CDCAN REPORT #023-2011: SSI/SSP, IHSS and CalWORKs focus of 1/27 budget subcommittee hearings

• MAJOR PROPOSED CUTS TO CALWORKS, IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, SSI/SSP INDIVIDUAL GRANTS, CHILD WELFARE SERVICES FOCUS OF HEARINGS THURSDAY BY ASSEMBLY & SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES
• Senate Budget Subcommittee On Health & Human Services Meets After 09:30 AM To Hear Governor’s Proposed $1.5 Billion Cut to CalWORKS – Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health & Human Services Meets At 1PM  To Hear Governor’s Proposed IHSS, SSI/SSP Individual Grant, Child Welfare Services Reductions – IHSS Workers Plan March, Press Conference and Rally on North Steps of Capitol Beginning at 10 AM

SACRAMENTO, CALIF  (CDCAN) [Updated 01/26/2011 10:25 PM  (Pacific Time)] – The Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees on health and human services focus Thursday on Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed permanent reductions to human services including over $1.5 billion cut in State general fund spending  to the CalWORKS program – the State’s “welfare to work” program; proposed cut to the maximum SSI/SSP individual grants to the lowest amount allowed by the federal government, and over $500 million reduction in State general fund spending in the In-Home Supportive Services program.

Both Hearings Likely To Be Packed With People Impacted by Cuts

With the Governor’s proposed cuts having a potential widespread impact on people with disabilities, mental health needs, the blind, seniors, low income families across the State, both hearings will likely be packed with people impacted by the proposed reductions and advocates, with brief limited public testimony taken by both subcommittees.

Hearing Agendas Attached To This Report

To help keep the public better informed on what is being heard at the State Capitol, attached to this CDCAN Report are the agendas for both hearings as follows:

Assembly Budget Subcommittee 25 page agenda (IHSS, SSI/SSP. Child Welfare Services – all Department of Social Services budget items) in a pdf document titled “2011-01-27 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing Agenda - Department of Social Services.pdf”   This document can be read by screen reading devices.

Senate Budget Subcommittee 15 page agenda (CalWORKS primarily – Department of Social Services budget item) in a pdf document titled “2011-01-27 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 - Deptartment of Social Services.pdf”

Governor Brown To Give “State of State” Monday

Meanwhile in related budget news, as previously reported, Governor Brown is scheduled to deliver his 9th “State of the State” address to a joint session of the Legislature on January 31, Monday at 5:00 PM at the State Capitol in the Assembly Chambers.  The first eight “State of the State” addresses Brown gave were done during his first two terms as governor between 1975 and 1982.

CDCAN will issue report Monday evening on what the Governor says. 

Senate Budget Subcommittee Held Wednesday Hearing on Medi-Cal Cuts

• Earlier on Thursday, the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services held a long hearing focusing on the Governor’s proposals calling for over $1.7 billion in permanent reductions in State general fund spending to the Medi-Cal program, including the elimination of the Adult Day Health Program, caps and limits on several Medi-Cal benefits, co-payments on several Medi-Cal services including $50 for emergency room visits.
• That hearing also covered the Governor’s proposals regarding shifting (or cutting) money from the Children and Families First Commission (under Proposition 10) and proposed reductions to the Healthy Families program.
• The subcommittee kept the major proposals – including Adult Day Health Care – “open” for later action likely in mid to late February.  See separate CDCAN Report for details on this hearing.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee On Wednesday Heard Mental Health

• The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services held a hearing Wednesday afternoon focusing on mental health issues – including a joint hearing held with the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education that heard the Governor’s proposal to fund the AB 3632 mental health services for special education students for one year – beginning July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, with Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act money, and in subsequent years with a dedicated stream of funding from new revenues proposed by the Governor to local government.
• The subcommittee kept this item “open” for later action likely in mid to late February.  See separate CDCAN Report for details on this hearing.

Senate Budget Subcommittee Will Meet Thursday January 27th  Sometime After 09:30 AM On CalWORKS Program Cuts

The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat -  Concord, 7th State Senate District), meets Thursday  (January 27) at approximately 09:30 or whenever the State Senate floor session adjourns (which should be close to that time), at the State Capitol in Room 4203 and will hear the CalWORKS program reduction proposals.  The State’s “welfare to work” program serves over 570,000 families including over 1 million children  – families that include parents or children with mental health or other special needs, disabilities. 

Assembly Budget Subcommittee Meets Thursday Afternoon At 1 PM On IHSS, SSI/SSP and Child Welfare Services Cuts

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (Democrat – Los Angeles, 47th Assembly District), meets also on Thursday, but at 1:00 PM, at the State Capitol in Room 4202.  This subcommittee will hear the Governor’s proposals calling for over $500 million in State general fund permanent cuts to In-Home Supportive Services, including:

• Making permanent the existing 3.6% across the board cut in authorized hours for all IHSS recipients that is scheduled to go into effect February 1st, and to increase that cut by another 8.4% effective July 1, 2011;
• Elimination of domestic and related services in the IHSS program for children under age of 18 years old who live at home and for adults who live with another person (there are waivers or exemptions);
• Elimination of state funding for IHSS Advisory Committees, and
• Most significantly, a certification from a physician that a person is “at risk” of institutionalization (out of home placement) in order to be eligible or to maintain eligibility in the IHSS program.  The Brown Administration estimates that over 40,000 children and adults currently in the IHSS program would lose eligibility for all services as a result of this new requirement, if it is approved by the Legislature.

The Assembly budget subcommittee will also hear the Governor’s proposed reduction of SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) maximum individual grants from $845 a month to $830 – the lowest amount allowed by the federal government.  In the 2009-2010 State Budget revised in July 2009, the State lowered grants to couples to the lowest level allowed by the federal government and permanently eliminated the State cost of living for the state portion (SSP) of all SSI/SSP grants.

IHSS Workers Plan March, Press Conference and Rally Thursday Morning and Afternoon – Press Conference Features Sen. Juan Vargas and Also Republican and Democratic Legislators

Meanwhile the United Domestic Workers (UDW), which represents some of the IHSS workers, has organized a march to the North Steps of the Capitol (beginning at 10:00 AM, starting from 10th and L Streets), to be followed by a press conference on the North Steps of the State Capitol (facing L Street) at 11:00 AM featuring Sen. Juan Vargas (Democrat – San Diego, 40th State Senate District) and other Republican and Democratic legislators, followed by a rally at 11:50 AM at the same location. 

Sen. Leland Yee (Democrat – San Francisco, 8th State Senate District) is also scheduled to speak briefly, just before 10 AM, to IHSS workers.

The schedule for the march, press conference and rally (subject to change):

• 10:00 AM  to 11:00 AM – MARCH TO CAPITOL (starting at 10th and L Streets to North Steps of the State Capitol) [note: not all of the IHSS workers and recipients will be marching – those not marching will gather at the North Steps of the State Capitol – which faces L Street]
• 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM – PRESS CONFERENCE (North Steps of State Capitol – facing L Street between 10th and 11th Streets) including Sen. Juan Vargas, Assemblymember Paul Cook (Republican – Yucaipa, 65th Assembly District), Assemblymember Marty Block (Democrat – San Diego, 78th Assembly District), Assemblymember Brian Nestande (Republican – Palm Desert, 64th Assembly District), Assemblymember Jim Silva (Republican – Huntington Beach, 67th Assembly District), and United Domestic Workers Executive Director Doug Moore. 
• 11:50 AM – 12:30 PM – RALLY (mc’d by Marty Omoto) with several speakers including Doug Moore, United Domestic Workers (UDW) Executive Director; William Reed, a IHSS worker and member of UDW; Kelly Alameida, a IHSS recipient’ Tammy Orr a IHSS worker and member of CUHW; Astrid Zuniga, a IHSS worker and member of UDW; Mike Torres and Diana Green, both IHSS workers and members of UDW
• 12:30 PM – people at Rally will begin to go into State Capitol to attend the 1 PM Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing in Room 4202 or conduct legislative visits.

LIST OF THURSDAY’S BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS

• This first week of budget subcommittee hearings – on a fast track – to hear Governor Brown’s budget proposals – ends the week on Thursday with hearings by the Assembly and Senate budget subcommittees. 
• Both Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees continue hearings next week and into the second week of February.
• There are no hearings scheduled for Friday, January 28th. 

JANUARY 27, 2011 - THURSDAY

SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE #3 ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
09:30 AM or Upon Adjournment of Senate Floor Session – State Capitol – Room 4203 (Senate floor session begins at 09:00 AM and is expected to end after about 30 minutes)
Budget Items To Be Heard:

1. California Health and Human Services Agency – Office of Systems Integration (Budget Item 0530)
2. Department of Social Services (Budget Item 5180)

CalWORKS Program Reductions

CDCAN COMMENT:  Budget subcommittee staff is estimating that the length of this hearing will be about 4 hours.  Governor is proposing over $1.5 billion reductions in State general fund spending to the CalWORKS program – the State’s “welfare to work” program, including a narrowing of eligibility 13% reduction in the maximum grants. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee is holding its hearing on these issues on February 2.
PRIORITY: VERY HIGH

JANUARY 27, 2011 - THURSDAY

ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE #1 ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
1:00 PM – State Capitol – Room 4202
Budget Items To Be Heard:

Department of Social Services (Budget Item 5180) –

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

• Issue 1: 8.4% Across the Board Reduction (to IHSS recipients)
• Issue 2: Domestic and Related Service Reduction (to IHSS recipients)
• Issue 3: Elimination of All IHSS Services for Recipients Without A Physician’s Certification
• Issue 4: Elimination of State Funding for IHSS Advisory Committees
• Issue 5: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #53 – IHSS Enacted Trailer Bill

Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment (SSI/SSP)

• Issue 1: Reduction to SSP MOE (Maintenance of Effort) Floor for Individuals

Disability Determinations

• Issue 1: Los Angeles State Programs Branch Relocation
• Issue 2: Federal Consolidated Request for Positions

Adult Protective Services -

• Issue 1: Realignment (shift to counties) Proposal Phase I

Children’s Programs –

• Issue 1: Realignment (shift to counties) Proposal in Child Welfare
• Issue 2: Child Welfare Services Reduction
• Issue 3: Reductions of Funding for he Transitional Housing Plus Program (Foster Youth)
• Issue 4: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #3 – Improving Child Safety
• Issue 5: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #10 – Foster Care Audits Accountability and Group Home Litigation
• Issue 6: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #15 – Implementing Fostering Connections PL (Public Law) 110-351
• Issue 7: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #20 – Field Monitoring and Oversight of County Operations
• Issue 8: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #50 – Implementing AB 12
• Issue 9: BCP (Budget Change Proposal) #51 – Implementing Recently Enacted Legislation

CDCAN COMMENT: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services is hearing the IHSS and SSI/SSP budget issues on February 3rd.  The Governor is proposing over $500 million cut in State general fund spending to the IHSS program including additional 8.4% permanent across the board cut in hours for all persons receiving IHSS (on top of existing 3.6% cut that is due to go into effect February 1, 2011);  doctor’s certification that person applying for IHSS or already in the program is “at risk” of being institutionalized as a new eligibility requirement for the program; elimination of domestic and related services for children under age of 18 who live at home and for persons living in a “shared living arrangement”.   Governor proposing elimination of state funding for IHSS Advisory Committees.  Governor also proposing cutting SSI/SSP (and presumably Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants grants) to lowest level allowed by federal government (from $845 per month to $830 per month). Governor is proposing to shift State responsibility of adult protective services to the counties.
CDCAN ACTION ALERT:  YES
PRIORITY: VERY HIGH

File Attachments: 

2011-01-27 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing Agenda - Dept Social Services.pdf

2011-01-27 - Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 - Dept of Social Services.pdf