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Capitol Update
Volume 1, Issue 1
March 13, 2008
The 2008 Legislative Session started amidst thunderstorms emphasizing a session that will feature unprecedented revenue shortfalls, forcing legislators to cut services and educational opportunities for the first time in years.
The Healthcare Council in the Florida House of Representatives is using this opportunity to go through General Revenue Programs that have made up the base of Florida's human services budget for years. Previously programs in the base were held sacred and only new programs were scrutinized.
For individuals with developmental disabilities, there are many challenges this budget year. Not only is there the threat to direct services, there is the potential of for- profit managed care organizations being given the opportunity to "fix' the creep of service utilization for waiver recipients and perhaps everyone in the developmental disability service system using valuable state revenue for their profit. If this isn't daunting enough, there are talks of agency mergers and a bill by Senator Lynn that turns over the administration of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to the Agency for Healthcare Administration. This move would eliminate the access, attention to services and quality of the overall program that the agency offers now.
Please contact members of the House Healthcare Council and Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee members to keep the Agency for Persons with Disabilities intact and to say no to for-profit managed care.
SB 2684 - Relating to Optional Payments for Medical Assistance-Crist
Summary - Optional Payments for Medical Assistance; This bill provides for Medicaid eligibility for certain persons with disabilities under a Medicaid buy-in program, subject to specific federal authorization. This program would allow people with disabilities to go back to work without fear of losing their Medicaid, as long as they share in paying for their Medicaid services. EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2008.
Actions
02/29/08 - SENATE - Filed
Identical Bill
HB 1311 - Relating to Optional Payments for Medical Assistance -Reed
02/29/08 - HOUSE - Filed
03/07/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Healthcare Council; Policy & Budget Council
HB 739 - Relating to Guardian Advocates for Persons with Developmental Disabilities-Ambler
Summary - Guardian Advocates for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: This bill provides a list of persons from which court must select a guardian advocate and provides that the guardian advocate need not be represented by an attorney. It revises requirements for petition seeking appointment of guardian advocate and modifies who may be appointed counsel to person with developmental disabilities. It also revises powers and duties of guardian advocate with respect to financial accounting requirements. Effective Date: July 1, 2008
Actions
02/06/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Healthcare Council; Policy & Budget Council
02/11/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Committee on Healthy Families by Healthcare Council
03/04/08 - HOUSE - Favorable with 1 Amendment by Healthy Families; 9 Yeas, 0 Nays
03/05/08 - HOUSE - Now in Healthcare Council
Similar
SB 688-Relating to Developmentally Disabled/Guardian Advocates - Crist
01/09/08 - SENATE - Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Judiciary; Health and Human Services Appropriations
02/20/08 - SENATE - Favorable by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; 7 Yeas, 0 Nays
02/21/08 - SENATE - Now in Judiciary
SB 2028 - Relating to Disabled School Students/Discipline - Duetch
Summary - Disabled School Students/Discipline [SPCC]-This bill requires the training of school personnel concerning procedures for safely restraining students with disabilities in an emergency. Prohibits school personnel from restraining a student with disabilities for a behavioral intervention or when the student is prone. The bill also provides for parental notification of incidents of restraint and provides for an outside review committee. EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2008.
Actions
02/27/08 - SENATE - Referred to Education Pre-K - 12; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations
Identical Bills
HB 1139 - Relating to Discipline of Students with Disabilities by Bucher
03/02/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Schools & Learning Council
SB 2654 - Relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder - Geller
Summary - General Autism Spectrum Disorder; The "Window of Opportunity Act" would require health insurance plans to provide coverage for screening, diagnosis, intervention, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in certain children. The bill prohibits an insurer from denying or refusing coverage or refusing to renew or reissue or terminate coverage based on a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder .The bill includes training provisions for child care personnel and procedures for early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders. EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/01/2009.
Actions
02/29/08 - SENATE - Filed
Compare Bills
HB 1291 - Relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder - Porth
03/07/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Healthcare Council; Policy & Budget Council
HB 1319 - Relating to Medicaid Utilization Management Program - Roberson
Summary - General Medicaid Utilization Management Program-The bill deletes the provision requiring the Agency for Healthcare Administration to develop and implement utilization management program for Medicaid-eligible recipients for management of occupational, physical, respiratory, & speech therapies. There currently are plans to put therapy services for children age 0-21 into for-profit managed care. This bill would terminate those plans. Effective Date: July 1, 2008
Actions
03/07/08 - HOUSE - Referred to Healthcare Council; Policy & Budget Council
Identical Bills
SB 2238 - Relating to Medicaid Utilization Management Program by Garcia
03/07/08 - SENATE - Referred to Health Policy; Health Regulation; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Health and Human Services Appropriations