Moving forward, vol. 8, no. 13 (2003 April 15)

Volume 8, Issue 13 April 15, 2003
The House passed their version of the budget to the Senate last week with a $128 million shortfall. The Senate passed their budget on Friday with an additional $250 million in cuts. The six-member House and Senate Conference Committee meets this week to work out a compromise between the two versions of the FY2004 Budget by the end of the session. Without additional revenue, working out the budget will be very difficult.
The Conference Committee met publicly Sunday to resolve differences between the two budgets. Only three legislative days remain. The House resolved to meet on April 17 for the 38th day, April 22 for the 39th day, and April 24 for the 40th and final legislative day.
Legislation Tracker
To remain active this session, a bill must have passed either the House or the Senate by the 33rd legislative day. Due to the amount of time the budget has received this year, time ran out on many bills before they could pass a chamber. Such bills will be revisited during the Spring 2004 General Assembly.
Legislation signed into law:
SB 53: GA Fair Lending Act; amend provisions Sponsors: Cheeks 23rd, Starr 44th, Crotts 17th
Bills still active this session:
HB 81: Teachers; rights for continued employment; restore Sponsors: Lucas 105th district, Cummings 19th, Hugley 113th, Greene 134th, Reece 11th, Jordan 83rd. Status: passed House, Senate read and referred to Education Committee
HB 318: Adult Day Center Licensure Act; enact Sponsors: McClinton 59th, Howard 98th, Ashe 42nd, Mobley 58th, Sinkfield 50th, Maddox 59th Status: Passed House, Senate referred to Health and Human Services Committee
HB 515: Education accountability; comprehensive revision of provisions Sponsors: Richardson 26th, O'Neal 117th, Coleman 65th Status: remains in House Education committee
HB 516: Education flexibility and accountability; comprehensive revision of provisions Sponsors: Richardson 26th, O'Neal 117th, Coleman 65th Status: remains in House Education committee
HB 526: Nursing Home Provider Fee Act; enact Sponsors: Channell 77th, Shaw 143rd, Buck 112th Status: House passed; read and referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
HB 316: Persons supervising children; criminal background checks; National Crime Information Center Sponsors: Stoner 34th, Teilhet 34th, Ralston 6th, Hill 81st, Coleman 118th Status: Passed House, Senate read and referred to Children and Youth Committee
SB 193: Teachers; contracts; procedures for terminating or suspending; hearing panel Sponsors: Moody 27th, Brush 24th, Clay 37th, Tate 38th, Unterman 45th Status: Senate passed, now in House Education Committee
SB 12: Criminal Offenses and Penalties for Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Disabled Adults and Elder Persons Sponsor: Unterman 45th, Balfour 9th, Squires 5th Status: Passed the Senate; now in House Special Judiciary Committee

SB 248: Student Achievement, Office of; create; comprehensive revisions regarding education accountability Sponsors: Brush 24th, Lee 29th, Stephens 51st Status: Senate passed; moves to the House Education Committee
SB 249: Student Achievement, Office of; powers , duties, and responsibilities; flexibility and accountability Sponsors: Brush 24th, Lee 29th, Stephens 51st Status: Senate passed; moves to House Education Committee
SB 258: Elections; conversion to direct recording electronic voting systems; absentee ballot oath; handicapped assistance; polling places Sponsors: Unterman 45th, Mullis 53rd, Hill 4th, Meyer von Bremen Status: Passed the Senate, House Governmental Affairs Committee favorably reported
SR 146: Educational Testing, Study Committee on; create Sponsor: Seabaugh 28th Status: Senate passed/adopted
Bills to carry over for next year:
HB 34: Education; students committing certain acts of physical violence; disciplinary tribunal Sponsor: Greene-Johnson
HB 130: Georgia Health Care Act Sponsors: Holmes, Orrock
HB 211: Assistance dogs; interfering with, assaulting, killing; penalties Sponsors: Rice, Millar, Dix, Sholar, Jenkins
HB 256: Industries for the Blind; manufactured products; purchase by state employs; exception Sponsors: Broome, Sholar, Skipper, Westmoreland, Drenner, Lunsford
HB 295: Education; deaf students; certification of interpreters Sponsors: Butler, Smith, Thompson, Burmeister, Bordeaux
HB 363: Electronic Textbooks; make available to local boards, schools, and students Sponsors: Fludd, Greene-Johnson, Marin, Floyd, Holmes
HB 357: Certain deaths; persons in compensated care; notify coroner Sponsor: Howard
HB 428: Intellectually Disabled Health and Fitness Program Fund; establish; special license plates Sponsors: Borders, O'Neal, McBee, Jenkins, Stephens Status: Motor Vehicle committee to examine criteria for special license plates
HB 583: Students; certain acts of physical violence; disciplinary tribunal Sponsors: Greene-Johnson, Reece, Mangham, Thomas, Stephens
HB 701: Independence Plus Act; enact Sponsors: Gardner, Manning, Childers
HR 225: Intellectually disabled health and fitness program; special plates Sponsors: Borders, O'Neal, McBee, Jenkins, Stephens Status: Motor Vehicle committee to examine criteria for special license plates
SB 50: Health Insurers; Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Plan Act Sponsors: Seabaugh, Golden, Price, Moody, Mullis, Williams
SB 111: Death Investigations; patients receiving compensated care in facilities licensed by DHR Sponsors: Tanksley, Unterman
SB 170: Long-term care services; in-home and community based care; consumer choice and control; Independence Plus Act

Sponsors: Jackson, Dean, Zamarripa, Gillis, Starr, Thomas, Kemp, Blitch, Hill, Brown, Hooks, Meyer von Bremen, Johnson, Levitan Status: Health and Human Services Committee recommended study committee

SB 185: Natural Gas; discontinuing service to persons age 65 or disabled; prohibit during winter heating season Sponsor: Thomas
View any bill in its entirety at http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/leg/legislation.htm

Budget Overview (Review past issues of Moving Forward at www.gcdd.org
for details on the FY03 Supplemental Budget.) The House passed a Fiscal Year 2004 budget that cut over $250 million from Governor Sonny Perdue's budget proposal, yet still faces a shortfall of $128 million. The FY04 budget passed the House and moved to the Senate for consideration. The Senate version of the budget cut an additional $250 million. None of these budget allocations for FY04 are final until the differences can be worked out.

The House Version of the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget

Department of Human Resources : MHDDAD

Austerity Cuts

Convert 75% of state-funded DD family support slots to Medicaid waiver slots

$586,767 Reduce Emory contract for Autism Resource Center $100,000 Reduce state-level reserve for autism support (these are funds remaining from the closing of the Clayton Respite

Home, and do not reflect a loss in services.) Reduce room and board supplement for 1,362 consumers with

$35,924

Developmental disabilities by 30%

$2,039,731

Eliminate Marcus Institute fetal alcohol syndrome services $108,520

Department of Human Resources

CUTS

Consolidate administration at Augusta Regional and Gracewood

($813,417)

Reduce administration costs at CSBs

($2.6 million)

Cut MR state funds and replace with SSBG federal funds

($761,108)

Eliminate contract with Georgia Hearing Impaired ($50,000)

Austerity adjustments

($5.46 million)

30% cuts to room and board allowances for 1362 MRWP recipients

($2,039,731)

Cut funding from Community Mental Health Centers/CSB's

($4.2 million)

Eliminate performance audit contract funds for CSB's $270,000

Department of Human Resources

ENHANCEMENTS

Move 50 people from state hospitals to community $2.6 million

Move 15 people with mental illness from institutions to the community

Transition planning for moving the above 65 people $170,000

Add 2 state office positions to certify and monitor services

$148,644



Serve 50 people with DD from the short term waiting list

who need additional services

$949,031

Department of Human Resources

Annualized

Transition of 40 adolescents from state hospitals to intensive supervision homes

Transition children with DD from nursing homes to community

$296,922

Provide CCSP to 84 nursing home residents transitioning to community

Funds for 40 case coordinators in the CCSP replaced

$1,203,378

$432,898
$1,365,187 $421,532

Department of Community Health

CUTS

5 ICWP slots were cut from the budget, 5 remain $120,000

Department of Community Health

ENHANCEMENTS

Move 145 people from nursing home to community $3.2 million

Assess people moving to community

$75,000

Primary care health costs for 15 people with mental illness

moving to community

$36,045

5 people off ICWP waiting list

$100,000

Department of Labor 6% Cut to Statewide Independent Living Council 3% cuts to CILs that receive State funding

CUTS

The Senate's Changes to the House Budget

Department of Human Resources

Room and board allowance cuts to people on HCBS waiver living in community restored

Department of Human Resources

CUTS

School-aged Hearing and Vision screenings cut by 50% $383,000

Eliminate Georgia Council on the Hearing Impaired Contract

CSB performance audit contracts restored

$135,000

Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases

CUTS

Internal Consolidation of State positions

$415,000

Reduce State-level reserves for autism services

$190,000 (Cut from unobligated funds. Does not reflect a

loss of services. )

Reduce Funding to MHDDAD Regional Boards $2.9 million

This is a 50% reduction in State funds, thereby causing Georgia to lose an additional $622,742 in Federal Medicaid

funds. This cut eliminates 62 positions.

Department of Community Health

ENHANCEMENT

Restored 10 Independent Care Waiver slots

$120,000

Department of Community Health

CUTS

Develop premiums for Katie Beckett waiver program $2.7 million

Minimum Medicaid co-payments for prescriptions to double. They apply to elderly and people with disabilities

with incomes of less than 74% of poverty and to parents of minor children in families with incomes of less than

45% of poverty.

Department of Education

Restore funding for school improvement teams

$10 million

Department of Education

CUTS

Reduce funding for vocational high school program $8,009,570

Cut funding for additional 20 days of school instruction for low-performing schools

$2 million

Eliminate 3 positions from Office of Educational Accountability

$103,800

Cut Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula grants to local school systems

$156 million

Department of Labor

CUTS

6% cut to the Statewide Independent Living Council

3% cut to Centers for Independent Living that receive state funds

The Senate, like the House, supports funding the Olmstead initiative.

Current Waiting Lists For Services Over 3,300 people are waiting for help, including:
3,142 Georgians with Mental Retardation or Developmental Disabilities 249 people with severe physical disabilities

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