Health and Human Service Omnibus Policy Bill
Last week, the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee passed out of committee an Omnibus Policy Bill. The bill includes all of three of ARRM's policy initiatives, which you can find more information about here.
In the House, a similar bill was presented to committee for discussion this last Wednesday. ARRM’s three policy initiatives were also included in this legislation and, since we were unable to have a hearing prior to the COVID crisis, we were granted time on Wednesday to present the bill and answer questions from committee members. The House Health and Human Services Policy Committee will reconvene next Wednesday to discuss any proposed amendments and pass the bill out of committee.
It was shared during committee that it is the desire of both the House and Senate to pass the same bill off both the House and Senate floor in an effort to avoid the need for a conference committee. With that in mind, any differences will need to be worked out before the bills are brought up for a full vote.
ARRM is continuing to work with our lead authors in both the Senate and the House to address any concerns other members may have around our proposals and ensure that are our language is included in the final bill.
Disability Specific COVID-19 Relief
Over the last two weeks, the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee has also been discussing legislation that would offer financial relief to the disability community during the COVID-19 crisis. The bill would provide grants to day service providers who are unable to provide services during the COVID crisis, would defer TEFRA payments for families during the peacetime emergency, would suspend the monthly limit of hours a PCA can work, would provide a temporary rate increase for non-emergency medical transportation and would provide a temporary rate increase for both PCA and HCBS services.
ARRM sent this letter in support of the legislation to the committee. In the letter, we also highlighted the need that ICF providers are having at this time, and asked the committee’s consideration that they be included in any potential COVID relief moving forward.
In the House, a hearing is scheduled for next Monday to discuss a temporary rate increase for PCA services. While we have not seen the bill language that is being proposed, the description does not include Home and Community Based Services. ARRM is working with other members of the Best Life Alliance on a letter to House Health and Human Service Finance Committee members about the need to also be including Direct Support Professionals in any kind of temporary wage increases.
We will be following up with members when we know more following that hearing next week.
Ombudsmen Letter
This week during the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy we also saw testimony from the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Roberta Opheim following this letter that she sent to the Senate COVID-19 Working Group.
ARRM’s lobbyist Phil Griffin participated in the conversation on behalf of ARRM and was able to convey the desire of providers to ensure the health and safety of both the individuals they support and the staff they employ while maintaining the rights of the individuals. DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead also provided comments on what the Department has done in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Looking Ahead
We are anticipating an updated budget forecast to be released in early May. There is wide-spread speculation that our original $1.5 billion surplus will be gone and the state may be facing . This of course will play a leading role in how the legislature chooses to conclude that remaining few weeks of session, as a reminder, the legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn by midnight on Monday, May 18th.
Please contact me with any questions at sgrafstrom@arrm.org
--Sara Grafstrom, Director of State and Federal Policy