forensic beds to Central State)
Reduce personal service and technical assistance to community collaboratives in the Family Connection Program ($276,077)
Fund services to additional 600 elderly clients on the non-Medicaid home and community based waiting list $799,630
Fund an additional 200 slots in the CCSP program $899,153
Capital outlay: Authorize $2,395,000 in 20 year bonds to replace roofs at Gracewood State Hospital $208,000 debt service
Transfer funds from the Department of Community Health for 79 individuals who desire to move from nursing homes into the community (Total Funds: $1,704,538) $653,557
DCH FY06

In the DCH budget, require families that earn over $100,000, who are served by the Katie Beckett Program, to pay a $200 per month premium. Yes
Set a fixed cap for the home and community based services provided by the ICWP for disability services to redirect savings ($1,042,759 state funds) to comply with the Olmstead Agreement by providing 46 additional ICWP slots. Total Funds: $2,643,912) Yes
Implement disease and case management process to improve medical management for aged, blind, and disabled populations. (Medicaid clients who are not in waiver services) ($15,509,515)
Transfer 79 nursing home clients from nursing homes who are able to function in the community to the DHR CCSP program. ($653,557)
DOE FY06 Provide 2% salary increase for teachers effective Sept 1, 2005 $105,768,823
3% reduction to Communities in Schools project ($39,619)
Provide funds for the Atlanta Area school for the Deaf, the Georgia Academy for the Blind and The Georgia School for the Deaf to avoid interruption of services to students and add a teacher pay grade $689,000
Provide funds to adjust for actual enrollment for the Severely Emotionally Disturbed network $4,913,593
Provide funds and 3 positions for development of Georgia Virtual High School Project $1,385,000
DOL FY06
Replace state funds with federal funds for Tools for Life ($146,775)
For current advocacy alerts, fact sheets and other information regarding the waiting lists go to www.unlockthewaitinglists.com, or www.gcdd.org .
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