Moving forward, vol. 15, no. 4 (2010 January 28)

Moving Forward
Brought to you by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation
Jan 28, 2010 Volume 15--Issue 4

Getting into the routine: Things at the Capitol are in full swing. New legislators are settled and existing bills have been reassigned to committees. New legislation of interest to our community is listed on the reverse. Subcommittees of appropriations are hearing presentations from the different commissioners on the impact of the economy on their budgets. SB 206, calling for an annual tax expenditures report on the cost / benefit of tax breaks and exemptions passed out of the Zero-based budgeting committee on Tuesday with unanimous support, and heads for full appropriations.

Advocates are spending a great deal of time analyzing the budget and trying to drill into the details. In these tough times, we work for programmatic and structural improvements that support good service delivery in the community, like the amendment to the Nurse Practice Act. Stay tuned for new Action Alerts from Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign.
Monday February 1st will the 9th Legislative Day

Chairmanships: Appropriations, Ben Harbin, 118th;

Reduce QBE formula funding.

(527,023,763)

Health Sub committee, Mickey Channell, 116th; Human Resources Sub committee, Penny Houston, 170th; Education,

Eliminate funding for RESAs.

(12,093,399)

Terry English, 108th; Rules, Bill Hembree, 67th. For a complete

list, see the Unlock website

Reduce operational expenses at the State Schools. [occurs in 4

subprograms] Deaf, blind education House Leadership: Speaker of the House: David Ralston,

($1,290,922)

7th; Speaker Pro Tempore: Jan Jones, 46th; Majority

Reduce funding, State Schools.

Leader: Jerry Keen, 179th; Minority Leader, Dubose Porter,

($91,237)

143rd.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental

Senate Leadership--Presiding: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; Presi- Disabilities; FY 2010 (Adult and Child & Adolescent)

dent Pro Tempore: Tommy Williams, 19th; Majority Leader:

Chip Rogers, 21st; Minority Leader: Robert Brown, 26th.

Waiting List for HCBS / DD as of November: Short term

Long Term

2807 1796

Contact information for the Governor--The Honorable Sonny Perdue, 203 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334; 404656-1776, http://gov.state.ga.us
Visit www.vote-smart.org to identify your legislators. Find

Provide funds to enhance hospital operations and quality of care; Adult DD, Adult Forensic, Adult Mental Health, Direct Care Support Services, BHDD Admin (State Hospitals) $20,333,333

your legislators' contact information at www.legis.state.ga.us

House Information, 1-800-282-5800; Senate Information

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental

1-800-282-5803

Disabilities; FY 2011 (Adult and Child & Adolescent)

Budget Information:
The 2010 Session tackles the 2010 supplemental budget (ending June 30, 2010) and 2011 FY budget (beginning July 1, 2010).
Department of Education Budget FY 2010A

Annualize the cost of FY 2010 DD slots

$5,567,066

Provide funds for 150 new developmental disabilities waiver slots $3,346,180

Provide funds to enhance hospital operations and quality of care Adult DD, Adult Forensic, Adult Mental Health, Direct Care Support Services, BHDD Admin (State Hospitals) $42,123,524

Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS): Decrease federal All HCBS Providers were held harmless from a 1.98% Medicaid

funds to reflect projected expenditures.

(2,198,541) rate cut.

Reduce funds for Special Needs Scholarships based on actual Department of Community Health; FY 2010

need. [Special Needs Scholarships]

(4,015,110) Revise pre-admission screening and resident review (PASSR)

Reduce funding to the Preschool Handicapped program.

contract and use community service boards

(644,585)

(1,110,989) FY 2011

QBE Equalization: Reduce funding

(17,446,343) ICWP: Waiting List for ICWP as of November: 189

Reduce the Quality Basic Education (QBE) program.

There were no ICWP waiver slots funded in the FY 2011 budget,

($281,214,364) either community or MFP.

Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), reduce funding Department of Human Services; FY 2010 & FY 2011 (1,063,736) (Division of Aging Services)

Department of Education Budget FY 2011

Community Care Services Program (CCSP) Waiting List Medicaid; 1935 Non-Medicaid; 20,195

Recognize funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment [2010A and 2011 budgets]: Reduce funds for the following con-

Act of 2009 (additional federal dollars)

(675,681,111) tracts: Alzheimer respite services ($225,000); Center for the

GLRS: Decrease federal funds to reflect projected expenditures. (2,198,541)

Visually Impaired ($177,859); Mobile Daycare ($36,228); Haralson County Senior Center ($15,000); Kinship Care ($478,275); Senior Legal Hotline ($259,669); Naturally Occurring Retirement

Eliminate funding for National Board Certification. ($7,209,486) Communities ($70,000); Navigator Training ($70,000); non-

Medicaid Home and Community Based respite services

Reduce funds for Special Needs Scholarships based on projected ($1,376,718) and Senior Connections in DeKalb County

need.

($997,982) ($20,000).

(2,728,749)

Utilize federal funds to support funding for Special Ed-Low

Eliminate Funding for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communi-

Incidence grants.

($801,920) ties

(75,000)

Reduce funding to the Pre-School Handicapped program.

Reflect administrative savings in the Money Follows the Person

demonstration project. (CCSP) FY 2010

(52,171)

(1,308,783)

FY 2011

(116,935)

The Georgia 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: Carried Over from Last Session and New

the option for parents to enroll their child in another school within the local school system, a school in another local school system, or in a private

HB 128: Relating to disabled veterans and blind persons engaging in ped- school under certain conditions; to provide for definitions; to provide for the

dling, operating businesses, or practicing professions, so as to provide that amount of scholarship and method of payments; to provide for rules and

a certificate of eligibility for an exemption from occupation taxes, adminis- regulations; to provide for limited liability; to provide for an annual report on

trative fees, and regulatory fees shall be valid for a period of ten years; the program; to provide for related matters. Sponsors: Johnson, 1;

Sponsor: Benton, 31. Status: I & L, Senate Read and Referred.

Rogers, 21; Jud Hill, 32; Unterman, 45; Moody, 56. Status: ED&Y; recom-

mitted.

HB 565: Relating to handicapped persons, so as to create the Commission for the Blind and the Visually Impaired; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for the composition and appointment of commission members; to provide for an executive director; to provide for an annual report; to provide for a complaint process; to specify the powers and duties of the commis-

SB 153: Relating to parking for persons with disabilities, so as to provide for use of more than one parking place by persons with disabilities when all parking places for persons with disabilities are full. Sponsors: Henson, 41; Ramsey, 43. Status: Hum R; House withdrawn, recommitted

sion, transferring functions otherwise assigned Sponsors: Howard, 121;

Parham, 141; Benfield, 85; Status: HumR; House Second Readers.

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

insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders. Sponsors: Grant, 25;

HB 566: To enact the "Blind Persons' Braille Literacy Rights and Education Williams, 19; Johnson, 1; Thomas, 54; Cowsert, 46. Status: I&L; recomAct"; to provide definitions; to require an evaluation of a blind or visually mitted

impaired child to determine such child's need for Braille instruction; to re-

quire Braille instruction in the individualized education program of a blind or SB 206: Relating to management of budgetary and financial affairs by the

visually impaired student; to provide requirements for textbook publishers Office of Planning and Budget, so as to require tax expenditure reviews as

relating to Braille instructional materials; to provide license requirements a part of the budget report; to provide for a definition; to provide for

relating to Braille for certain teachers Sponsors: Manning, 32; Reese, 11; contents and requirements of each report; to provide for related matters.

Status: Ed; House Second Readers.

Sponsors: Goggans, 7; J.Hill, 4; Williams, 19; Rogers, 21; Cowsert, 46.

Status: App, House Second Readers.

HB 636: Relating to criminal and related provisions pertaining to financial institutions, so as to provide for the protection of aged or incapacitated adults; to provide for mandated and voluntary reporting; to provide for civil penalties. Sponsors: Mitchell, 88; Maxwell, 17; Marin, 96. Status: Judy, House Second Readers.

SB 247: Relating to general provisions relative to standards and requirements for construction of buildings and other structures generally, so as to enact the "New Home Access Act"; to require new at-grade residential structures to include certain accessibility features. Sponsors: Orrock, 36; Douglas, 17; Moody, 56; Jones, 10; Hill, 32 and others. Status: RU&I;

HB 882: So as to expand the definition of "bullying"; to provide that a stu- Senate Read & Referred.

dent can be reassigned to another school for the purpose of separating

such student from his or her bullying victim; to direct the Department of

SB 289: Relating to therapy services for children with disabilities, so as to

Education to develop a model policy regarding bullying; to provide for im- add a definition; to revise provisions relating to services and treatment for

mediate notification of law enforcement officials when a student commits an categorically needy and medically fragile children; to revise provisions relat-

alleged physical assault or battery on another student or on a teacher or ing to requirements relating to administrative prior approval for services and

other school employee; Sponsor: Jacobs, 80. Status: Prefiled.

appeals; to provide for related matters. Sponsors: Moody, 56; Thomas,

54; Seay, 34; Orrock, 36. Status: H&HS: Senate Read and Referred.

HB 907: Relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to revise certain provisions relating to organization of schools, middle school programs, and scheduling. Sponsors: (1) Casas, 103rd; Coleman, 97th Mawell,17th. Status: Ed, House Second Readers.

SB 292: relating to courts, so as to substantially revise, supersede, and modernize provisions relating to juvenile proceedings; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to children and youth services so as to provide for an appeal procedure when

HB 908: Relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to temporarily suspend certain laws and requirements relating to expenditure controls, minimum direct classroom expenditures, maximum class size, additional days of instruction, and salary schedules; to provide for statutory construc-

the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Resources fails to provide aftercare and transitional services to certain children. Sponsors: Hamrick, 30; Harp, 29; Brown, 26, Ramsey, 43, Jones, 10, Unterman, 45. Status: JUDY, Senate read and referred.

tion; to provide for automatic repeal of such suspension; Sponsors: (1) Casas, 103rd; Coleman, 97th Mawell,17th. Status: Ed, House Second Readers.

SB 297: Relating to special license plates for persons with disabilities, so as to require submission of an updated affidavit by a practitioner of the healing arts; to amend Code Section 40-2-74.1 of the Official Code of

HB 922: Relating to therapy services for children with disabilities, so as to Georgia Annotated, relating to special parking permits for persons with disprovide that certain programs providing services to sick and disabled chil- abilities, so as to require submission of an updated affidavit by a practitiodren shall be eligible for certain public assistance funding; to provide for ner of the healing arts. Sponsor: Seay, 34. Status: Prefiled.

related matters; Sponsors: Cox, 102th; Everson, 106th. Status: C&Y, House Second Readers.

SB 301: Relating to education, so as to raise the age of mandatory education from 16 to 17; to revise provisions relating to adult literacy for purposes

HB 947: Supplemental Appropriations Fiscal Year 2010. Sponsors: Ral- of conformity; Sponsors: Jackson, 2; James, 35. Status: Prefiled.

ston, 7th; Harbon, 118th; Jones, 46th; Keen, 179th, Cole, 125th; Pruett, 144th. Status: App, Second Readers.

SR 56: A Resolution creating the Georgia Vulnerable Adult Study Commission. Sponsor: Ramsey, 43. Status: H&HS; Read & Referred.

HB 948: Appropriations Fiscal Year 2011. Sponsors: Ralston, 7th; Harbon, 118th; Jones, 46th; Keen, 179th, Cole, 125th; Pruett, 144th. Status:

www.gcdd.org

App, Second Readers. SB 5: Relating to the use of safety belts in passenger vehicles, so as to

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eliminate certain exceptions to the required use of safety belts; Sponsors: Thomas, 54; J.Hill, 4; Harp, 29; Stoner, 6; Hill, 32; and others. Status:

www.unlockthewaitinglists.com

A&CA; House Second Readers.

E-mail us at unlockthewaitinglists@gcdd.org

SB 90: Relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide

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Dates to Remember: Self-Advocates Day at the Capitol: February 9th Poor People's Day at the
Capitol: Education Day, February 10th; Action Day, February 11th Advocacy Day at the Capitol for Unlock the Waiting Lists: February 16th Transit Day 2010: February 18th
Disability Day at the Capitol: February 25th!
Mental Health Day at the Capitol: March 4th

Moving Forward e-Updates available at http://www.gcdd.orgpublicpolicyindex.htm
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