NCGA: Session Opens and Here Comes The Bills and Budget

BUDGET:

On Wednesday the short session of the North Carolina General Assembly officially began! It was a fairly somber opening as House and Senate members begin the process of tackling the state budget.

The deficit for this years budget is sitting right at 800 million. The key to the budget is how to fill the gap without cutting critical services. Both Senate and House leadership have stated that there are no plans for a major new tax package. There may be some fee adjustments specifically in transportation but a new tax package seems unlikely. This sets up the budget to have minimal expansions and targeted cuts.

Two things to keep an eye on through this process will be how much of the Governor's recommendations on expansions make it into the Senate budget and how different are the target numbers from the Governor's budget.

We will get our first look tomorrow at 10:00AM when the Senate HHS Appropriation Subcommittee rolls out its budget.

Look for a Senate full appropriation meeting on Monday and a start of floor votes by Wednesday. If all of this happens it will mean the Senate is releasing its budget on schedule. It also means the quickest budget roll out in any legislative session that we have seen.

BILLS:

The start of session means not only the budget roll out but all the filing of bills. Here are some of interest to our community. Committee meetings will start next week in the House.

HOUSE BILL 1682 -Short Title: Ban Corp. Punish. for Children W/Disability (Public)

Sponsors: Representatives Glazier, M. Alexander, Lucas, Rapp (Primary Sponsors);  Adams, Brown, Carney, Cotham, Earle, Farmer-Butterfield, Fisher, Gill, Goforth, Harrison, Hughes, Insko, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Luebke, Mobley, Neumann, Parfitt, Pierce, Tarleton, Weiss, Whilden, and Yongue.

Referred to: Education, if favorable, Judiciary II.

A bill entitled an act to prohibit the use of corporal punishment for students with disabilities as recommended by the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.

SENATE BILL 1138-Short Title: Ban Corp. Punish. for Children W/Disabilit. (Public)

Sponsors: Senators Foriest,  Dorsett and Hartsell.

HOUSE BILL 1683-Short Title: Amend Sunset/Children w/Disab. (Public)  

Sponsors: Representatives Glazier, Lucas, E. Warren, Yongue (Primary Sponsors); Adams, Brown, Carney, Goforth, Harrison, Hughes, Insko, Jackson, Johnson,Neumann, Parfitt, Pierce, Rapp, and Tarleton.

Referred to: Education, if favorable, Judiciary II.

An act to delay the sunset of an act pertaining to the discipline and homebound instruction of students with disabilities as recommended by the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee. The bill would move the sunset date from March 1, 2011 to June 1, 2013.

SENATE BILL 1140-Short Title: Amend Sunset/Children w/Disab.(Public)

Sponsors: Senators Foriest,  Tillman, Dorsett, Hartsell, and Stevens.

HOUSE BILL 1692-Short Title: Medicaid Dental/Special Needs Population. (Public)

Sponsors: Representatives Farmer-Butterfield, Weiss, Pierce, England (Primary Sponsors);  Adams, M. Alexander, Brisson, Carney, Dockham, Earle, Fisher, E. Floyd, Gill,Glazier, Harrison, Hughes, Insko, Jones, McLawhorn, Mobley, Parfitt, Parmon, Ross, Spear, Tarleton, Wainwright, R. Warren, and Whilden.

Referred to: Aging, if favorable, Health.

An act to require the Division of Medical Assistance, and the Division of Public Health in the Department of Health and Human Services to explore issues related to providing dental services to the special needs population as recommended by the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging.

 

HOUSE BILL 1693-Short Title: Develop Special Needs Dental Care Workforce. (Public)

Sponsors: Representatives Farmer-Butterfield, England, Weiss, Pierce (Primary Sponsors); Adams, M. Alexander, Brisson, Carney, Dockham, Fisher, E. Floyd, Gill,

Glazier, Harrison, Hughes, Parfitt, Parmon, Ross, Wainwright, R. Warren, and Whilden.

Referred to: Aging, if favorable, Health.

An act to direct the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program to coordinate workforce development efforts to increase the number of dental care providers serving the special needs populations, as recommended by the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging.

 

HOUSE BILL 1694-Short Title: Comsn. on Children with Special Needs-Dentist. (Public)

Sponsors: Representatives Farmer-Butterfield, Pierce, Weiss, England (Primary Sponsors);  Adams, M. Alexander, Brisson, Carney, Dockham, Fisher, E. Floyd, Gill, Glazier, Harrison, Hughes, Insko, Jones, McLawhorn, Mobley, Moore, Parfitt, Parmon, Ross, Tarleton, Wainwright, R. Warren, and Whilden.

Referred to: Health, if favorable, Ways and Means/Broadband Connectivity.

An act to add a licensed dentist to the commission on children with special health care needs, as recommended by the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging.