CDCAN REPORT #032-2011: Agendas released for Assembly (regional centers) and Senate Budget Subcommittees (IHSS, SSI/SSP, MSSP) hearings on February 3rd

• HUNDREDS EXPECTED TO PACK HEARING ROOMS AT STATE CAPITOL ON THURSDAY WITH REGIONAL CENTER, IHSS, SSI/SSP, MSSP BUDGET CUTS PROPOSALS TO BE HEARD – HEARING TODAY ON CALWORKS PROGRAM CUTS
• Hearing Agendas Released For Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearings for February 3rd Thursday – Assembly Budget Subcommittee Will Meet Likely At 10 AM – Senate Budget Subcommittee Likely At 09:30 AM – Both Hearings Likely To Last Several Hours

SACRAMENTO, CALIF  (CDCAN) [Updated 02/02/2011 – 11:00 AM  (Pacific Time)] – With hundreds expected to pack the hearing rooms and overflow rooms at the State Capitol, the agendas for the February 3rd  Assembly  Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services hearing on the Governor’s proposed reductions to regional centers and other developmental services proposals and the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services hearing on the Governor’s proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), SSI/SSP individual grants and the proposed elimination of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) were released this morning.

The two agendas are attached to this CDCAN Report (both were saved as documents, so can be read by screen reading devices for people who are blind or sight impaired):

1. Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services February 3, 2011 hearing agenda (16 pages), titled “2011-02-03 - Assembly Budget Sub Health and Human Services Agenda - DD.pdf”
2. Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services February 3, 2011 hearing agenda (21 pages), titled “2011-02-03 - Senate Budget Subcommittee Health and Human Services Agenda - DSS OSHPD CDA DOR.pdf”

[CDCAN issued a major Action Alert last week and this week for these two hearings – especially the Assembly Budget Subcommmittee hearing on developmental services cuts, which is the first time either house is hearing this issue.  The IHSS, SSI/SSP and MSSP budget reductions issues were heard previously by the Assembly last week]

The two hearings will be held in the State Capitol’s two largest hearing rooms that are on the same floor across the hall from each other, and will be held at virtually the same times, covering budget reduction issues that impact many of the same people. 

CalWORKS Program Cuts Hearing Today (Feb 2) at 1 PM

Meanwhile, today’s major hearing focuses on the Governor’s major $1.5 billion reduction in State general fund spending to the CalWORKS program – the State’s “welfare to work” program.  That program, which serves over 500,000 families and 1 million children includes many parents and children with special needs, mental health needs and/or disabilities.   The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services held a hearing on these issues earlier, holding the item “open” for later final action.

TODAY:FEBRUARY 2, 2011 – WEDNESDAY
ASSEMBLY  BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE #1 ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
01:00 PM – State Capitol – Room 4202
Budget Items To Be Heard:

• Department of Social Services (Budget Item 5180) – CalWORKS and CalFRESH (food stamps) budget items. 
• California Health & Human Services Agency (Budget Item 0530) – DSS Automation Projects

Governor Proposes $12.5 Billion In Spending Cuts Including Billions In Reductions To Health & Human Services

The two subcommittee hearings on Thursday will cover some critical spending reduction proposals that are part of a larger package of spending cuts the Governor is proposing in order to close the State’s deficit of over $25 billion  - and projected on-going shortfalls of over $20 billion every year through at least 2016:

• The Governor is proposing $750 million reductions in State general fund spending, beginning in the 2011-2012 State Budget year that begins July 1, 2011, to developmental services that includes regional center community-based services and supports to over 240,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities.  The regional centers – under the Department of Developmental Services, is the point of entry for the State’s early intervention program, called “Early Start” for nearly 30,000 infants with developmental delays.
• The Governor’s proposed cuts to developmental services – the bulk focused on the growth in spending and caseload of the 21 non-profit regional centers – are largely unspecified at this point.  The Governor is proposing that his Administration – the Department of Developmental Services, develop a plan with details on how to achieve the bulk of the reduction (or savings to the State), in a process that includes stakeholder input. The Brown Administration intends to present these details and its recommendations to the Legislature probably in May or early June.  Those recommendations will likely include statewide purchase of services standards that could place significant limits on the use of services and narrowing of eligibility impacting people with developmental disabilities, their families, regional centers, community based organizations, facilities and individual workers.
• The Governor is also proposing  $500 million reductions in State general fund spending to the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program that serves over 460,000 children and adults with disabilities (including developmental), the blind and seniors.  Those cuts include making permanent the existing 3.6% across the board reduction in authorized services hours for all IHSS recipients and increasing that cut by another 8.4% (for a total of 12%) on July 1, 2011; narrow eligibility by requiring a certification from a doctor for all IHSS recipients that they are “at risk” of out of home placement (institutionalization) in order to remain eligible or to become eligible for services under IHSS; eliminate domestic and related services for children in the program under the age of 18 who live at home with their parent; eliminate domestic and related services for adults who live in a “shared living” arrangement; and eliminate funding for county IHSS Advisory Committees. 
• Governor is proposing reducing the SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) maximum individual monthly grants from $845 to $830 – the lowest amount allowed by the federal government.  Grants to couples were previously reduced to the lowest level allowed by the federal government in 2009.
• The Governor is proposing eliminating the MSSP (Multipurpose Senior Services Program) that serves – in 41 different sites – about 11,000 seniors over the age of 65 who are eligible for Medi-Cal and certified or could be certified as at risk of being placed in an institutional setting – but who wants to remain in their own home and community.

Assembly  Budget Subcommittee Hearing Will Focus on Developmental Services Budget Cuts Including Proposed Reductions to Regional Centers

• The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (Democrat – Los Angeles, 47th Assembly District), will meet Thursday morning at approximately 10:00 AM, at the State Capitol, in Room 4202 (located on the 4th floor of the newer section of the State Capitol – the same section of the building where the Governor’s office is located).  There is balcony seating in the hearing room on the 5th floor. 
• CDCAN Note: The subcommittee meets “upon adjournment of the Assembly floor session” which means whenever the Assembly floor session adjourns – which Assembly staff believe will be before 10 AM, then the subcommittee hearing will begin.]
• The February 3rd Assembly budget subcommittee hearing is focusing only on developmental services budget issues and the hearing agenda covers just 6 items – the most controversial and the one that will generate nearly all of the public testimony is the last issue dealing with the Governor’s proposed $750 million reduction in State general fund spending for developmental services.
• The bulk of the public testimony is certain to come after the Governor’s proposals calling for a $750 million reduction in State general fund spending is presented by the Department of Developmental Services, with comments by the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) and the Governor’s Department of Finance. 
• The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services in hearings last week and this week has held fast to a strict time limit rule of 1 minute for each person to provide public comments.  Given the size of the crowds anticipated for this specific hearing, it is possible that time might be reduced.

February 3rd Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing Agenda Items:

• Issue 1 – BCP [Budget Change Proposal] #1 – Developmental Center Automatic Fire Sprinkler System
• Issue 2 – BCP [Budget Change Proposal] #2 – Fairview Developmental Center Fire Alarm System Upgrade
• Issue 3 – BCP [Budget Change Proposal] #3 – Sonoma Developmental Center Medical Gasses and Oxygen Piping
• Issue 4 -  Prevention Program Budget Bill Language
• Issue 5 – TBL [Trailer Bill Language] – Medi-Cal Management Health Pplans: Lanterman Developmental Center Transitions
• Issue 6 - $750 Million General Fund Reduction [proposed by Governor Brown] and TBL [trailer bill language]

Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearing Agenda on SSI/SSP, IHSS & MSSP:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services is scheduled to meet at about 09:30 AM on Thursday morning – or upon adjournment of the Senate floor session (which Senate staff believe will occur around 09:30 AM), in Room 4203 at the State Capitol – right across from Room 4202 where the Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing on developmental services will be held. 
• Like the Assembly hearing room, there is balcony seating on the 5th floor.
• Senate budget staff indicated today that for the Senate budget subcommittee hearing on February 3rd (covering IHSS, SSI/SSP and MSSP) there will be three public comment periods after the discussion items for: 1) MSSP (under the Department of Aging budget item), 2) SSI/SSP (under the Department of Social Services budget item), and 3) all IHSS proposals (also under the Department of Social Services budget item).
• Senate budget staff said that the discussion period for IHSS will begin with a designated stakeholder panel and then open up more broadly to the general public.

February 3rd Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearing Agenda Items

1. Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development (OSHPD) (Budget Item 4140)
2. Department of Aging (CDA) (Budget Item 4170 - includes MSSP]
3. Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) (Budget Item 5160)
4. Department of Social Services (DSS) [Budget Item 5180 – includes IHSS and SSI/SSP proposals]

NEXT STEPS

• The Legislature is still conducting budget subcommittee hearings, begun last week and continues through the end of next week reviewing and taking public comment on the Governor’s proposals, including his proposals for major permanent cuts to regional centers, IHSS, SSI/SSP Medi-Cal, CalWORKS and other health and human services. 
• Legislature is expected to take action on the Governor’s proposed cuts sometime before the end of this month.  It is not clear yet if they will take the final action on the budget issues the subcommittees have held “open”, in hearings by the full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and the ful Assembly Budget Committee – or if final action will be taken by each subcommittee or if final action will be taken on the floors of each house. 

File Attachments: 

2011-02-03 - Assembly Budget Sub Health and Human Services Agenda.pdf

2011-02-03 - Senate Budget Subcommittee Health And Human Services Agenda - DSS OSHPD CDA DOR.pdf