Moving forward, vol. 16, no. 7 (2011 February 18)

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

The Developmental Disabilities Advocates' Guide to Legislation
Feb 18, 2011 Volume 16--Issue 7

Wide Spread Panic at the Capitol! No, not among lobbyists, advocates or legislators....the band! The Athens band was recognized by House and Senate resolutions for their contributions to the music community and their support for music education in the public schools and graced House Chambers with a song.

Advocacy Day at the Capitol: Parent and Self-Advocates met with several key legislators and impressed on them the need for continued support of home and community-based services.

Calendar: The General Assembly will meet Tuesday the 22nd, Wednesday the 23rd, and Thursday the 24th , for Days 17, 18 and 19. Hearings on the FY 2012 budget will begin.

Thursday the 24th is Disability Day at the Capitol: over 2000 registered!

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.

Health Facilities Regulation: reduce funds for 6 new state

FY 2011A

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

Provide funding for 400 family supports, 5 crisis respite

Department of Education, FY 2011A

homes, and 6 mobile crisis teams to serve people in

Reduce funds provided for Residential Treatment Centers

community settings.

$2,778,820 (154,804), Sparsity Grants (119,332), and Special Needs

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

Scholarships (483,318).

Support and $2,404,420 for mobile crisis teams and crisis

respite homes.]

Preschool Handicapped: Reduce funds.

(1,138,638)

Replace loss of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance

Percentages (FMAP) from the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009. (ARRA)

$8,075,835

Pupil Transportation, reduce funds.

(5,545,136)

QBE Formula: Provide a mid-term adjustment for

enrollment growth.

$83,024,414

[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 loss of ARRA funds are made whole.]
FY 2012
Provide funding for 400 family supports, 5 crisis respite homes, and 6 mobile crisis teams for people with DD
$12, 800, 081
[Note: This is broken down into $1,684,800 for Family Support and $9,617,681 for mobile crisis teams and crisis respite homes.]

Provide differentiated pay for newly certified math and

science teachers.

$12,664,855

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

Reduce funds for GNETS (SED)

(2,622,953)

School Nurses: Reduce funding for grants.

(1,099,980)

Department of Labor; Vocational Rehabilitation

FY 2011A

Reduce funds for personal services.

(1,079,897)

Annualize the cost of the FY 2011 150 waiver slots for the Reduce funds for contracts.

New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Waiver

$7,092,697

www.gcdd.org

(323,090)

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

Educ; House Second Readers.

2012 (Division of Aging Services)

Eliminate the contract with the Center for the Visually Im-

paired. [Restored]

(177,859)

Reduce funds for Alzheimers Respite Services (225,000) and

Non-Medicaid Home Community Based Respite Services

[Restored]

(1,376,718)

Transfer the Family Connection program to the Governor's Of-

fice of Children and Families and recognize savings from con-

solidation

(9,374,089)

Legislation:

HB 226: To provide for the comprehensive regulation of Individual development accounts; to add to uses for individual development accounts. Sponsors: Sheldon, 105, Houston, 170; Hill, 21; Cooper, 41, Clark, 98. Status: HR&A: House Second Readers.
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: Judy: House Second Readers.

HB 23: To require the Department of Human Services to establish regulations governing the use of psychotropic medications for foster children in state custody. Sponsor: M.Oliver, 83. Status: HHS; 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. Sponsors: Willard, 49; Cooper, 41; McKillip, 115; Oliver 83; Gardner, 57.

HB 24: To substantially revise, supersede, and modernize

Status: HHS; Withdrawn.

provisions relating to evidence, [including] to change provisions

relating to foreign language interpreters and interpreters for HB 258: To extend certain requirements of a peace officer to

the hearing impaired. Sponsors: Willard, 49; Lindsey, 54;

a member of the mobile crisis response team relating to

Weldon, 3, Dobbs, 53; Jacobs, 80. Status: Judy; House Withdrawn, recommitted.

emergency admissions of persons who are mentally ill; to authorize a licensed professional counselor to perform certain

HB 52: To add public and private schools, public and private 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.

acts which physicians, psychologists, and others are authorized to perform regarding emergency examinations of persons who are mentally ill or alcoholic or drug dependent. Sponsors: Houston, 170; Neal, 1; Oliver, 83; Cooper, 41; Meadows, 5; Dempsey, 13. Status: House Hopper.

Status: HR&A; Passed House.

HR 252: Creating the House Study Committee on Adult Mental

HB 77: to amend an Act providing appropriations for the State Health and Disability Facilities; Sponsors: Kidd, 141; Reece,

Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2011. 11; and Buckner, 130. Status: Health and Human Services;

Sponsors: Ralston, 7; Jones, 46; O'Neal, 146; England, 108; House First Readers.

Collins, 27; Huckaby, 113. Status: Approp: Transmitted to

Senate; Senate read and referred.

SENATE

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; England, 108; Collins, 27; Huckaby, 113. Status: Approp; House Second Readers
HB 92: to provide limitations on when in-person absentee balloting may be conducted; to provide for a period of advance voting; Sponsors: Hamilton, 23. Meadows, 5; England, 108; Mosby, 90; Heard, 114; Sheldon, 105. Status: GAFF; House Second Readers.

SB 14: to raise the age of mandatory education from 16 to 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.
SB 17: to establish the Special Advisory Commission on Mandated Health Insurance Benefits; to provide for review 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.

HB 132: to require certain insurance coverage for physician prescribed special dietary foods or formulas for specific chronic medical conditions; Sponsors: Watson, 163; Lindsey, 54; Benfield, 85. Status: Ins; House Second Readers.

SB 19: to create the crime of medical identity fraud; to provide for punishment; to provide that actual and punitive damages are available to victims of medical identity fraud. Sponsors: Hill, 32; Butterworth, 50. Status: Judy; Senate

HB 181: Relating to the scholarship program for special needs Read and Referred.

students, so as to provide for the waiver of one of the scholar- SR 19: Creating the Senate Study Committee on Advance ship requirements under certain conditions. Sponsors: Golick; Directives. Sponsor: Hill, 32. Status: Senate Read and 34; Coleman, 97; Casas, 103; Lindsey, 54; Nix, 69. Status: Referred.

Dates to Remember:

February is Self-Advocates Month at the Capitol

Disability Day at the Capitol: February 24th!

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www.unlockthewaitinglists.com

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