Budget Conference Committee
CDCAN Report #148-2010: Budget Conference Committee Rejects Governor's Proposal to Suspend AB 3632 Mental Health Special Education Mandate - Votes to Repeal July 1, 2011 Special Disability Adjustment State Mandate
Thu, 2010-08-05 18:14 — chrisBUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REJECTS GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL TO SUSPEND AB 3632 MENTAL HEALTH SPECIAL EDUCATION MANDATE IN LATE NIGHT MEETING
Agrees to $52 Million Cut to Department of Mental Health for AB 3632 Mandate Claims – Approves Repeal of Special Disability Adjustment Mandate Effective July 1, 2011
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 08/04/2010 10:44 PM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego, 40th State Senate District), voted just after 8:40 PM Wednesday evening, to reject the Governor’s proposal to suspend the AB 3632 mental health special education mandate, that will leave the program – at least for the 2010-2011 State Budget year, as is.
The mental health services administered by the counties under AB 3632 impacts thousands of children in special education across California. Federal law requires the states to provide these mental health services to eligible students – but California in 1984 passed a state law that designated the counties with primary responsibility in the State to carry out that federal requirement.
The action by the Budget Conference Committee included approving a reduction of $52 million in state general funds to the Department of Mental Health for payment of AB 3632 claims in the current 2010-2011 State budget year, and approval of additional (augmentation) $133 million in State general funds to the Commission on State Mandates for payments to the counties for prior year AB 3632 mandate claims in 2010-2011.
CDCAN Report #146-2010: Budget Conference Committee Votes to Repeal Two Major IHSS Cuts Enacted in 2009 - Approves Proposal for IHSS Worker "Provider Fee" - Would be Reimbursed - Could Generate $150-200 Millions in New Federal Funds
Tue, 2010-08-03 19:33 — chrisBUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE VOTES TO REPEAL TWO MAJOR IHSS CUTS ENACTED IN 2009 DEALING WITH ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES AND STATE FUNDING FOR WORKER WAGES
Approves Proposal For IHSS Worker Fees That Would Be Matched by Federal Medicaid Funds – IHSS Workers Would Be Reimbursed Immediately - All Actions Need Final Approval of Legislature and Governor As Part of the State Budget Whenever One Emerges
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 08/03/2010 06:20 PM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego, 40th State Senate District), re-convened just before 4:30 PM late this afternoon at the State Capitol and voted to approve a new proposal that could draw down between $150 to $200 million in new matching Medicaid dollars by imposing a fee on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers that would be matched by those new federal funds.
The Budget Conference Committee also approved on a party-line vote, to repeal two major cuts to the IHSS program enacted as part of the 2009-2010 State Budget as passed in February and revised in July 2009 (see below for details). While those two major cuts are currently blocked from implementation by two separate federal lawsuits, the action today by the Budget Conference Committee to repeal those cuts will not take effect until a 2010-2011 State Budget is passed and enacted.
CDCAN Report #145-2010: Budget Conference Committee Convenes - Approves Compromise on AB 1629 Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee Reauthorization and .65% Additional Cut to Most Regional Center Providers & Operations
Tue, 2010-08-03 13:13 — chrisBudget Conference Committee Convenes
Approves Compromise on AB 1629 Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee Reauthorization – Approves .65% Additional Regional Center Cut to Most Providers and Operations for Total Savings of $24 Million – Total Cut Would Total 3.65% - All Actions Need Final Approval of Legislature and Governor As Part of the State Budget Whenever One Emerges
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 08/03/2010 11:34 PM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego, 40th State Senate District), which convened this morning at the State Capitol in Room 4203, took several actions closing several “open” issues including (a full CDCAN Report with more details on reporting on all actions will be released later today):
Note: Assemblymember Connie Conway (Republican – Visalia, 34th Assembly District) was not present at hearing due to a family emergency.
- AB 1629 Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee Renewal (Reauthorization) compromise was approved on a party-line vote of 6 to 3.
- Regional Centers – Approved alternative proposal by the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) a revised by Assemblymember Blumenfield for additional .65% reduction (instead of the Governor’s proposed 1.25% additional cut) to most regional center providers and regional center operations on top of the existing reduction 3% for a total of 3.65% (instead of 4.25%). The overall reduction would total about $24 million State general funds – but some of that savings (about $5.3 million) would come from reverting (putting back) some State general funding. The alternative proposal as revised was approved by the Budget Conference Committee on a party-line vote of 6 to 3. Note: the original Legislative Analyst Office proposal would have reduced the reduction from 1.25% to .75%.
“Open” items are those budget issues where the Assembly and State Senate took a different action on a proposal by the Governor. Proposals where both houses took the same action, are not issues the Budget Conference Committee addresses.
CDCAN Report #144-2010: CA Budget Crisis Continues - US Senate Democrats Back Off From Vote On Bill To Extend Increase In Medicaid Funding to CA and Other States - Budget Conference Committee Scheduled to Meet at State Capitol Tue and Wed
Mon, 2010-08-02 22:37 — chris- US Senate Backs Off On Medicaid Increase Extension
- Budget Conference Committee To Meet Tue & Wed
- Some State Legislative Policy Committees To Meet
No Agreement In Sight On How To Close Over $19 Billion State Budget Shortfall As California Goes Into Its 33rd Day Without A Budget
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 08/02/2010 08:20 PM (Pacific Time)] - US Senate Democrats in Washington, DC backed off from calling for a vote Monday evening on a federal bill with new amendments that would have allocated $16.1 billion to partially extend the temporary increase in Medicaid matching funding to the states including California that experiencing enormous state budget shortfalls. The proposed amendments would also have provided $10 billion in additional funding to local educational agencies.
US Senate Democratic leaders decided against calling for a vote after it was clear that there were not the needed 60 votes to end debate to allow a final vote on the measure.
The new proposal is a dramatically scaled back version – referred to as a “phased down” approach - of several previous unsuccessful attempts by US Senate Democrats to pass a 6 month extension of the full amount of the temporary increase in Medicaid funding to the states.
CDCAN Report #143-2010: Legislature Reconvenes Monday - No End In Sight to Budget Crisis - Budget Conference Committee To Meet Next Week - Some Policy Committees Meeting On Bills - Keith Richman Dies At Age 56
Sat, 2010-07-31 12:40 — chrisNO END IN SIGHT TO BUDGET CRISIS – LEGISLATURE RECONVENES MONDAY– BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO MEET NEXT WEEK
Some Policy Committees Will Meet To Hear Bills Including Senate Human Services Committee on AB 435 – Breaking News: Former Republican Assemblymember Keith Richman Dies at Age 56; Represented 38th Assembly District
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 07/31/2010 11:40 AM (Pacific Time)] With no end in sight to resolve the State’s budget crisis and how to close the $19 billion projected shortfall, the full Legislature will be returning to the State Capitol on Monday (August 2) to reconvene floor sessions and some committee hearings after a month long summer recess, and at least two scheduled meetings of the Budget Conference Committee.
Some policy committees are holding informational or oversight hearings including one focusing on the Long Term Care Ombudsman program on August 2 by the Assembly Long Term Care and Aging Committee, and a hearing on a bill that has generated some controversy, AB 435 dealing with regional centers and whistleblowing, to be heard on August 4th, by the Senate Human Services Committee. (see below for details).
CDCAN Report #137-2010: Budget Conference Committee Meets - No Action Yet On Major "Open Items"
Wed, 2010-07-07 19:09 — chris- Budget Conference Committee Meets – No Action Yet On Major “Open Items”
- Will Meet Again But No Specific Meeting Date – Committee On Call – No Action Yet on AB 3632 Mental Health Special Education Mandate, IHSS, Regional Center Additional 1.25% Cut, AB 1629 Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee or Other Medi-cal “Open” items
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 07/07/2010 05:50 PM (Pacific Time)] – The Budget Conference Committee met today just after 3:30 PM for about 2 hours, covering several “open” items impacting Transportation, Resources, and Public Health.
The Budget Conference Committee however did not take up any of the major “open” budget items including those dealing education, with In-Home Supportive Services, the AB 3632 Mental Health Special Education mandate suspension, the renewal of the AB 1629 Nursing facility Medicaid quality assurance fee, CalWORKS, or the 1.25% additional cut in payments to most regional center providers and operations.
CDCAN Report #136-2010: Budget Conference Committee Meets Today at 3 PM State Capitol Room 4203 To Take Up Several "Open" Budget Items
Wed, 2010-07-07 11:47 — chris- Budget Conference Committee Will Meet Today At 3 PM At State Capitol – No Overall Budget Agreement Near
- Conference Committee Will Take Up Several “Open Items” – Several Key Issues Remain “Open” Including Budget Cut or Savings to IHSS, Additional 1.25% Reduction to Most Regional Center Providers and Operations, Proposed Changes to AB 3632 Mental Health Special Education Mandate, Extension of the AB 1629 Nursing Home Medicaid Quality Assurance Fee
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 07/07/2010 09:50 AM (Pacific Time)] – With California now seven days without a new state budget and no overall agreement near on how to resolve the enormous $20 billion budget shortfall, the Budget Conference Committee will resume its hearings with a meeting today (July 7th, Wednesday) at 3:00 PM at the State Capitol in Room 4203. Today’s hearing is expected to continue the committee’s work on trying to take action on several of the remaining “open” items, though it is not certain yet what specific items they will actually take up this afternoon.
CDCAN Report #125-2010: Budget Conference Committee Adjourns Today - No Action on any Major "Open" Items Except One Foster Care Issue - No Set Date or Time for Next Meeting
Thu, 2010-06-24 17:52 — chris- Budget Conference Committee Adjourns For Today – No Set Date or Time When It Will Meet Next
- Ducheny Wants Various Workgroups Including One on IHSS To Continue Meeting – Hopes All Workgroups Will Be Finished by Next Wednesday So Budget Conference Committee Can Wrap Up Its Work And Send Proposed Budget To State Senate and Assembly Floors
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 06/24/2010 04:00 PM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego) met this afternoon (June 24th) and took action on some “open” budget items in the budget areas covering resources, general government and human services (foster care) and also heard a brief follow-up presentation of realigning or transferring certain State functions and a stream of funding to the counties, and also to review. Except for foster care, none of those actions had direct impact on people with disabilities, mental health needs, the blind, seniors, their families, community organizations, facilities or workers who provide supports and services – though some had indirect impact.
CDCAN Report #124-2010: Budget Conference Committee To Meet Today (June 24th) at 1:30 PM - Will Continue Review of "Open" Budget Items - Also Will Hear Presentation of Realignment (Transferring) Certain State Functions to Counties
Thu, 2010-06-24 12:35 — chris- Budget Conference Committee To Meet Today at 1:30 PM
- Will Continue Reviewing “Open” Budget Items
- Will Hear Follow-up Presentation of Realignment (Transferring) Certain State Functions and Stream of Funding to Counties by Legislative Analyst Office
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 06/24/2010 09:05 AM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego) will meet today (June 24th, Thursday) at 1:30 PM at the State Capitol in Room 4203, to continue presentation of realigning or transferring certain State functions and a stream of funding to the counties, and also to review – though not necessarily to take action – on the remaining “open” items, The meeting time and agenda are subject to change (as it was on Friday, June 18th).
CDCAN Report #121-2010: Hearing Likely This Week But No Scheduled Date or Time - Ducheny Says Committee Will Meet When Various Workgroups Are Ready With Recommendations Or Ideas
Mon, 2010-06-21 12:13 — chris- No Budget Conference Committee Hearing Likely Today
- Ducheny Says Committee Will Meet Next When Various Workgroups Come Up With Some Recommendations or Ideas – Says Another Hearing Will Happen This Week But No Scheduled Time Yet
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 06/21/2010 10:05 AM (Pacific Time)] - The Budget Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Denise Ducheny (Democrat – San Diego) did not take up “open” budget items impacting human services on Friday (June 18th), but did take some action on several “open” issues under the resources, transportation and general government, public safety budget areas.
