Moving Forward Brought to you by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation Feb 18, 2010 Volume 15--Issue 7 FY 2010 amended budget passed out of Senate Full Appropriations 2/16. Word is the conference committee on the 2010 amended will not meet to resolve the differences until February revenues are in. There is a significant hole in the FY 2011 budget of approximately $500 million dollars. Two different revenue-generating options are circulating--a dollar increase on the cigarette tax, and the hospital bed tax which encountered strong opposition in House Health and Human services committee Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday, February 16th was Advocacy Day at the Capitol for Unlock the Waiting Lists. Fiftytwo advocates met with or called out their legislators to share their stories and make the case for home and community-based services. BREAKING NEWS: Pending a new Adjournment Resolution, we hear the Legislature will stand in recess until Monday March 8th, which will be the 21st Legislative Day. Chairmanships: Appropriations, Ben Harbin, 118th; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Health Sub committee, Mickey Channell, 116th; Human Re- Disabilities; FY 2010A (Adult and Child & Adolescent) sources Sub committee, Penny Houston, 170th; Education, Terry English, 108th; Rules, Bill Hembree, 67th. For a complete Waiting List for HCBS / DD as of January: list, see the Unlock website Short term Long Term 2912 1839 House Leadership: Speaker of the House: David Ralston, 7th; Speaker Pro Tempore: Jan Jones, 46th; Majority Leader: Jerry Keen, 179th; Minority Leader, Dubose Porter, 143rd. 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 This figure is the total of the following categories: Senate Leadership--Presiding: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; President Pro Tempore: Tommy Williams, 19th; Majority Leader: Chip Rogers, 21st; Minority Leader: Robert Brown, 26th. 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 your legislators' contact information at www.legis.state.ga.us House Information, 1-800-282-5800; Senate Information 1-800-282-5803 Adult Developmental Disabilities: Provide funds to enhance hospi- tal operations and quality of care. 1,834,903 Adult Forensic: Provide funds to enhance hospital operations and quality of care. 4,476,156 Adult Mental Health: Provide funds to enhance hospital operations and quality of care. 2,201,611 BHDD Administration: Provide funds to enhance hospital opera- tions and quality of care 1,446,129 Direct Care Support Services: Provide funds to enhance hospital operations and quality of care. 10,374,534 Budget Information: In this issue, we have edited the budget information down to the 2010 Amended. House approved February 11th. Full Senate Appropriations approved Tuesday the 16th. After final passage, we will carry the information on the FY 2011 budget. Restore funds to Marcus Center (House: move from Sexual Offender Review Board database request: 274,000) Department of Community Health; FY 2010A Waiting List for ICWP: 177 from the Community The 2010 Session tackles the 2010 supplemental budget (ending June 30, 2010) and 2011 FY budget (beginning July 1, 2010). Revise pre-admission screening and resident review (PASSR) contract and use community service boards (644,585) Infant and Child Essential Health Treatment Services (Includes Department of Education Budget FY 2010A Babies Can't Wait Program): Reduce funds for operating ex- penses and contractual services (62,853) Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS): Decrease federal funds to reflect projected expenditures. ( 2,198,541) Reduce funds for programmatic grant-in-aid to Public Health districts (Governor & Senate: 205,744) (House: 469,936) Reduce funds for Special Needs Scholarships based on actual need. [Special Needs Scholarships] (4,015,110) Department of Human Services; FY 2010A (Division of Aging Services) Reduce funding Preschool Handicapped program. (1,110,989) Community Care Services Program (CCSP) Waiting List QBE Equalization: Reduce funding (17,446,343) Medicaid; 1935 Non-Medicaid; 20,195 (House: No reduction) (Senate: No reduction) Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), reduce funding (Governor: 1,063,736) (House & Senate: 483,236 or 4% reduction) Reduce funds provided for the Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support (GNETS) [SED] (2,764,827) State Schools reduce funding (Governor: 938,853) Reduce funds for the following contracts: Alzheimer respite ser- vices ($225,000); Center for the 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 Communities ($70,000); Navigator Training ($70,000); non-Medicaid Home and Community Based respite services ($1,376,718) and Senior Connections in DeKalb County ($20,000). (total 2,728,749) (House: restore 437,859 spread; Senate, restore 225,000 to Alzheimer Respite) (House& Senate: 469,426, 2% reduction) Increase funds for enrollment growth at the Georgia School for the Deaf (Senate) $145,280 Eliminate Funding for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (75,000) Reflect administrative savings in the Money Follows the Person demonstration project. (CCSP) FY 2010 (52,171) www.gcdd.org Click on: Join our Legislative Listserve www.unlockthewaitinglists.com E-mail us at unlockthewaitinglists@gcdd.org Follow us on Facebook! 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 SB 90: Relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide the option for parents to enroll their child in another school within the local HB 128: Relating to disabled veterans and blind persons engaging in ped- school system, a school in another local school system, or in a private dling, operating businesses, or practicing professions, so as to provide that school under certain conditions; to provide for the amount of scholarship a certificate of eligibility for an exemption from occupation taxes, adminis- and method of payments, and other matters. Sponsors: Johnson, 1; trative fees, and regulatory fees shall be valid for a period of ten years; Rogers, 21; Jud Hill, 32; Unterman, 45; Moody, 56. Status: ED&Y; recom- Sponsor: Benton, 31. Status: I & L, Senate Read and Referred. mitted. HB 565: Relating to handicapped persons, so as to create the Commission SB 153: Relating to parking for persons with disabilities, so as to provide for the Blind and the Visually Impaired; to provide for legislative intent; to for use of more than one parking place by persons with disabilities when all provide for the composition and appointment of commission members; to parking places for persons with disabilities are full. Sponsors: Henson, provide for an executive director; to provide for an annual report; to provide 41; Ramsey, 43. Status: Hum R; House withdrawn, recommitted for a complaint process; to specify the powers and duties of the commis- sion, transferring functions otherwise assigned Sponsors: Howard, 121; SB 161: Relating to insurance coverage for autism, so as to require certain Parham, 141; Benfield, 85; Status: HumR; House Second Readers. insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders. Sponsors: Grant, 25; Williams, 19; Johnson, 1; Thomas, 54; Cowsert, 46. Status: I&L; recom- HB 636: Relating to criminal and related provisions pertaining to financial mitted institutions, so as to provide for the protection of aged or incapacitated adults; to provide for mandated and voluntary reporting; to provide for civil SB 206: Relating to management of budgetary and financial affairs by the penalties. Sponsors: Mitchell, 88; Maxwell, 17; Marin, 96. Status: Judy, Office of Planning and Budget, so as to require tax expenditure reviews as House Second Readers. a part of the budget report; to provide for a definition; to provide for contents and requirements of each report; to provide for related matters. HB 742: Relating to consent for surgical or medical treatment, so as to Sponsors: Goggans, 7; J.Hill, 4; Williams, 19; Rogers, 21; Cowsert, 46. provide for additional persons and entities that shall be authorized to con- Status: App, House Committee Favorably Reported. sent to surgical or medical treatment on behalf of an incapacitated person, and for other matters. Sponsors: Oliver, 83; Gardner, 57; Lindsey, 54; SB 289: Relating to therapy services for children with disabilities, so as to Shipp, 58. Status: Judy: House Second Readers add a definition; to revise provisions relating to services and treatment for categorically needy and medically fragile children; to revise provisions relat- HB 907: Relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to revise cer- ing to requirements relating to administrative prior approval for services and tain provisions relating to organization of schools, middle school programs, appeals; to provide for related matters. Sponsors: Moody, 56; Thomas, and scheduling. Sponsors: (1) Casas, 103; Coleman, 97; Maxwell,17. 54; Seay, 34; Orrock, 36. Status: H&HS: Senate Read and Referred. Status: Ed&Y, Senate Committee Favorably Reported . SB 292: relating to courts, so as to substantially revise, supersede, and HB 908: Relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to temporarily modernize provisions relating to juvenile proceedings; to amend Article 1 of suspend certain laws and requirements relating to expenditure controls, Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to minimum direct classroom expenditures, maximum class size, additional children and youth services. Sponsors: Hamrick, 30; Harp, 29; Brown, 26, days of instruction, and salary schedules; to provide for statutory construc- Ramsey, 43, Jones, 10, Unterman, 45. Status: JUDY, Senate read and tion; to provide for automatic repeal of such suspension; Sponsors: (1) referred. Casas, 103; Coleman, 97 Mawell,17. Status: Ed&Y, Senate Read and Re- ferred . SB 301: Relating to education, so as to raise the age of mandatory educa- tion from 16 to 17; to revise provisions relating to adult literacy for purposes HB 922: Relating to therapy services for children with disabilities, so as to of conformity; Sponsors: Jackson, 2; James, 35. Status: Prefiled. provide that certain programs providing services to sick and disabled chil- dren shall be eligible for certain public assistance funding; to provide for SB 319: Relating to textbooks for elementary and secondary education, so related matters; Sponsors: Cox, 102; Everson, 106. Status: C&Y, House as to require the definition of "textbook" to include computer hardware and Second Readers. [tabled pending fiscal note 2/9] technical equipment necessary to support the use of nonprint or digital con- tent. Sponsors: Staton, 18; Douglas, 17; Goggans, 7; Grant, 25. Status: HB 947: Supplemental Appropriations Fiscal Year 2010. Sponsors: Ral- S&T, House Second Readers. ston, 7th; Harbin, 118; Jones, 46; Keen, 179; Cole, 125; Pruett, 144. Status: Approp, Senate Read Second Time. SB 357: Relating to medical assistance generally, so as to suspend, rather than terminate, an individual's Medicaid benefits while he or she is incarcer- HB 985: So as to authorize taxpayers to make certain contributions ated. Sponsors: Jones, 10; Butler, 55; Orrock, 36; Seay, 34; Harbison, 50. through the income tax payment and refund process to programs for the Status: H&HS; Senate Read and Referred. education regarding and alleviation of multiple sclerosis. Sponsors: Fludd, 66; Mosby, 90. Status: W&M; House Second Readers. SB 391: Proceedings; provide for certain children found incompetent to stand trial; relating to proceedings upon plea of mental incompetency to HB 999: Relating to health, to provide for portable medical orders; to pro- stand trial, so as to revise and add definitions; to provide for certain chil- vide for requirements regarding who may administer a portable medical dren found incompetent to stand trial. Sponsors: Unterman, 45; Hill, 4. order; to provide for the approval of the court with respect to certain port- Status: Judy: Senate Read and Referred. able medical orders; and other; Sponsors: Lindsey, 54; Jacobs, 80; Oliver, 83; Willard, 49. Status: Judy: House Second Readers. SB 425: Mental Health Admin.; revise definition of health services; com- munity service boards; Relating to general provisions relative to administra- HB 1040: Relating to exceptions to the operation of the "Georgia Regis- tion of mental health, developmental disabilities, addictive diseases, and tered Professional Nurse Practice Act," so as to provide that the perform- other disability services, so as to revise the definition of "health services" ance of health maintenance activities by a designated caregiver under and other matters. Sponsors: Balfour, 9; Henson, 41, Jones, 10; Hooks, certain conditions shall not require licensure as a registered professional 14; Hill, 4. Status: H&HS; Senate read and referred. nurse. Sponsors: Pruett, 144; Cooper, 41; Cole, 125; Ramsey, 72. Status: JudyNC, House Second Readers. SR 56: A Resolution creating the Georgia Vulnerable Adult Study Commis- sion. Sponsor: Ramsey, 43. Status: H&HS; Read & Referred. SB 5: Relating to the use of safety belts in passenger vehicles, so as to 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: A&CA; House Second Readers. Dates to Remember: 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 2 Peachtree Street, NW Suite 26-246 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 http://www.gcdd.org 888-ASK-GCDD TDD 404-657-2133 FAX 404-657-2132