Wednesday, September 3, 2008

2008 North Carolina Legislative Summary

During this past session, legislative leaders and people with developmental disabilities, cognitive disabilities, their family members and advocates worked together to fund important programs that help people access health care, affordable housing options and services.  Here is The Arc of North Carolina's Legislative Summary of the 2008 Budget.


Budget:

Funds for CAP/MR-DD Slots: SB 1794 and HB 2361
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)
$10,000,000 recurring

During fiscal year 2008-2009 this will be annualized to $6.6 million. In fiscal year 2009-2010 we will see the full $10 million. The Special provisions with this appropriation direct priority to Tier 1 Support Waiver Slots. North Carolina Piedmont Behavior Health Care, our state’s 1915B and C waivers, will receive a per-capita share of the slots made available through this new appropriation.

Housing 400 Initiative: (Session Law 2008-107 Budget)
$7,000,000 non-recurring and $1,000,000 recurring

Continuing the MH/DD/SA Housing Initiative-Housing Trust Fund
7 million dollars in non-recurring funding. ($2 million of which is realigned from the Mental Health Trust Fund)This appropriation will be directed to the financing of additional independent and supportive living apartments for people with disabilities who have incomes at the Supplement Security Income level.

Continuing the MH/DD/SA Housing Initiative-Operating Cost Subsidy$1 million dollars in recurring funding. This appropriation provides the necessary funding for operating cost subsidies for independent-and supportive-living apartments for individuals with disabilities.

HUD 811 Direct Support Service Dollars: SB 1850 and HB 2477
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$129,331 recurring and $155,000 non-recurring
This appropriation request by The Arc of North Carolina would direct funds to four HUD 811 projects. The projects are located in Wake, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Buncombe counties.

START Crisis Model
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$1,737,250 recurring and $138,993 non-recurring
This appropriation will provide funding for 6 (six) Developmental Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Respite, and Treatment Crisis Model Teams that are community based. Funding is $1,737,250 dollars recurring and $138,993 dollars non-recurring.

Respite Beds for Developmental Disabilities.
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$903,375 recurring and $177,617 non-recurring
The funding includes $903,375 dollars in recurring funding and $177,617 dollars in non-recurring funding. It will provide the funding required to start-up on continue support of 12 respite crisis beds for individuals with developmental disabilities across the State.

Funding for Special Needs Programs: HB 2169
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$6,200,000 recurring
The appropriation was for $17 million. In the final budget there was $6.2 million to increase the per student rate for children with special needs.

Traumatic Brain Injury Services: HB 2552 Funds/TBI Services
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$1,000,000 recurring
The final budget provided $1 million dollars in recurring funding to assist people with traumatic brain injury receive needed services.

Beyond Academics: Intellectual Disabilities Transition Program: HB 2206 Funds/Beyond Academics
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)
$200,000 non-recurring
Beyond Academics is a non-degree university-based program for students with developmental disabilities that supports the participants in living as independently as possible. This model program received $200,000 dollars in non-recurring funding.

Medically-Fragile Children’s Program: SB 2083 Funds for PSA Health Care, Inc.
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$360,000 non-recurring
The appropriation included $290,000 dollars allocated from the Social Services Block Grant and $70,000 dollars from the General Fund. This funding is directed to a daycare program for medically fragile high need children.

Early Intervention for Autism: HB 2131/SB 1824 Funds/Autism Early Intervention
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$1,875,000 recurring
This funding request saw an increase from the House budget. The House budget appropriated $1,300,000 dollars non- recurring for Early Intervention. In the final budget the appropriation was increased to $1,875,000 dollars, designated as recurring funding and a breakdown of direction for funding was detailed. $625,000 to the Autism Society of North Carolina for training and collaboration with model programs and community agencies to increase availability of autism early intervention services. $1,250,000 will be directed to the department to contract directly for three model programs of early intervention services.

Autism Awareness and Education Video: SB 1892: Autism Committee Recommendations
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$30,000 non-recurring
The appropriation was for $30,000 non-recurring funding. This will provide the necessary funds to develop a video for autism education and awareness for public officials, including judicial branch officials. The funds will be allocated to the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

HB 2433: Funds for Discharge Planning/Developmental Disabilities
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)(Section 10.15t Special Provisions)

Directs the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services to assist Local Management Entities in using up to 5% (five percent) of the LMEs developmental disability funds to help successfully transition individuals from developmental disability centers into the community.

Drop Out Prevention:
(Session Law 2008-107 Budget)

$15,000,000 non recurring
This funding will support additional grants to schools that are creating effective Drop Out Prevention programs.

Ticket To Work: Budget Special Provision (Session Law 2008-107)

Special Provision in the Budget restores the implementation date for this program to July 1, 2008.

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