|
|
|
Directors,
Well things are really starting to pick up at the General Assembly now that
the House has chosen it's committee chairs and the Governor has released his
budget. For those of you who want to review the budget go to: http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/osbm/bgt0305.html Note that this is the entire budget so before you hit "Print" you
may want to select the DHHS budget (page 91- 120) to reduce the number of trees
you kill in your printer. Some highlights of the Governor's budget:
The Home and Community Care Block Grant Services within the Division of Aging
received a 1 million dollar Cut.
Smart Start Local Partnership funds received a $7,739,536 CUT.
Division's support of the Area Mental Health Programs for services to persons
not eligible for Medicaid be Cut by approximately 20 million dollars.
Increase More at Four - $7,400,000 with an additional $1,200,000 non-recurring
for 2003-04
Increase Health Choice for Children - $13,050,123 in 2003-04 and $19,108,373
in 2004-05 (I would recommend you look at this piece starting on page 115 as
it breaks down additional cost reductions for Health Choice families)
Increase funding to DCD Abuse and Neglect Teams - $613,529 in 2003-04 and $807,055
in 2004-05. (This is the result of a series of articles in the News & Observer
on our Child Care system that highlighted the deaths and injuries to children
in care. This issue is very HOT right now in Raleigh).
We are attempting to scan and send you the sheets that overview the breakdown
recommendations for the SSBG and TANF funding. There are some technical difficulties
that we are trying to work out (the file is too big) but we hope to get it
to you today.
There are a number of Bills that have been introduced that would impact DSS:
FILED BILLS House Bills
HB 402 (Capps) DSS WORKER/RIGHT OF ENTRY - An act to restrict the authority
of a social worker to enter a private residence for investigative purposes.
HB 152-UNAUTHORIZED MEDICATION/PREVENT SIDS/CHILD CARE by Rep. Alexander (D-Mecklenburg)
is still being rewritten and reviewed by the Division of Child Development.
The rewritten bill will be heard in the House Children, Youth, and Families
Committee in two weeks (March 26) at noon in Room 605 LOB. Rep.
HB 405 (Weiss) FOLIC ACID CAMPAIGN FUNDS - An act to appropriate funds to support the folic acid campaign.
HB 410 (Hunter) REDUCE MEDICAID COUNTY SHARE/TIER COUNTIES - An act to reduce the county share of nonfederal payments for the medical assistance program for certain counties.
HB 411 (Hunter) MEDICAID COUNTY SHARE/PHASE OUT TIER COUNTIES - An act to phase out the county share of the nonfederal costs of the medical assistance program.
HB 451 (McHenry) MEDICAID COUNTY SHARE - An act to phase out the county share of the nonfederal share of Medicaid costs over a five-year period.
HB 478 (Rapp) AMBER ALERT - An act to amend the law regarding the North Carolina Child Alert Notification (NC CAN) System and to rename that system the Amber Alert System.
HB 481 (Adams, Jeffus and Jones) MINIMUM HOUSING CODES - An act authorizing certain municipalities to require owners to repair residential property determined unfit for human habitation under the municipalities' minimum housing codes instead of vacating and closing the property.
HB 493 (Insko, Alexander and Wright) HEALTH CARE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT - An act to amend the North Carolina Constitution to recognize the right to health care.
HB 508 (Alexander) FUNDS FOR COURTHOUSE CHILD CARE CENTERS - An act to appropriate funds for courthouse child care centers.
Senate Bills
SB 226-AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION TO A CHILD
IN A LICENSED OR UNLICENSED CHILD CARE FACILITY WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION
FROM
THE CHILD'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN by Sen. Bill Purcell (D-Scotland) has been sent
to a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Judiciary II, chaired by Sen.
Austin Allran (R-Catawba). Members of the subcommittee are: Sens. Scott Thomas
(D-Craven) and Ellie Kinnaird (D-Orange). The subcommittee is expected to meet
sometime next week.
SB 385 (Jenkins) PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT-1 - An act to promote economic
development.
SB 386 (Jenkins) PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT-2 - An act to promote economic development.
SB 413 (Reeves) DIX HOSPITAL PROPERTY STUDY - An act to provide that if the state-owned real property encompassing Dorothea Dix Hospital is not transferred to another state agency or agencies prior to the sale of the property, then options for the sale of the property shall be considered by the Property Study Commission established by this act and recommendations made to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations prior to the sale of the property.
SB 421 (Thomas) AMEND CHILD WELFARE LAWS-AB (not available yet)
SB 423 (Thomas) AMEND CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT LAWS-AB (not available yet)
SB 434 (Holloman) MEDICAID COUNTY SHARE/PHASE OUT TIER COUNTIES (not available yet)
SB 441 (Clodfelter) FUNDS FOR COURTHOUSE CHILD CARE CENTERS (not available yet)
I will continue to provide you updates on what's happening. Starting tomorrow
I will be spending a lot of time at the GA due to twice-a-day meetings scheduled
by the HHS Subcommittee. The Speakers of the House have said that it is their
goal to have a budget completed and passed to the Senate by April 18th and
so these two meetings a day will likely go into next month.
Karen
