Moving forward, vol. 14, no. 8 (2009 March 5)

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

The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation
March 5, 2009 Volume 14--Issue 8

DHR Restructuring:

Day 27

There are 2 versions of the restructuring bill moving forward at this point--HB 228, which includes Public Health under a Department of Behavioral Health (and MHDDAD as the other division) passed out of House Appropriations Thursday morning . SB 222 puts Public Health under the Department of Health with DCH. DD advocates have been able to weigh in on many important aspects of the bills, so stay tuned. This will go to conference committee eventually.

Budget: FY 2009 has not been settled yet, but the Senate restored several items to
their version of the budget. In the meantime, the Governor reduced the revenue estimate again by $1,624,108,401. We are anxiously awaiting the release of FY 2010 figures.

Department of Human Resources
Update FY 2009 Supp. (ending 6-30-09)

Senate restored these funds to the budget:

Reduce funds for 135 vacant MRWP slots provided

for in FY 2009 (slots vacant due to attrition will be

made available to new consumers, instead of with

new money; adults, children, 6 mos)

1,684,229

Elder Community Living Services

225,000

Non-Medicaid HCBS Elder Services

292,843

Legislation
HB 22: Relating to the use of safety belts in passenger vehicles, so as to require the use of safety belts in all passenger vehicles, including pickup trucks; to require the use of safety belts by occupants in the rear seats of a passenger vehicle; Sponsors: Oliver, 83; Manning, 32; Hugley, 133; Stephens, 164, Abrams, 84, and others. Status: A&CA; Second Readers.
HB 37: Relating to general provisions relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to enact the "Parent Protection Act"; to provide for leave for employees to attend school conferences and medical appointments. Sponsors: Bruce, 64, Kaiser, 59; Ashe, 56; Lundsford, 110; Mosby, 90. Status: IndR; Second Readers.

Elder Support (meals on Wheels) Department of Community Health

261,250

HB 39: Relating to the excise tax on tobacco products, so as to increase the amount of such tax with respect to cigarettes and loose or smokeless tobacco; Sponsor: Stephens,164, Status: House Second Readers.

FY 2009 Supplemental (No Changes)

Defer FY 2009 rate increases provided for service providers including ICWP personal support
(354,680)

Delay implementation of 75 new ICWP waivers until

Jan 1, 2009

(586,822)

[These waivers have begun being awarded to consumers]

[Increase funds to reflect change in Medicaid

federal participation rate]

(221,150,658)

HB 118: Supplemental Appropriations, State Fiscal Year July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Sponsors: Richardson, 19; Keen, 17; Burkhalter, 50; Harbin, 115; Cole, 125; Pruett, 144. Status: App; Senate Passed/Adopted
HB 119: Appropriations, State Fiscal Year July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Sponsors: Richardson, 19; Keen, 17; Burkhalter, 50; Harbin, 115; Cole, 125; Pruett, 144. Status: App; Second Readers.
HB 128: Relating to disabled veterans and blind persons engaging in peddling, operating businesses, or practicing professions, so as to provide that a certificate of eligibility for an exemption from occupation taxes, administrative fees, and regulatory fees shall be valid for a period of ten years; Sponsor: Benton 31. Status: Senate Read and Referred to I & L

HB 149: Relating to financing under the "Quality Basic Education

FY 2010 Budget

Act," so as to enact the "Move on When Ready Act"; to provide for definitions; to provide a program for eleventh and twelfth grade

students to attend postsecondary colleges and schools for high

Governor announced additional cuts to the state

school credit; Sponsors: Jones, 46; Hembree, 67; Dempsey, 13;

budget of $1,624,108,401. Dollars from the federal Powell, 171; Harden, 147. Status: Sen. Ed&Y: Read and Referred.

stimulus package will replace approximately $1.1

HB 228: So as to reorganize and reestablish various state health

billion of the cuts, so state agencies will be asked to and human services agencies; to establish the Department of

reduce their budgets by approximately half a billion Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of

dollars. We are saying approximately at this writing because the status of the budget figures changes regularly. As soon as we have an accurate accounting of the cuts to the particular agencies that the DD Community is interested in, we will post those.

Behavioral Health; to reassign various functions of the Department of Community Health and the Department of Human Resources to the new agencies; Sponsors: Butler, 18; Harbin, 118; Cole, 125; Keen, 179; Olive, 83. Status: App; Committee Sub favorably reported.

HB 426: Relating to insurance coverage for autism, so as to re-

Commissioner Walker reviewed the budgets for Aging, DFCS and Health Thursday afternoon, and Division Director Gwen Skinner was scheduled to pre-

quire certain insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders; Sponsors: Dempsey, 13; Burkhalter, 50; Parter, 143; Cole, 125; Manning, 32. Status: Ins; Second Readers.

sent MHDDAD's budget Friday morning at 10:00.

HB 428: DHR; So as to provide that financial assistance received

by parents adopting a special needs child from such department
Please check www.unlockthewaitinglists.com website shall extend to a person taking custody of such child under certain

for further updates and guidance on the FY 2010 budgets.

circumstances. Sponsors: Kaiser, 59; Thomas, 100; Gardner, 57; Manning, 32; Ashe, 56. Status: House withdrawn, recommitted to C&Y.

Please contact your own legislators about the importance of funding home and communitybased supports.

DDay at the Capitol update: The official number of participants is set at 2200, the
most well-attended day in the history of the event!

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.

HB 457: Relating to protection of disabled adults and elder persons, SB 146: Relating to medical assistance generally, so as to require

so as to revise the definition of the term "disabled adult"; to provide the Department of Community Health to contract with a single admin-

that certain acts against disabled adults in long-term care facilities istrator for dental services; Sponsors: Hill, 32; Jackson, 2; Hawkins,

are unlawful; and other matters. Sponsors: Peake, 137; Cooper, 41, 49; Goggans, 7. Status: H&HS, Senate Read Second Time

Horne, 71; Levitas, 82; Lundsford, 110. Status: H&HS; House com-

mittee favorably reported

SB 153: relating to parking for persons with disabilities, so as to pro-

vide for use of more than one parking place by persons with disabili-

HB 474: Relating to the creation and operation of the PeachCare for ties when all parking places for persons with disabilities are full.

Kids Program, so as to increase the income eligibility limit; to provide Sponsors: Henson, 41; Ramsey, 43. Status: Pub Saf: Senate

for the maximum amount of federal financial participation; Sponsors: committee favorably reported.

Gardner, 57; Porter, 143, Smyre, 132; Hugely, 133; Randall, 138.

Status: App; Second Readers.

SB 161: Relating to insurance coverage for autism, so as to require

certain insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders.

SB 5: Relating to the use of safety belts in passenger vehicles, so as Sponsors: Grant, 25; Williams, 19; Johnson, 1; Thomas, 54;

to eliminate certain exceptions to the required use of safety belts;

Cowsert, 46. Status: I&L; Senate Read Second Time.

Sponsors: Thomas, 54; Hill, 4; Harp, 29; Stoner, 6; Hill, 32; and oth-

ers. Status: A&CA, House second readers.

SB 165: So as to authorize DCH to obtain income eligibility verifica-

tion from the Department of Revenue for applicants for Medicaid and

SB 25: Relating to income tax returns and information, so as to au- PeachCare programs. Sponsors: Goggans, 7; Williams, 19; Hill, 4;

thorize taxpayers to make certain contributions through the income Hawkins, 49. Status: Ins: House Second Readers.

tax payment and refund process to programs for the education re-

garding and alleviation of multiple sclerosis; Sponsors: Seay, 34; SB 222: so as to reorganize and reestablish various state health and

Adelman, 42; Brown, 26; Butler, 55; Orrock, 36 and others. Status: human services agencies; to establish the Department of Health, the

Fin; read & referred.

Department of Human Services, and the Department of Behavioral

Health; to reassign various functions of the Department of Commu-

SB 39: So as to provide for a 1 percent sales tax to be used to fund nity Health and the Department of Human Resources to the new

transportation projects in special transportation districts within the

agencies. Sponsors: Unterman, 45; Hill, 4; Williams, 19; Grant, 25;

state; to provide for the creation of such districts, the governance

Goggans, 7. Status: GovtO; Senate read and referred.

thereof, and the development of a list of transportation projects by the

district; and other. Sponsors: Mullis, 53; Stoner, 6; Williams, 19;

SB 244: relating to definitions relative to the "Georgia Registered

Reed, 35; Rogers, 21 and others. Status: Trans; House passed/

Professional Nurse Practice Act," so as to provide that the perform-

adopted

ance of health maintenance activities by a designated caregiver shall

not be prohibited; Sponsors: Unterman, 45; Thomas, 54; Goggans,

SB 54: Relating to banking and finance, so as to repeal and reenact 7. Status: H&HS, Senate Read and Referred.

the "Georgia Fair Lending Act"; to prohibit abusive home loan prac-

tices; Sponsors: Thompson, 33; Fort, 39; Reed, 35; Status: B&FI; SB 247: relating to general provisions relative to standards and re-

read & referred.

quirements for construction of buildings and other structures gener-

ally, so as to enact the "New Home Access Act"; to require new at-

SB 90: So as to provide the option for parents to enroll their child in grade residential structures to include certain accessibility features.

another school within the local school system, a school in another

Sponsors: Orrock, 36; Douglas, 17; Moody, 56; Jones, 10; Hill, 32

local school system, or in a private school under certain conditions; to and others. Status: RU&I, Senate Read and Referred.

provide for the amount of scholarship and method of payments.

Sponsors: Johnson, 1; Rogers, 21; Hill, 32; Unterman, 45; Moody, SR 56:A Resolution creating the Georgia Vulnerable Adult Study

56. Status: ED&Y: Senate Read Second Time.

Commission. Sponsors: Ramsey, 43 Status: H&HS; read & referred.

SB 92: So as to convert Medicaid and the PeachCare for Kids Program funds to premium assistance to allow low-income families to participate in private sector health insurance plans. Sponsors: Hill, 32; Johnson, 1; Thomas, 54t; Rogers, 21; Murphy, 27. Status: I&L: Senate Read Second Time

Sine Die: HR 565 sets the calendar for the rest of the session; Adjournment set for April 3rd.
Crossover Day is Day 33, March 19th.

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: Tommy Williams, 19th;
House Leadership-- Speaker of the House: Glenn Richardson, 19th; Speaker Pro Tempore: Mark Burhalter, 50th;
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 Perdue, 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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