The 2020 Legislative Session adjourned sine die on Sunday at midnight with a lot of things left undone.
The session’s trajectory was drastically changed with the COVID-19 crisis, taking a projected $1.6 billion surplus in February and turning it into a projected $2.4 billion deficit by early May. Legislators began working remotely starting in April, altering the way committee hearings and floor sessions operated while public access to the State Capitol and Senate and House offices were restricted. All of these dynamics led to a rocky end of the regular session, with a special session imminent.
Here are a few things that DID NOT get completed:
-
A bonding bill
-
A tax bill
-
A supplemental appropriations package
-
Many omnibus policy bills, such as the Human Services Reform Finance and Policy omnibus bill
-
Ratification of state worker contracts
Additionally, ARRM’s legislative agenda contained three policy provisions that were included in the broader Human Services Reform Finance and Policy omnibus bill that was carried by Senator Abeler and Representative Moran (SF 3322). This bill passed off the Senate floor mid-week last week but was NOT taken up before the midnight deadline in the House. As a reminder, ARRM’s provisions that are included in this bill include:
-
Extension of the sunset date to add a 5th person to a home
-
Extending the timeline for a 45 day planning meeting
-
Allowing the Designated Coordinator to deem someone competent to provide training and determine competency of items in a CSSP Addendum
Other items contained in this bill of significance to the disability community include:
-
Sexual violence prevention training for Direct Support Professionals
-
Employment First, Self-Direction First, and Independent Living First policy statements
-
Prohibition on the use of restrictive & deprivation procedures on children with Autism accessing the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention benefit
-
Technical change to the Medical Assistance spend down
-
Consumer Directed Community Supports codification
-
Flexibility for the Department of Human Services to continue waiving certain statutory regulations in response to COVID-19
As for ARRM’s other legislative agenda items including a rate increase for ICF’s, changing unit respite to a market rate, adjusting the absence and utilization for IHS with Training and making additional changes to the Competitive Workforce Factor- the legislature halted all future spending bills given the future uncertainty of the state’s economic forecast and therefore, none of these items were adopted.
A few items that were passed by the legislature during the regular session include:
-
Omnibus data practices bill
-
Omnibus agriculture bill
-
Health and Human Services omnibus policy bill
-
Omnibus transportation bill
-
Omnibus education finance bill
-
Omnibus elections bill
-
Alex Smith Insulin Affordability Act
-
Drug Pricing Transparency Act
-
Raising the age to purchase tobacco products to 21
-
Expanded Safe Seniors Financial Protection Act
-
Guardianship reform bill
-
Elimination of the term “ward”
-
Time-limited guardianship of young adults
-
Definition of supported decision making
-
Strengthened Bill of Rights for persons subject to guardianship
-
Strengthened consideration of less-restrictive alternatives before a judge will approve a guardianship order
As we look ahead, the Governor, as well as the leaders in the Senate and House have signaled that a special session will be coming, with mid-June being discussed as a possible date to reconvene. We have already begun speaking with our legislative allies to make sure that the Human Services Omnibus bill is included in a potential special session.
Please look for more information from me as we move through the next few weeks, thank you for all you do.
--Sara Grafstrom, Director of State and Federal Policy