Moving forward, vol. 16, no. 6 (2011 February 11)

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

The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation
Feb 11, 2011 Volume 16--Issue 6

The Legislature is falling into a rhythm. The Session is continuing longer, bills are being processed and committees are meeting. Check the back page for new bills of interest.

Budget: The FY 2011 budget was passed out of House and Senate Full Appropriations this week. It will move now to Green Door to work out the differences.

Calendar: Session will be in Tues (2-15), Wed and Thurs for Days 14, 15, and 16.

Tuesday the 15th is Advocacy Day at the Capitol for Unlock the Waiting Lists. Advocates will meet in the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Room 415, between 10 am & 2 pm. Walk the Halls to advocate for Home and Community-based services!

House and Senate News:

DBHDD Budget continued:

House Leadership -- Speaker of the House: David Ralston, Provide for 250 additional waivers for NOW and COMP; 150

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

to transition people from hospitals, 100 for the community

Leader: Larry O'Neal 146th; Minority Leader: Stacey Abrams. (6 months of funding)

$7,463,475

Senate Leadership--Presiding: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; President Pro Tempore: Tommie Williams, 19th; Majority Leader: Chip Rogers, 21st; Majority Whip: Cecil Staton, 18th;

Replace loss of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance

Percentages (FMAP) from (ARRA) of 2009.

$42,144,989

Minority Leader: Robert Brown, 26th. Minority Whip: Steve Henson, 41st.

[Note: With the $42,144,989 above, $8,166,004 added to Adult Mental Health, and #,790,838 added to Child and

Contact information for the Governor--The Honorable

Adolescent Mental Health, the state dollars to replace the

Nathan Deal, 203 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334; 404-656-1776, http://gov.state.ga.us

loss of ARRA funds are made whole.]

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

Realize efficiencies of serving fewer consumers in institutions

by closing one state hospital.

Direct Support Services

(3,270,191)

1-800-282-5803.

Reduce one-time funds for the Marcus Institute. (235,000)

Budget Information, Governor's Proposed Budgets Department of Community Health; FY 2011: The 2011 Session tackles the 2011 supplemental budget,

referred to here as FY 2011A, (ending June 30, 2011) and Infant and Child Essential Health: Reduce programmatic

2012 FY budget (beginning July 1, 2011). Cuts are in ( ). grant-in-aid to County Boards of Health.

(167,798)

State dollars unless indicated. We've kept FY2011 and FY

2012 figures for BHDD only. All others, FY 2011 retained. Reflect savings from the phase out of the Babies Born

Healthy program.

(339,605)

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Infant and Child Health Promotion: Reduce funds for

Disabilities; Georgia reached a settlement with the

personal services.

(854,036)

Department of Justice on October 19, 2010. Figures below

support the Settlement Agreement. See the GCDD website Health Facilities Regulation: reduce funds for 6 new state

for the Settlement documents.

licensure positions in FY 2011 appropriations. (478,181)

FY 2011A

Department of Education, FY 2011A

Reduce funds provided for Residential Treatment Centers

Provide funding for 400 family supports, 5 crisis respite (154,804), Sparsity Grants (119,332), and Special Needs

homes, and 6 mobile crisis teams to serve people in

Scholarships (483,318).

community settings.

$2,778,820

[Note: This is broken down into $347,400 for Family

Preschool Handicapped: Reduce funds.

(1,138,638)

Support and $2,404,420 for mobile crisis teams and crisis respite homes.]

Replace loss of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance

Percentages (FMAP) from the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009. (ARRA)

$8,075,835

[Note: With the $8,075,835 above, $1,564,772 added to Adult Mental Health, and $726,402 added to Child and Adolescent Mental Health, the state dollars to replace the

Pupil Transportation, reduce funds.

(5,545,136)

QBE Formula: Provide a mid-term adjustment for

enrollment growth.

$83,024,414

Provide differentiated pay for newly certified math and

science teachers.

$12,664,855

Reduce funding provided for the RESAs core services. (241,172)

loss of ARRA funds are made whole.]

Reduce funds for GNETS (SED)

(2,622,953)

FY 2012

School Nurses: Reduce funding for grants.

(1,099,980)

Provide funding for 400 family supports, 5 crisis respite homes, and 6 mobile crisis teams for people with DD

Department of Labor; Vocational Rehabilitation

$12, 800, 081 FY 2011A

[Note: This is broken down into $1,684,800 for Family

Reduce funds for personal services.

Support and $9,617,681 for mobile crisis teams and crisis

respite homes.]

Reduce funds for contracts.

(1,079,897) (323,090)

Annualize the cost of the FY 2011 150 waiver slots for the New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Waiver
$7,092,697

www.gcdd.org www.unlockthewaitinglists.com

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.

Department of Human Services; FY 2011A and

credit toward the minimum wage for employers of tipped

2012 (Division of Aging Services)

workers; Sponsors: Brooks, 63; Morgan, 39; Taylor, 55;

Eliminate the contract with the Center for the Visually Im-

Beasley-Teague, 65; Bruce, 64. Status: IR; House Second Readers.

paired. [Restored]

(177,859) HB 132: to require certain insurance coverage for physician

Reduce funds for Alzheimers Respite Services (225,000) and prescribed special dietary foods or formulas for specific

Non-Medicaid Home Community Based Respite Services

chronic medical conditions; to provide a short title; to

[Restored]

(1,376,718) provide for definitions. Sponsors: Watson, 163; Lindsey,

Transfer the Family Connection program to the Governor's 54; Benfield, 85. Status: Ins; House Second Readers.

Office of Children and Families and recognize savings from HB 181: Relating to the scholarship program for special

consolidation

(9,374,089) needs students, so as to provide for the waiver of one of the

Legislation:

scholarship requirements under certain conditions. Sponsors: Golick; 34; Coleman, 97; Casas, 103; Lindsey,

HB 23: to enact the "Foster Children's Psychotropic

54; Nix, 69. Status: Educ; House Second Readers.

Medication Monitoring Act"; to require the Department of Human Services to establish regulations governing the use of psychotropic medications for foster children in state

HB 226: To provide for the comprehensive regulation of individual development accounts; to add to uses for individ-

custody. Sponsor: M.Oliver, 83. Status: HHS; House

ual development accounts. Sponsors: Sheldon, 105,

Second Readers

Houston, 170; Hill, 21; Cooper, 41, Clark, 98. Status:

House Hopper. HB 24: to substantially revise, supersede, and modernize

provisions relating to evidence, [including] to change provisions relating to foreign language interpreters and interpreters for the hearing impaired. Sponsors: Willard, 49; Lindsey, 54; Weldon, 3, Dobbs, 53; Jacobs, 80. Status: Judy; House Committee Favorably Reported

HB 229: Relating to administrative hearings and appeals under Medicaid generally, so as to provide that the decision of the administrative law judge shall be the final administrative decision of the commissioner. Sponsors: Cooper, 41; Jacobs, 80; Channell, 116; Lindsey, 54; Oliver, 83. Status:

HB 52: to add public and private schools, public and private House Hopper.

colleges, and public and private universities to the places where disabled persons may be accompanied by a guide or service dog; to prohibit the requiring of extra deposits for persons with guide or service dogs. Sponsor: Bearden, 68. Status: HR&A; House Second Readers

HB 231: To provide community alternatives to institutionalized care for treatment of mental illness, to change provisions relating to emergency treatment of mental illness and alcoholic and drug dependent individuals, and other matters.

HB 77: to amend an Act providing appropriations for the State Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2010, and ending June

Sponsors: Willard, 49; Cooper, 41; McKillip, 115; Oliver 83; Gardner, 57. Status: House Hopper.

30, 2011. Sponsors: Ralston, 7; Jones, 46; O'Neal, 146; SENATE

England, 108; Collins, 27; Huckaby, 113. Status: Approp;

House Committee Favorably Reported.

SB 14: to raise the age of mandatory education from 16 to

HB 78: to make and provide appropriations for the State Fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012. Sponsors: Ralston, 7; Jones, 46; O'Neal, 146;

17; to revise provisions relating to adult literacy for purposes of conformity. Sponsor: Jackson, 2; Jones, 10; Sims, 12. Status: Ed&Y; Senate Read and Referred.

England, 108; Collins, 27; Huckaby, 113. Status: Approp; SB 17: to establish the Special Advisory Commission on

House Second Readers

Mandated Health Insurance Benefits; to provide for review

HB 92: to provide limitations on when in-person absentee balloting may be conducted; to provide for a period of advance voting; to provide for procedures; to provide for exceptions. Sponsors: Hamilton, 23. Meadows, 5; England,

of proposed legislation containing a mandated health insurance benefit or provider; and other matters. Sponsors: Golden, 8; Goggans, 7; Shafer, 48. Status: I&L; Senate Read and Referred.

108; Mosby, 90; Heard, 114; Sheldon, 105. Status: GAFF; SB 19: to create the crime of medical identity fraud; to

House Second Readers.

provide for punishment; to provide that actual and punitive

HB 97: to provide for a substantive and comprehensive reform of provisions regarding the minimum wage law; to provide for an increase in the minimum wage; to provide a

damages are available to victims of medical identity fraud. Sponsors: Hill, 32; Butterworth, 50. Status: Judy; Senate Read and Referred.

Dates to Remember:
February is Self-Advocates Month at the Capitol Advocacy Day at the Capitol for Unlock the Waiting Lists: February 15th
Disability Day at the Capitol: February 24th!
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