Volume I Issue 15
February 25, 2008 |
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Calendar
- Monday, March 3 2008
11:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Senate Health & Human Services Appropriations
- Tuesday, March 4, 2008
- 8 a.m.
Regular Session Convenes
Senate Session: 11 a.m. – N/A
House Session: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
House Healthcare Council
- 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
House Healthy Families
- Wednesday, March 5, 2008
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
February 18-22 - House Healthcare Council
The House Healthcare Council met on Tuesday, February 19 and staff gave an overview of the Fiscal year 2007-2008’s budget reductions. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities is scheduled for an $868,346 reduction. This is based upon the 4% release hold-back that has been implemented for all agencies. It mainly affects the APD’s salary budgets and does not impact direct services. The F Y 2008-09 cuts will look at the entire budget.
Council Chairman Aaron Bean said the Revenue Estimating Conference will be meeting again in March and the Legislature will have a better idea of what the financial picture will be. There will be a reduction of approximately $19 million in the entire Health and Human Services appropriations category and it could have been much worse.
Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee
The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee has recommended the same reduction for the current fiscal year, $868,346. The Committee also met on Thursday, February 21 and the Office of program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability gave an overview of a draft report they have been asked to prepare “pursuant to a legislative request” on the placement of the APD and the status of the new client needs assessment process for developing client service plans. OPPAGA representative Jennifer Johnson stated it is important to determine the validity of the new tool. She said the agency has begun the assessment process and has hired many of the 75 OPS employees the Legislature approved to conduct the assessments. She told members the agency has established a fairly comprehensive training process. The assessments will be used to place individuals in the tiers that were established in SB 1124 last session. The report recommended the agency develop a plan setting individual budgets, and once this process is in place the agency will no longer need the Prior Service Authorization contracts.
The agency has provided OPPAGA with information relating to its recently being separated from a large, multi-program health or human services agency (DCFS) as approved by the Florida Legislature in 2004 along with in-depth information about the development of the assessment tool and associated information about the many steps that have been taken towards establishing the validity and reliability of the tool. The agency will continue to work with OPPGA to assist in the development of the report.
House Safety and Security Council
The House Safety and Security Council met on February 20 and discussed HB 233. This bill, sponsored by Representative Tom Anderson, would reclassify the offense of aggravated abuse of elderly person or disabled adult from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. The bill also requires certified law enforcement officers to complete training in the identification and investigation of elder abuse and neglect before. The bill was considered as favorable and referred to the House Policy and Budget Council.
Senate Committee on Education Pre-K – 12
The Senate Committee on Education Pre-K – 12 met on February 20 and discussed SB 856. This bill, sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano, proposes the establishment of the Disability History and Awareness Pilot Project in Hillsborough, Leon, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. The project would be administered by each county's school board. The bill requires that each public school in these counties provide instruction in disability history, people with disabilities, and the disability rights movement and strive to raise disability awareness during Disability History and Awareness Weeks. The bill would appropriate $40,000 for the project. The bill was considered as favorable and referred to the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs.
Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
The Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs met on February 20 and considered Senate Bills 688 and 862. SB 688, sponsored by Senator Victor Crist, addresses developmentally disabled/guardian advocates. The bill proposes that a person being considered for or selected to be a guardian advocate for a person with a developmental disability need not be represented by an attorney unless required by the court. The bill proposes that the court give preference to a health care surrogate, if one has already been designated, when selecting a guardian advocate. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council and the Florida Advocacy Center are working with Senator Crist as the bill moves through the process. The bill was considered favorable and was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
SB 862, sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano, proposes to require the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to submit a report containing a detailed plan to the Governor and the Legislature if the agency or the Legislature proposes to close, or reduce by 20 percent or more, the resident population of the Marianna Sunland or the Tacachale developmental disabilities institutions. The bill would also require the Governor to approve or disapprove the plan. The bill was considered favorable.
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