Moving forward, vol. 9, no. 9 (2004 March 5)

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Volume 9, Issue 9 March 5, 2004
Moving Forward
For Your Information...
The Senate passed the FY'04 appropriations bill (HB1180) on March 2, after lengthy debate and numerous amendments. The Senate restored the cuts to the Katie Beckett Waiver program ($354,608), and to the High Risk Pregnant women and infants tertiary care centers ($150,000). Funds were also restored to DTAE personal services and Georgia State Patrol posts. A conference committee composed of 3 house and 3 senate members began March 4 to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
Appropriations subcommittees began work on the FY'05 budget this week, hearing presentations on each agency's budget. The FY'05 budget will be particularly challenging in light of the 5% reductions requested by the Governor, and revenue collections that continue to fall below projections.
Legislation Tracker
We are quickly approaching the 33rd day, after which bills that have not passed out of one house will be null. Below are bills which have had action or been introduced during the 2004 session.
View any bill in its entirety at www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/leg/legislation.htm
HB 211: Assistance dogs; interfering with, assaulting, killing; penalties Summary: this bill would make it a felony for a person to assault, beat, harass, or injure guide dogs assisting persons with disabilities; interfering with assistance dog duties or attempting to do so shall be a misdemeanor; interfering with the use of an assistance dog with reckless disregard shall be a misdemeanor or a high and aggravated misdemeanor. Sponsors: Rice, Millar, Dix, Sholar, Jenkins Status: House passed; now in Senate Judiciary Committee
HB 363: Electronic Textbooks; make available to local boards, schools, and students Summary: The measure tightens-up language in previously passed legislation requiring textbook publishing companies to provide electronic versions of their products in Georgia. The new

version would require textbook makers to provide complete and accurate electronic versions of all textbooks recommended by the State Board of Education after July 1, 2004. Sponsors: Fludd, GreeneJohnson, Marin, Floyd, Holmes Status: Passed House, now in Senate Education Committee
HB 1033: Assisted living facilities; Levels I and II; provisions Summary: See SB 422 Sponsors: L. Walker, Harrell, J. Brown Status: House Human Relations and Aging Comm Status: House Human Relations Committee
HB 1055: Audible Universal Information Access Services, Blind and Print Disabled Citizens Summary: relating to the telephone system for the physically impaired, so as to provide for the establishment of a statewide telecommunication system capable of providing audible universal information access services to blind and print disabled citizens. Sponsors: Childers, Porter, Reece, E. Stephens, R. Stephens, Millar Status: Passed House, now in Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee HB 1128: Community service boards; full-time employment of retirees; prohibit; exception Summary: to provide that no community service board shall employ any person who is receiving a retirement benefit from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia Sponsors: B. Mitchell, R. Mangham Status: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1129: Community Service Board Overview Commission; create Summary: to provide for legislative oversight of CSBs Sponsors: B. Mitchell, R. Mangham Status: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1132: Starvation and Dehydration of Persons with Disabilities Prevention Act; enact Summary: to establish a presumption regarding life-sustaining procedures in health care decisions; to provide for exceptions to the health care presumption; to provide for civil remedies Sponsors: C. Rogers, J. White, Burmeister, J. Mills, Coan Status: House Judiciary Committee
HB 1176: Disabled persons; redefine; temporary parking permits Summary: Blind persons would be added to the list of individuals allowed to park in disabled designated spaces. The permit would allow those who provide transportation for the person to utilize the special parking spaces while in the company of the permit holder. Sponsors: C. Martin, J. Jones, A. Powell, J. Chambers, F. Millar Status: House Passed, now in Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 1314: Guardians of incapcitated adults; amend provisions Summary: to change certain provisions relating to petition to sell or otherwise dispose of property by a guardian, service, and full return; to change certain provisions relating to appointment of a successor in the event of a guardians death and when a ward may call for an accounting; to change certain provisions relating to procedure

for appointment of guardians of incapacitated adults Sponsors: Purcell, Houston, G. Greene Status: House Judiciary Committee
HB 1381: Long-term care facilities; redefine abuse Summary: to change the definition of abuse to include physical, psychological, or emotional injury Sponsors: Harrell, H. Howard Status: House Human Relations Committee
HB 1384: Income tax credits; individual development accounts; comprehensive regulation Summary: provides for the formation of IDA programs (Individual Development Accounts) through matching funds for IDA's through tax credits, and includes a provision for using IDA savings for assistive technology. Sponsors: Sinkfield, Jamieson, Manning, Marin, M. Thomas, Orrock Status: House Ways and Means Committee
HB 1500: Medicaid; medications for certain disorders; prohibit restricting Summary: to prohibit the requirement of prior authorization or other restrictions on medications prescribed for patients receiving treatment for certain medical conditions under a Medicaid or any state funded health care program Sponsors: Henson, Benfield, Drenner, Buckner, Powell, Stanley-Turner Status: House Industrial Relations Committee
HR 1307: Disabled persons; home and community based services; urge certain funding Summary: to support a multiyear funding commitment to unlock the waiting lists for home and community based services for people with developmental disabilities and physical disabilities and that this plan should address both the short and long-term planning lists Sponsors: Manning, Shaw, R. Stephens, Epps, T. Coleman, Buckner Status: House Health and Human Services Committee
SB 50: Health Insurers; Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Plan Act. Summary: SB 50 is the "Georgia Consumer Choice of Benefits Health Insurance Plan Act." Proponents of this bill state that employers and individuals need to be able to buy group and individual health insurance plans that are more affordable and flexible and that there is a need to increase the availability of health insurance by authorizing plans that do not contain the state mandated health benefits. Some examples of the mandated health benefits include: coverage of services provided by psychologists, chiropractors, and optometrists; screenings for ovarian, cervical, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer; 48 hour or 96 hour minimum hospital stays for birth of a baby; hospital stays after a mastectomy; and child wellness visits. Sponsors: Seabaugh, Golden, Price, Moody, Mullis, T. Williams Status: Senate Insurance and Labor Committee
SB 302: Handicapped parking; enforcement; change provisions Summary: change the provisions relating to persons who are authorized to enforce restrictions on parking for persons with disabilities Sponsors: Levetan, Adelman, Clay, Henson, Unterman, Tate Status:

Senate Committee Favorably Reported; Senate read second time
SB 420: Disabled Adults/Elder Persons; illegal to discriminate complaints of abuse Summary: to provide that it is illegal to discriminate or retaliate against employees of long-term care facilities who make complaints or provide information on abuse in long-term care facilities. Sponsors: Unterman, E. Johnson, B. Stephens, Balfour, D. Thomas Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SB 422: Assisted Living Facilities; define and provide new category Summary: provide for a new category of facilities designated as "assisted living facilities," change provisions related to unfair or deceptive practices, special hazards to persons or property, health, respite care for persons with mental retardation, and DCH functions regardin medical assistance Sponsors: Unterman, E. Johnson, B. Stephens, Balfour, D. Thomas, Levetan Status: Senate Committee Favorably Reported; Senate read second time
SB 428: School attendance requirements; driver's license; change penalties Summary: To amend rules regarding compulsory attendance, to establish student attendance protocol committees, revise the definition of "disciplinary orders", to change provisions in the student code of conduct, to restrict access to a driver's license for students who do not remain in school or seek alternative ways of completing their high school education. Sponsors: D. Lee, Shafer, P. Smith, Brush Status: Senate passed, now in House Education Committee SB 481: Rules of the Road; Parking Law for Persons with Disabilities; redefine terms Summary: to redefine certain terms Sponsors: J. Hill, N. Thomas Status: Senate Passed, now in House Human Relations Committee
SB 500: Electronic voting system; permanent paper record; recounts/eletion proceedings Summary: to require all electronic recording voting systems to produce a permanent paper record of the votes recorded on electronic systems for each voter; to provide that voters have an opportunity to verify such record after voting; and that paper records be retained for use in recounts and election challenge proceedings Sponsors: Price, Stephens, Johnson Status: Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee
SB 582: Head injured/spinal cord disabled persons; reporting procedures; provisions Summary: proposes to transfer the Central Registry from the Department of Labor Rehabilitation Services to the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission Sponsors: Meyer von Bremen, Hooks Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SR 784: Human Resources, DCH; urge to take actions for people with certain disabilities Summary: to support a multiyear funding commitment to unlock the waiting lists for home and community based

services for people with developmental disabilities and physical disabilities and that this plan should address both the short and long-term planning lists Sponsors: Zamarripa, Levetan, Moody, Kemp, Tolleson, C. Jackson Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SR 822: Joint Study Committee on Aging and Developmental Disabilities; create Summary: to undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems associated with aging and dd and to present findings by year-end. Sponsors: Zamarripa, Moody, Collins, Clay, Levetan Status: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
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 Over the past year, there has been a 27% increase in the number of people waiting for services.
See http://www.gcdd.org/programs/unlock/index.htm for more information on the waiting lists.
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