Senior issues newsletter [Vol. 34, No. 10 (Apr. 12, 2013)]

2013 WRAP UP EDITION
Reviewing the budget and legislative issues of concern to older adults Sine Die! Thursday, March 28th, marked the 40th and final day of the 2013 General Assembly session. This Special Edition of the Senior Issues Newsletter recaps the activity throughout the legislative session:

Senior Issues Newsletter

State Budget Update
First, we want to give a special THANK YOU to Representatives Terry England and Katie Dempsey and to Senators Jack Hill and Renee Unterman and all the members of the legislative appropriations committees who worked diligently to restore the Fiscal Year 2014 Department and Governor recommended cuts to aging services funding in the FY2014 budget. THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!
Please let them know how much you appreciate all their work for older Georgians!!

House Appropriations Committee Terry England, Chair 404.463.2247 Office Emily.pattilo@house.ga.gov

Oliver, Mary Margaret 404.656.0265 Office mmo@mmolaw.com

Dempsey,Katie M., Chairman Human Resources Subcommittee 404.463.2248 Office katie.dempsey@house.ga.gov

Setzler, Ed 404.656.7857 Office ed.setzler@house.ga.gov

Epps, Bubber, Vice Chairman 404.656.0298 - Office bubberepps@gmail.com

Senate Appropriations Committee Jack Hill, Chairman 404.656.5038 Office jack.hill@senate.ga.gov

Brockway, Buzz 404.656.0188 - Office buzz.brockway@house.ga.gov
Harden, Buddy 404.656.0188 - Office bharden@planttel.net
Henson, Michele 404.656.7859 - Office michele.henson@house.ga.gov
Hill, Calvin 404.656.7855 - Office calvin.hill@house.ga.gov
Morris, Greg 404.656.5115 - Office greg.morris@house.ga.gov
Murphy, Quincy 404.656.0265 - Office quincy.murphy@house.ga.gov

Unterman, Renee S, Chairman Human Development & Public Health Subcommittee (404) 463-1368 - Office Renee.Unterman@senate.ga.gov
Balfour, Don (404) 656-0095 - office don.balfour@senate.ga.gov
Golden, Tim (404) 656-7580 - office tim.golden@senate.ga.gov
Miller, Butch (404) 656-6578 - office Butch.miller@senate.ga.gov
Tate, Horacena (404) 463-8053 - office horacena.tate@senate.ga.gov

The Senior Issues Newsletter is a publication of the Georgia Council on Aging, the Senior Citizens Advocacy Project and the Georgia Gerontology Society. Volume 34, No. 10, April 12,, 2013

CO-AGE Priority Budget Issues

CO-AGE Priority: Funding for Home and Community Based Services

HG 105 - Fiscal Year 2013 Amended Budget: the Governor's recommended cuts were agreed to by the Senate and House and signed into law by the Governor as follows:

-$ 2,638,656 -$ 55,819

Medicaid state matching funding for client benefits: the amount of the reduction matches the funding not spent during the 1st quarter freeze on
admissions to the Community Care Services Program
Funding for 2 vacant APS Family Service Workers positions

HB 106 - Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: HB 106 awaits the Governor's signature.

No cut -$ 264,436

The Legislature restored $484,559 for Non-Medicaid Home and Community Based Alzheimer's & Respite Services that was cut in the governor's budget, avoiding the elimination of tens of thousands of hours of Alzheimer's and Respite Care services directly supporting elderly Georgians Funding for APS Family Service Workers: The Department and Governor proposed cutting 15 filled and 2 vacant family service worker positions from Adult Protective Services to save $528,871 in the FY 2014 budget. The Legislature restored half of the funding.

CO-AGE Priority: Increase funding for Adult Protective Services. The second FY 2014 CO-AGE budget priority was to increase funding by $2,000,000 for Adult Protective Services and Guardianship in order to improve professional staffing to client ratios so as to improve services to vulnerable and at-risk adults. The funding would add staff for investigating reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation and providing guardianship services. This funding did not get a line item in the FY2014 budget although the priority was understood by Appropriations leadership in both chambers. It simply did not gain the necessary traction this year. It will remain a CO-AGE priority for the 2014 General Assembly Session.
For more information on the State budget issues impacting Georgia, the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, a non-partisan organization, provides white papers and thoughtful analyses of budget and tax issues impacting Georgia. www.gbpi.org
CO-AGE Priority Legislative Issues
CO-AGE Priority: Creation of a Department of Aging
This issue has been of interest to aging advocates for several years but we have not seen any traction with legislators on the matter. CO-AGE may wish to re-evaluate whether this issue should continue to be a priority.

CO-AGE Priority: Creation of a State Alzheimer's and Related Dementia State Plan

SB 14: Georgia Alzheimer's and Related Dementia State Plan Task Force Sponsored by Senator Unterman (45th), Senator Wilkinson (50th), Senator Crosby (13th), Senator Hill (4th), and Senator Orrock (36th). Passed unanimously in the

Senate very early in the session and passed the House soon

after cross-over day by a vote of 158-3. This bill creates a

Georgia Alzheimer's and Related Dementias State Plan Task

Force under the chairmanship of the Director of the Division

of Aging Services and the administrative support of DAS.

The task force will study and collect data to assess the

current and future impact of the disease, identify resources

available to those with the disease, review the national

Alzheimer's plan, and develop a state plan for addressing

Alzheimer's disease. The goal of the task force is to create a

comprehensive state plan to address Alzheimer's and related

dementias in Georgia, which is due to the Governor and General Assembly on March 31, 2014. The group then becomes an advisory council, and will meet annually to

Senator Unterman and advocates at the Alzheimer's State Plan press conference

review progress of the state plan. The bill now awaits the Governor's signature.

CO-AGE Priority: Family Care Act
HB 290: Family Care Act. Sponsored by Rep. Dempsey (13th), Rep. Benton (31st), Rep. Clark (101st), Rep. Brockway (102nd), Rep. Kaiser (59th), and Rep. Powell (171st). A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to allow employees to use up to five days of sick leave which they have already earned for the care of immediate family members (spouse, child, or parent); to provide for definitions; to provide for conditions to take leave; to provide that retaliatory actions are unlawful. Passed out of House Human Relations & Aging Committee but was not passed out of Rules for a vote on the House floor by Crossover Day. It was therefore "dead" as stand-alone legislation for this Session but will remain a CO-AGE priority and can still be acted on during the 2014 session.
Other Important Budget Items Enacted
HB 106: the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: HB 78: The Senate and House Conference Committee agreed to restore the following cuts, and both Chambers approved the final budget. It awaits the signature of the Governor at the time of publication.
Department of Community Health
Change in procedural codes would have reduced reimbursement for some specialized medical services Governor recommended a cut of $2,664,208 Final budget restored all funding.
0.74% reduction in provider reimbursement rates for Medicaid services, including CCSP and SOURCE Governor recommended a cut of $7,722,563 Final budget restored all funding.
Addition of $300,000 to establish a quality incentive program for SOURCE.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Addition of $330,374 for 20 new Independent Care Waiver Program slots
Other Important Legislation which Was Passed
HB 78: Crimes and offenses; protection of disabled adults and elder persons; change provisions. Sponsored by Rep. Willard (51st), Rep. Jones (47th), Rep. Lindsey (54th), Rep. Abrams (89th), Rep. Cooper (43rd), and Rep. Houston (170th). A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 16, Code Section 24-13-130, Chapter 5 of Title 30, and Article 4 of Chapter 8 of Title 31 of the O.C.G.A., relating to crimes and offenses, when depositions to preserve testimony in criminal proceedings may be taken, protection of disabled adults and elder persons, and reporting abuse or exploitation of residents in long-term care facilities; to change provisions relating to cruelty to a person 65 years of age or older; to prohibit exploitation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents; to move relevant criminal penalties from Title 30 into Title 16; to amend Code Section 17-17-3, Title 31, Chapter 3 of Title 35, and Code Sections 42-8-63.1 and 49-2-14.1 of the O.C.G.A., so as to provide for conforming cross-references; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. This legislation passed the House unanimously on Crossover Day by a vote of 166-0. It passed out of the Senate unanimously with an amendment to strengthen language and to provide for testimony before trial; therefore, it had to go back to the House and the House passed the Senate substitute on Sine Die.
SB 24: The Hospital Medicaid Financing Program Act This bill has already been signed by the Governor and became effective February 1st, 2013. The bill authorizes the Department of Community Health (DCH) to establish, assess, or discontinue provider payments on hospitals. These payments will be utilized to garner additional federal Medicaid funds which are returned to certain hospitals for the specific purpose of offsetting the cost of providing Medicaid services. The General Assembly retains the authority to override the board's provider assessment. Furthermore, the General Assembly retains the right, through the appropriations process, to adjust the amount of money flowing towards the hospitals. The provisions of SB 24 are automatically repealed on June 30, 2017, unless reauthorized by the General Assembly. The Board of the Department of Community Health held a special meeting on March 28th, approving for initial adoption Proposed rules: Chapter 111-3-9 and 111-3-10 Implementing the Hospital Medicaid Financial Program Act.
SB 62: Federal & State Funded Health Care Financing Program Overview Committee; establish. Sponsored by Senator Judson Hill (32nd), Senator Shafer (48th), Senator Unterman (45th), Senator Miller (49th), Senator Gooch (51st), Senator Hunter Hill (6th). A bill to establish a legislative committee to act in oversight capacity on health care funding in Georgia. The bill was approved by the Senate on Crossover Day by a vote of 45-5 and voted unanimously out of the House on Day 40. This bill creates a permanent Federal and State Funded Health Care Financing Programs Overview Committee. It will be a joint committee of the General Assembly. The Committee will review the actions of the Board of Community Health and the Department of

Community Health (DCH) to evaluate the success with which the board and DCH are accomplishing their statutory duties and functions. The bill was sent to the Governor for signature earlier this month.
HR 107: Create Joint Study Committee on Medicaid Reform. Sponsored by Rep. Sheldon (104th), Rep. Rynders (152nd), Rep. Channell (120th), Rep. Parrish (158th), Rep. Cooper (43rd), and Rep. O'Neal (146th). Resolution to create a Joint Study Committee on Medicaid Reform in Georgia to determine an appropriate plan for Medicaid reform in Georgia. This creates a joint (House and Senate) 18-member study committee for the purposes of evaluating the state's Medicaid program, examining other states' best practices and planning for future actions necessary to sustain appropriate levels of services and funding. The committee is authorized to meet for five days and report its findings by December 31, 2013, when it is abolished. There will be five members from the Senate, five members from the House, one representative from DCH, one hospital representative, one insurance representative, one physician, and one consumer. This bill passed the House by a vote of 167 to 5 and passed the Senate unanimously. The bill has been sent to the Governor's office for signature.
HB 446: Guardian & ward; proposed ward who resided in another state prior to submission of guardianship or conservatorship petition for such proposed ward; provide certain additional notice requirements. Sponsored by: Rep. Peake (141st), Rep. Lindsey (54th), Rep. Willard (51st), Rep. England (116th), Rep. Cooper (43rd), Rep. Drenner (85th). This bill adds provisions allowing the petition for guardianship to include information regarding the proposed ward if he or she lived outside the state for at least 6 months. This bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with unanimous votes and awaits the Governor's signature.
What's Next? The Governor has a team of advisors that will assist him in reviewing legislation for his signature. He must sign within 40 days of final passage for the bill to become law. Any bill not passed by both the House and Senate this Session returns to the assigned committee for consideration in 2014 and must still pass the Rules Committee before going to House or Senate floor.
For Information about Specific Legislation
Call the Georgia Council on Aging (404)657-5343. Look up the legislation on the General Assembly website: www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx
Get copies of bills: House Clerk's office (404)656-5015
Mark Your Calendar
CO-AGE Spring Meeting: a wrap-up of the Legislative Session and recognition of advocates winning the Martha Eaves Advocating for Positive Change Awards
Thursday, April 25, 2013 The Classic Center, Athens, GA
CO-AGE Summer Meeting: presentations on proposed priorities and recognition of the Legislator of the Year Award
Thursday, July 18, 2013 Mercer University, Macon, GA
Navigating the Complex Role of the Caregiver-What to Keep in Mind Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4585134260/?ref=enivte001&invite=MzI5OTE0Ny9nZW5lcmF0aW9uc2Nvbm5lY3RlZEBnbWFp bC5jb20vMA%3D%3D&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=invitenew001&utm_term=eventpage>
For more information about any of the above meetings, please contact Eric Ryan at 404-657-5344 or joryan@dhr.state.ga.us.
Department of Community Health Board: Next Meeting, May 9th, 2013 Meets every 2nd Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. on the 5th Floor at 2 Peachtree.
Department of Human Services Board Meeting: Next Meeting, May 15th, 2013 Meets bi-monthly on the 3rd Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on the 29th Floor at 2 Peachtree.
Watch the Georgia Council on Aging Website for information on CO-AGE and other events and issues of interest to the aging network and senior
adults.
www.gcoa.org