The Arc of North Carolina Policy Blog: Monday Quick Hits: Hot Policy Topics for This Week

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday Quick Hits: Hot Policy Topics for This Week

After discussing the budget and the deficit for over three months, the actual legislative work on the budget for FY 2011 begins this week. All of the appropriation subcommittees will be meeting jointly to receive staff overview reports. Of interest to our readers is the appropriation subcommittee on Health and Human Services and the appropriation subcommittee on Education. Also in the mix this week is a committee meeting on state personnel issues.

Three bills of interest are on the calendar this week also. This evening the Senate will complete its debate on S13: Balanced Budget Act. This bill targets specific line items of the current budget that will be targeted for additional cuts. This bill hopes to get an additional savings of $400 million to add a cushion for the next budget cycle.

Senate Judiciary II will take up H2: Protect Health Care Freedom Act. This bill which past the House last week will add North Carolina to the 28 state federal lawsuit that seeks to exempt states from the Affordable Health Care Act individual mandate.

Also this week, Senate Education will take up H8: No Cap on Number of Charter Schools. This bill seeks to remove the cap that currently exists on charter schools in our state. There will be a committee substitute for the current bill that is listed on line.

We will be following all of these committee meetings this week.

Here is the calendar for the week:

Monday, February 07, 2011
5:30 PM Session Convenes (Senate)

6:00 PM Session Convenes (House)

Tuesday, February 08, 2011
8:30 AM Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Joint) 421 LOB

8:30 AM Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services (Joint) 643 LOB

10:00 AM Judiciary II (Senate) 1124 LB
Protect Health Care Freedom. (H2) 1124 LB

10:00 AM Education (House) 643 LOB

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
8:30 AM Finance (Senate) 544 LOB

8:30 AM Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Joint) 421 LOB

10:00 AM Education/Higher Education (Senate) 544 LOB
No Cap on Number of Charter Schools. (S8)

12:00 NOON State Personnel (House) 544 LOB

Thursday, February 10, 2011
8:30 AM Finance (Senate) 544 LOB

8:30 AM Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Joint) 421 LOB

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The Arc of North Carolina 2011 Legislative Agenda.

The Arc of North Carolina advocates for and with families and people with cognitive and developmental disabilities. We believe that the following legislative agenda promotes our goals of advocacy, inclusion, and access to the communities we live in.

The Arc of North Carolina Proposed Policy Agenda 2011

Budget:

The Arc of North Carolina understands the current budget constraints that the state of North Carolina finds itself in due to the economic recession. During this critical time it is more important than ever to protect needed services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We encourage the members of the General Assembly to do the following things to protect the integrity of community-based services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in our state.

No additional cuts to state-funded services for people with developmental disabilities.
Create a separate Developmental Disability management structure within DHHS.
Apply for 1915 (i) State Plan services for adults with developmental disabilities targeting supports that currently utilize state general fund appropriations and utilizing those funds a Medicaid match.
If Managed Care is inevitable, consider a statewide 1915b Developmental Disability Only Managed Care Waiver with 1915i services included.
Add an additional CAP-DD Waiver for people with developmental disabilities who have significant behavioral and or medical needs.
Raise the Supports Waiver limit to 25 thousand dollars.
Utilize the Supports Intensity Scale as an initial eligibility tool for entrance into the CAP waivers with a reconsideration process utilizing other information.
Manage all of developmental disability services from a state system utilizing existing local structures where appropriate.

Housing:
Fair Housing Act Amendment.

This legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis or receipt of housing assistance. Many people with disabilities receive housing assistance. This legislation if passed would assist in opening more housing opportunities to the disability community.

Education:
Study ways to allow students with developmental disabilities to access current courses in our community college system. Included in this study we must look at ways to offer real job skill training to students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

HB 344: Tax Credits for Children with Disabilities

Other:

SB 248: Update Archaic Disability Terms

HB 234: Juror Qualifications/Disability

The Arc of North Carolina

Welcome to The Arc of North Carolina's official policy blog. The Arc has been serving people with disabilities for more than 50 years. In an effort to reach out to our statewide community about issues that effect us we have established this blog.

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