Updated  8:00 am, May 16, 2012

The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passed an omnibus amendment (A10222) to the Senate budget bill (SB 1466) that makes restorations to the some of the funding levels proposed by Governor Corbett in February.

50% ($84M) of the 20% cut ($168M) to human services bundled in the proposed Block Grant to counties is restored in the amended Senate bill. $239,000 is restored to Autism Services, and $10.1M is added to the Intellectual Disability Waiver budget line item. Intermediate Care Facilities for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/ID) and Early Intervention services remain funded at the levels proposed by Governor Corbett.

However, there are still several steps involved in the budget process and still a lot of work to be done:

• A 10% loss ($84M in cuts) to seven human services line items, including intellectual disabilities - base services, still remain.
• It is unclear how the additional funds ($10.1M) proposed to the intellectual disabilities waiver line are intended to be spent. This could partially supplement the $17M that the Office of Developmental Programs was charged with finding through high cost case reviews, but details are unknown.
• If there are dollars intended for the waiting list is also unknown.
• Services and people who need them are still suffering from the 6% rate adjustment (RAF) that happened this fiscal year.

SB 1466 now goes to the full Senate to vote on it. If it passes, it moves to the House of Representatives, who can vote on it, amend it, or create their own version of the budget bill. If the House and Senate don't pass identical versions of the budget, it will move into Conference Committee, which is a small group of appointed representatives from each caucus who will negotiate the final budget with the Governor's Office.

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ODP Deputy Secretary Kevin Friel and Interim Fiscal Officer John Cox presented this budget overview to the PAR membership on Thursday, March 1st.

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The Governor presented his budget as one that is "grounded in difficult realities but framed in the optimism that we are solving our problems."

You can read the full text of Governor Corbett's budget address here: http://www.par.net/portals/0/Mailman/TextofGovernorCorbett's2012-13BudgetAddress.pdf

Here is more:

• 2012-13 Governor's Executive Budget
  Click on the first link. This is a large file. To request a CD-ROM of the 2012-13 Governor's Executive Budget, please send your name and street address to GBOpublications@pa.gov
• 2012-13 Budget in Brief
• 2012-13 Proposed Budget Line-Item Appropriations
• 2012-13 Proposed Budget Slide Presentation

Initial Assessment:

Governor Corbett presented a budget that shows an overall reduction in spending and no new taxes. As we mentioned in PAR Mail 2012-024, Governor Corbett's proposed budget "transforms the public welfare system" through its proposal to merge seven separate budget lines into block grants to counties.

Proposed Block Grant Appropriation	Enacted	80% to HSDF	20% Reduction
Mental Health Services	$550M	$440M	$110M
Act 152 Drug & Alcohol - Outpatient	$14.7M	$11.7M	$2.9M
Homeless Assistance	$20.5M	$16.4M	$4.1M
Child Welfare Special Grants	$48.5M	$38.8M	$9.7M
Intellectual Disability - Community Base	$144.9M	$115.9M	$28.9M
Behavioral Health Services	$47.9M	$38.3M	$9.5M
Human Services Development Fund (HSDF)	$14.9M	$11.9M	$2.9M

 

The stated intent of the $673.695M block grant is to "give counties the flexibility they need to identify their most pressing needs and apply funds as they know best." However, this flexibility is not without its price. State-only dollars for these 7 line items have each been reduced by 20%, "saving" the state $168.423M. It is hard to assess the actual impact this proposal would have on services funded by base ID dollars since each county would most likely prioritize how funds from the block grant would be spent.

The Governor's proposed budget includes: (see page 7 of the budget line appropriation document):

Appropriation	2011/12	2012/13	$ Change	% Change
Intellectual Disabilities - State Centers	$106M	$109.8M	$3.5M	3.4%
Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF/ID)	$143.8M	$143M	-798,000	-0.6%
Intellectual Disability - Base Funding	$166.5M	$20.7M	$145.7M	-87.5%
Intellectual Disability - Community Waiver	$854.8M	$871M	$16M	1.9%
Early Intervention	$106.4M	$119.7M	$13.3M	12.6%
Autism Intervention and Services	$13.5M	$12.7M	-788,000	-5.8%

• 87% of the base funding appropriation is shifted to the block grant appropriation to counties, leaving $20.7M in this line item that is unbundled.
• It is unclear whether the additional $16M in the community waiver line item relates to changing needs of waiver recipients.
• There are 0 dollars for any waiting list initiative
• There is $1.7M proposed to fund adult protective services (APS)

Here is the official press release from the Governor's Office which outlines some changes related to our services. http://www.par.net/portals/0/Mailman/budget2012.0207releasefromCorbett.pdf

According to the release, the Governor budget proposes:

• An increase of 4.4 percent, or $101.6 million, to the Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing health insurance to nearly 200,000 children.
• Using increased federal funds to support young adults, aged 18 to 21, in foster care; and implementing a $1.7 million program to protect physically and cognitively impaired adults.
• Saving $149 million by eliminating cash assistance benefits and saving $170.3 million by revising eligibility criteria for medical assistance benefits.
• Changes include minimum work requirements and tightened definitions of medical conditions.
• Saving $168.4 million by consolidating multiple human services programs into a single block grant, giving counties the flexibility to move funds where they are needed most.
• Implementing a system to identify waste, fraud and abuse in high-cost cases, saving $50 million.

NEXT STEPS:

Consider reaching out to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Hearings prior to upcoming DPW budget hearings with questions you would like them to ask. Visit the Advocacy section of www.par.net for talking points and other materials:

• Tuesday, February 28th - Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on the Department of Public Welfare. 9:30 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 in the North Office Building.
  
  
• Wednesday, March 7th - House Appropriations Committee Hearing on the Department of Public Welfare. 1:30 p.m. in room 140 of the Main Capitol.

We have four months to remind our legislators and leaders that people with autism and intellectual disabilities are valued citizens of this Commonwealth, citizens who cannot be asked to shoulder the burden of "tough times."

If you have never met with your legislator, now is the time. If you have never considered writing a letter to the editor, consider it now. If you feel the people you support have compelling stories to tell, help them share those stories today. Fiscal issues are people issues. It is up to us to make that clear.

More materials will be added as they come available. Please check here often!

The IDA Coalition page also contains handouts and talking points you can use with your legislators.

Use Your Networks to Spread the Word
Do you Twitter? Are you on Facebook? Social networks were made for connecting communities and spreading the word about issues that matter. Connect with PAR and share/retweet alerts.
 

www.twitter.com/pardotnet
www.facebook.com/pardotnet

Would you like to add the PAR Action Center to your organization’s website to make it even easier to get the word out? Contact gabrielle@par.net for the html code.

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Thank you for your advocacy. Please let PAR know what activity you have been able to generate in your organizations by calling 717.614.6441 or emailing gabrielle@par.net.  PAR staff will also be contacting members directly over the next few weeks.