Moving forward, vol. 9, no. 15 (2004 May 14)

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Volume 9, Issue 15 May 14, 2004
Moving Forward
For Your Information... Final Edition of the 2004 Legislative Session! As reported in the previous issue, Governor Perdue ordered the legislature into special session the week of May 3 through the 7th to fix the Indigent Trust Fund Legislation to fill a 57 million dollar gap that left the state budget unbalanced. With this accomplished, legislators can finally go home to resume civilian life. We bid farewell to several legislators who have decided not to run in the November election. Many new faces will emerge in this election cycle. No rest for the weary! Budget hearings for the 2006 fiscal year budget begin next week! See below.
DHR Budget Hearings Those wishing to speak at a hearing will have (5) minutes but must sign up in advance, providing a name, the issue to be presented and the recommended solution. Speakers may sign up by going to www.dhr.georgia.gov and clicking on the public meeting sign up link, or by phone at 404-463-6006. Speakers may not sign up for more than one hearing. Please bring remarks in writing! May 20 Georgia Regional Hospital

1915 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah 5 pm -7 pm May 27 DHR Building 200 West Oglethorpe, Albany 5 pm -7 pm June 1 Wellston Center (senior services) 155 Maple Street, Warner Robins 5 pm -7 pm June 10 Elberton City Hall, Courtroom 203 Elbert Street, Elberton 5 pm -7 pm June 16 DHR State Offices Combined Board Meeting and Public Hearing Board Room, 29th floor 2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 10 am - 12 pm Special Session 2004 Hoping to minimize the time spent in special session, House leaders negotiated with members of the Senate and the Governor's office after the end of the 2004 session. Those efforts paid off and an agreement was reached among all parties before the opening gavel. HB 1EX , the amended version of HB 869, represents the content of that agreement. HB 1EX creates a centralized collection and distribution agent for all specially designated court fees, costs, criminal penalties and bond surcharges, such as the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund. This function would be performed by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority. The authority would keep detailed records on all funds collected by Georgia's courts, and remit them to their designated purpose. The bill's authors feel this centralized tracking and reporting agency would increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the state's courts in collecting these funds, and improve accountability on how the funds are spent. Secondly, the proposal seeks to implement a new funding mechanism for

the state's indigent defense system. The system would be financed using a series of new fines, fees and surcharges on court proceedings. A $15 filing fee would be charged for all civil action cases filed throughout Georgia's courts system. Likewise, persons who apply to receive indigent defense services would pay a $50 application fee. However, this fee could be waived by the court in cases of financial hardship. HB 1EX would also charge an additional 10 percent surcharge to any fines levied in criminal or traffic cases, and a 10 percent surcharge to bail or bond decisions. The new fines and fees are expected resolve the budget funding issue for this fiscal year. Finally, HB 1EX deals with the budget dispute. Under the legislation, the Indigent Defense Advisory Council will submit its budget estimate to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget for review prior to submitting it to the Judicial Council. The proposal would allow the Governor to review the council's budget, and include his analysis as a part of his own budget report, but the Governor would not be allowed to revise the council's budget request in any way. To help maintain fiscal discipline, House and Senate negotiators agreed to include a provision which would forbid the Indigent Defense Advisory Council from requesting more money that the amount of funds collected for indigent defense under the new fee and fine structure. Likewise, HB 1EX creates a budgetary oversight committee to set standards for the expenditure of indigent defense funds. This eight member oversight committee would be composed of three appointees of the House Speaker, three by the Senate leadership, and one House and Senate member appointed by the Governor. Standards adopted by the oversight committee would have to be ratified by the General

Assembly. House members voted 167-4 on Wednesday, May 5th to pass HB 1EX. The Senate also passed the measure sending it to the Governor for his signature.
Budget Update The following FY05 budget was agreed upon by the conference committee prior to the special session. No changes were made to these figures during the special session. Department of Community Health: Katie Beckett premiums eliminated: $1,506,185 Prior authorization requirement for children's therapies: ($1,401,648) Adult dental fully restored : $5,681,030 Orthotics and prosthetics restored fully: $3,206,108 Medicaid coverage up to 200% FPL: ($12,805,784) State funding for Medicaid: $368,000,000 Use existing SOURCE intensive case management sites to provide disease management to high-cost Medicaid members: ($985,946) Department of Education: Reduce Funding for Vocational lab supervisors: ($3,000,000) Additional funds for QBE formula: $204,008,472 Teacher pay increases: 2% raises effective Jan. 1, 2005 Tuition for the multi-handicapped; ($132,082) Severely emotionally disturbed; ($4,391,953) Regional Educational Service Agencies; RESA ($284,918) Georgia Learning Resource System (GLRS); ($1,645,000) High school / technology Career education ($1,129,000) Special education in state institutions

($283,206) Preschool handicapped program; ($990,000) Vocational lab supervisors; House, no cuts; Senate, ($3,000,000), conferees ($3,000,000) Additional QBE funds for 5,000 new teachers, counselors, support personnel $204,008,472
Department of Human Resources: Restored Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Powerline: $16,000 High risk pregnancy tertiary care centers: ($450,000) Reduced operating expenses for the Long Term Care Ombudsman: ($50,000) Restore funds to keep Craig Nursing Home open, Milledgeville: $1,086,787 10 slots for Unlock the Waiting List (MRWP): $318,035 5 additional slots for ICWP (transferred to DCH budget): $100,000 Olmstead: Transition 20 consumers with developmental disabilities from hospitals to community; $1,161,154 Provide two regulatory staff to license and monitor community living arrangements: $100,000 Family Connections; Cut ($734,448) Dekalb CSB; (H) $250,000; (S) $275,000 Increased cost of CCSP $3,000,000 460 new slots, CCSP $1,600,000
Current Waiting Lists For Services Over 4,200 people are waiting for help, including: 3,973 Georgians with Mental Retardation or Developmental Disabilities

300 people with severe physical disabilities
15 of these will get help this year under the current FY05 Budget
reported above.
See http://www.gcdd.org/programs/unlock/index.htm for more
information on the waiting lists.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Moving Forward is a publication of the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities e-Updates available at
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