Best Life Alliance Legislation
ARRM, along with Best Life Alliance Coalition partners have been engaged in many meetings with key legislators focused on the 7 percent cut and the necessity to support the Best Life Alliance Legislation. Based on conversations we have had with key House members, we anticipate seeing an alternative proposal focused on the Disability Waiver Rate System introduced within the next few weeks. We will provide members a complete analysis of what this proposal contains as soon as we are able to review the language.
ARRM’s Policy Bill
Our policy bill has been introduced in the Senate (SF 174) and is carried by Sen. Paul Utke, we anticipate the bill to be introduced in the House by the end of this week.
ARRM’s ICF Bill
ARRM’s ICF language has been introduced in the House (HF 590) and is carried by Rep. Peter Fischer. The legislation will be introduced in the Senate by the end of this week and will be carried by Sen. Bruce Anderson.
ARRM’s Unfunded Mandate Bill
ARRM’s legislation dealing with unfunded mandates will be introduced in the Senate by the end of this week and will be carried by Sen. Carla Nelson. We are still in the process of confirming an author for the legislation in the House.
Other Key Dates and Updates from the Capitol
Many hearings the last few weeks have focused on information overviews from various departments. With committee deadlines being set this last week we anticipate that the hearing of bills will start to pick up in both the House and Senate.
Committee Deadlines are:
- 1st Deadline: March 15th
- 2nd Deadline: March 29th
- 3rd Deadline: April 12th
Beyond the committee deadline dates, another important date to keep in mind is Tuesday, February 15th, when the Governor’s budget is set to be released.
Looking Ahead
Watch for an Action Alert coming from ARRM and the Best Life Alliance this week. As things begin to pick up at the Capitol it is critical that legislators hear from us on the importance of prioritizing services to people with disabilities.
Please contact me with any questions about ARRM’s policy priorities or questions about other legislative initiatives that are moving forward.
-- Sara Grafstrom, Director of State and Federal Policy