Moving forward, vol. 13, no. 2 (2007 January 17)

Moving Forward
Brought to you by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation
January 17, 2008 Volume 13--Issue 2

Welcome to the 2008 Legislative Session
Welcome to the 13th edition of Moving Forward, your guide to the Legislative Session. This issue of Moving Forward contains the budget information, presented by Governor Perdue in the annual State of the State and Budget address. From this point forward, we will be carrying updates on legislation moving through the chambers and updates as the budget progresses. On the first day of the session, the House overrode 12 gubernatorial vetoes on legislation from the prior session. The Senate committed all 12 pieces of legislation to their Rules Committee, and says they will consider each one separately. It's an exciting start!
Remember Disability Day at the Capitol is February 21-- Register now at www.gcdd.org. If you visit the Capitol during the session, look for the DD advocates on the third floor outside the double elevators! Here we go!

DHR Budget FY 2008 supplemental (ending June 30, 2008)

Transfer state funds from Adult Developmental Disabilities services program to Adult Forensic Services program ($3,405,931) and the Adult Mental Health Services program ($23,613,653) to align budget and expenditures.
Total ($27,019,584)

Transfer funds from the Child and Adolescent Mental

Health Services program ($766,723), the Adult Addictive

Disease Services program ($146,613) and the Child and

Adolescent Addictive Disease Services program

($1,868,277) to the Direct Care Support Services program

to align budget and expenditures.

$2,781,613

Provide state funds to improve hospital operations and

quality of care

$7,200,000

FY 2009 Budget (beginning July 1, 2008)

Fund 500 waiver slots for consumers on the Mental Retar-

dation Waiver Program waiting list, adults

$5,186,220

children $1,062,238

total state funds for 500 waiver services

$6,248,458

Reflect anticipated other funds to fund 500 waiver slots for

consumers on the Mental Retardation Waiver Program

waiting list.

federal match adults $7,779,330

federal match children $1,593,357

total federal match for 500 waiver services $9,372,687

Annualize the cost of 1,500 waiver slots on the Mental Re-

tardation/Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program wait-

ing list,

adults

$7,733,469

children

$1,419,549

total state funds to annualize 1500 services $9,153,018

Reflect anticipated other funds to fund 1,500 waiver slots for consumers on the Mental Retardation Waiver/ Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program waiting list.
federal match adults $11,600,204 federal match children $2,129,324 total federal funds to annualize 1500 services $13,729,529

Transfer state funds from the Adult Developmental Disabilities Services program to Adult Forensic Services program ($3,405,931) and the Adult Mental Health Services program ($23,613,653) to align budget and expenditures.
Total ($27,019,584)

Provide one-time funds for capital projects at Central State

Hospital and Northwest Regional Hospital

$945,000

DHR Budget cont.

Provide state funds to improve state hospital operations

and quality of care.

$9,947,368

Provide state funds to ensure continued protection and care is provided for elderly victims of neglect and abuse.
$1,800,000

Reflect loss of Medical Assistance Program funds due to revisions of the federal administrative rules. ($3,500,000)

Provide required state match dollars to support the Money Follows the Person grant to transition a greater number of clients from an institution to the community. $488,517

Reduce elder retirement communities contract. ($40,000)

Decrease state funding for caregiver training and educa-

tional materials.

($36,000)

Department of Community Health FY 2008 supplemental (ending June 30, 2008)

Reduce Care Management Organization (CMO) fees in the

Low-Income Medicaid program to reflect projected reve-

nue due to lower program enrollment

($32,189,155)

Reduce CMO fees in the PeachCare program ($1,013,815)

FY 2009 Budget (beginning July 1, 2008)

Add 100 Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) slots for Money Follows Person Demonstration Grant to move qualified members from institutions to the community
$1,423,047 Total Funds: $3,968,341

Provide funds for 50 slots in the ICWP program to address

the community waiting list.

$780,000

Total funds: $2,176,267

Develop a quality incentive proposal for all home and

community based waiver services in partnership with the

Department of Human Resources (DHR).

YES

Provide funding for the Health Insurance Partnership in

order to decrease Georgia's working uninsured by provid-

ing low cost health insurance to approximately 25,000

Georgians. The program will target sole proprietors, small

businesses, and their employees with incomes less than

300% of the federal poverty level.

$16,935,427

Total $63,446,489

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities collaborates with Georgia citizens, public and private advocacy organizations, and policymakers to positively influence public policies that enhance the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Legislation
HB 9: Electronic recording voting systems; permanent paper record; so as to require all electronic recording voting systems to produce a permanent paper record of the ballots cast on such systems for each voter; Sponsor: Bearden, T. 68th. Status: Gaff, 2nd readers
HB 235: Incapacitated persons; medical treatment; decisionmaking panel; so as to provide that a surrogate decision-making panel shall be included as a last resort entity that is authorized to consent to surgical or medical treatment on behalf of an incapacitated person; Sponsors: Shipp, R. 58th; Tumlin, S. 38th and others. Status: Judy, recommitted on 4/20
HB 279: Katie Beckett waiver program; eligibility; certain children; require certain procedures. Sponsors: Collins, D. 27th; Cooper, S. 41st; Burkhalter, M. 50th, others. Status: H&HS, CS
HB 540: Domestic relations; child support; to create a duty in certain circumstances to provide child support for a mentally or physically disabled child beyond the age of 18; Sponsors: Smith, T. 168th; Manning, J. 32nd. Status: Judy; recommitted on 4/20

Hembree, B. 67th. Status: HEd, second readers
HB 882: Minimum wage; raise amount. Sponsors: BeaselyTeague, S. 65th; Abrams, S. 84th, others. Status: IndR, Second readers
HB 904: Early care and learning; fingerprint record checks; certain employees. Sponsors: Jerguson, S. 22nd; Hill, C. 21st; others. Status: House Hopper
HB 905: Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act; to implement programs to improve graduation rates and to improve the preparedness of students for postsecondary education and careers; to provide for involvement of parents and guardians; Sponsors: Millar, F. 79th; Richardson, G. 19th. Status: Prefiled
HB930: Disabled veterans and blind persons; eligibility certificate; valid for five years. Sponsor: Benton, T. 31st. Status: RegL, First readers
SB 13: Labor; minimum wage law; substantive/comprehensive reform of provisions; Sponsors: Brown, R. 26th, Davenport, G. 44th. Status: I & L; first readers

HB 652: Blind Persons' Braille Literacy Rights and Education Act; to require Braille instruction in the individualized education program of a student who is a blind or visually impaired child; to provide requirements for the individualized education program; to provide requirements for textbook publishers; to provide requirements relating to Braille for certain teachers; Sponsors: Manning, J. 32nd; Reese, B. 11th. Status: Educ; second readers

SB 277: Juvenile Proceedings; prohibit universal mental health testing/psychiatric screening of juveniles; Schaefer, N. 50th, Brown, R. 26th
SB 331: Commission for the Blind and the Visually Impaired Act; create. Sponsor: Thomas, R. 2nd. Status: H&HS, First readers

HB 880: The Access to Postsecondary Education Instructional Material Act; to provide for requests to publishers for electronic versions of instructional material; Sponsors: Sheldon, D. 105th;

SB 341: Council on Aging; assign additional duties; produce a report; appointment of advisory committees. Sponsors: Hawkins, L. 49th; Murphy, J. 27th. Status: H&HS, first readers

DOE Budget, FY 2009

Add funds to the Preschool Handicapped program based on enroll-

ment increases.

$457,613

Adjust funds for training and experience for middle and high school

graduation coaches, and add funds for graduation coaches at 14

State Schools, funding for textbooks

$200,000

new middle and high schools.

$14,452,408 Increase funds for QBE enrollment growth of 1.09% and for train-

Provide funding for a Very Important Parent (VIP) Recruiter for at- ing and experience.

$210,770,249

risk elementary, middle, and high schools.

$14,250,000
Department of Early Care and Learning

Provide funding for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. $5,656,726 Provide funds for 1,000 additional slots

$6,425,206

Who Are My Elected Officials?--Find your legislators, learn House and Senate leadership
Visit www.vote-smart.org to identify your legislators. Find your legislators' contact information at www.legis.state.ga.us House Information, 1-800-282-5800; Senate Information 1-800-282-5803 Senate Leadership--Presiding: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; President Pro Tempore: Eric Johnson, 1st; Majority Leader: Tommy Williams, 19th; Majority Whip: Mitch Seabaugh, 28th; Minority Leader: Robert Brown, 26th; Minority Whip: David Adelman, 42nd
House Leadership-- Speaker of the House: Glenn Richardson, 19th; Speaker Pro Tempore: Mark Burhalter, 50th; Majority Leader: Jerry Keen, 179th; Majority Whip: Barry Fleming, 117th; Minority Leader: Dubose Porter, 143rd; Minority Whip: Carolyn Hugley, 133rd.
Senate Appropriations--Chair: Jack Hill, 4th; Sub Com. Chair Education: Dan Moody, 56th; Sub Com. Chair Community Health: Greg Goggans, 7th; Sub Com. Chair Human Development: Renee Unterman, 45th.
House Appropriations--Chair: Ben Harbin, 118th; Vice Chair Education: Jan Jones, 46th; Vice Chair Health: Mickey Channell, 116th; Vice Chair Human Services: Mark Butler, 18th.
Contact information for the Governor--The Honorable Sonny Purdue, 203 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334; 404-656-1776, http://gov.state.ga.us

2 Peachtree Street, NW Suite 26-246 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 http://www.gcdd.org
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