Monday Quick Hits: This Weeks Policy News of Importance

North Carolina Policy:

Transportation Update:
The News and Observer reported today that Governor Mike Easley is going to be announcing a special commission to discuss transportation issues in North Carolina. Transportation is very important to the disability community in North Carolina.

DD/MH/SAS Legislative Oversight Committee:
On Wednesday, October 31, the second meeting of the MH/DD/SAS Legislative Oversight Committee will be taking up the issue of Substance Abuse Services in North Carolina.

Federal Policy:

FY 2008 Appropriations:
House and Senate conferees are expected to resolve the differences ($1.9 billion) in spending for the FY 2008 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. This bill could be the first (out of twelve) FY 2008 appropriations bill sent to the White House for action by the President. The President has continued to send out strong veto threats on this bill since it spends more than the Administration budget request for these three departments. The bill might be sent as a single bill or combined with another appropriations bill (e.g. Veterans Administration and Military Construction) that the President wants to sign into law.

Health Care-SCHIP:

A vote is expected on SCHIP on Wednesday, October 31. The Senate will take up the revised version of the bill that passed the House on Thursday of last week. H.R. 3963 does include the CMS moratorium language. The Office of Management and Budget states that President Bush will veto this legislation.

Transportation:

On Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is planning to markup a bill to clarify that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can consider Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in determining whether a bus company is fit to operate in interstate commerce.

(Special thanks to DPC for the Federal Update)