|
The House and Senate intensified their focus on
the state budget this week. Neither budget contains dramatic,
across-the-board reductions at this point. However, halfway through the
legislative session a clearly defined budget package from either side
has yet to emerge. One thing is clear. The House and Senate are taking
widely different approaches to balancing the budget, which will leave
much work to do if they are to find middle ground before the end of
regular session. Early
budget figures released by the House last week show Health and Human
Service programs generally doing better than in the Senate. Speculation is that the House plan
uses most of the federal stimulus funding ($5 billion) in one year, as
information available at this time is unclear on stimulus monies.
Meanwhile, the Senate's budget raises more revenue and applies the
federal windfall over two years, what some call a more responsible
approach. Because the federal stimulus money is non-recurring dollars,
budget analysts worry that using most of the federal funds in one year
creates a "financial cliff" for the 2010-11 budget year.
The reality of the enormous revenue shortfall is sinking
in and legislators are warming up to the idea of enacting the new
revenues despite previous resistance. Monday, Senate Finance and Tax
Committee Chair Sen. Thad Altman announced that he would back an
expanded version of a cigarette fee hike that would raise taxes by $1 a
pack and include all tobacco products. The House hinted that it too may
be amenable to some kind of tobacco fee. Both the House and Senate also
are including some variation of a Gaming Compact in their budgets with
the Senate's being broader than that of the House. On education
funding, the House plan brings good news for schools, thanks to
stimulus money. House K-12 Education Appropriations Chairwoman Anitere
Flores was able to add more than $800 million in stimulus money to the
House schools budget, for an increase of about $30 per student for the
coming year. State officials also received the official application
Wednesday for a waiver that would allow the state to pull down more
federal stimulus funds to help pay for schools.
With the proposals taking
shape late in the process, and differences in how to fix the serious
budget woes, veterans of the process are predicting an extended or
special session.
|
PROPOSED
CHANGES (+/-) TO BUDGET AS OF 4/2/09
|
|
ISSUE
|
SENATE
|
HOUSE
|
COMMENT
|
|
School Readiness
|
0
|
0
|
Maintained at FY 08-09 levels to
qualify for stimulus funding
|
|
VPK (Non-admin.)
|
0
|
0
|
AWI admin cut 14 FTEs
|
|
Healthy Start
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Healthy Families
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Early
Steps
|
$3 M
|
0
|
Senate uses federal funds
|
|
Children's Medical Services
|
0
|
0
|
Elected hospitals small reduction
|
|
Community Based Care (CBC)
|
- $9 M
|
0
|
|
|
CBC - 2008 session $9.8 M shortfall
|
0
|
$5 M
|
|
|
Child Protection Invesigation
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Independent Living
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Adoption Maintenance Subsidies
|
$17.1 M
|
0
|
|
|
JAC
|
-$2 M
|
-$3 M
|
|
|
CINS/FINS
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Children's Week Highlights Importance of Investing in Kids
A record number of
families, children, and advocates converged on the Capitol in
Tallahassee this week to promote the health, safety and well being of
Florida's children and families. In a year when Florida lawmakers must
decide how to close a $6.5-billion funding gap, the human face that
children bring to budget cuts couldn't be more timely. In addition to
shining a spotlight on children's issues, participants also celebrated
the successes of local programs in their communities that are making a
difference in the lives of children and their families. On Tuesday, Lt.
Governor Jeff Kottkamp launched the 14th Annual Children's Week
during a ceremony at the Capitol. He was joined by Jim Kallinger,
Florida's Chief Child Advocate, Sen. Nan Rich, Rep. Bill Galvano,
United Methodist Church Bishop Tim Whitaker, and Ted Granger, President
of The United Way of Florida.
|
Students Speak With One Voice at Town Hall Meeting
A student panel composed of middle, high school and
college students met with members of the Children and Youth Cabinet
Tuesday during the 2nd annual Kids Only Town Hall meeting.
During a moderated question-and-answer session, the students revealed
their concerns in a number of areas, including cuts to education and
the effect on early learning, mentoring programs, screening and
assessment, foster youth transitioning into adulthood, afterschool, and
health care for kids. In response to the question about children
without health care, cabinet member and former House representative
Loranne Ausley pointed out that Florida has a program in place to help
address the health care problem for many children - KidCare - but much
remains to be done to address the alarming numbers of uninsured
children in Florida. She touted
streamlining bill under consideration again this year which would make
it easier for kids to get in, and stay in, the program. The dialogue between students and Cabinet members
continued for more than an hour in the Tallahassee City Hall Chamber.
In addition to meeting Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and other members of
the Cabinet, students also had the opportunity to meet Gov. Charlie
Crist who offered a few remarks at the start of the meeting.
|
FCSC Board Member Receives 2009 Chiles Advocacy Award
 Florida's Chief Child Advocate Jim Kallinger
presented FCSC Board Member Jim Mills with the 2009 Chiles Advocacy
Award during the Children's Week Advocacy Dinner Monday night in
Tallahassee. Kallinger, and as well as everyone in attendance, honored
Mills for his 22-year history as Executive Director of JWB-CSC of
Pinellas County where he worked to move from funding deficient-focused
programming to an asset-based prevention and intervention strategy.
Mills was also recognized for being part of the effort to pass enabling
legislation that allows any county in Florida to establish, by referendum,
a special taxing district for children. "Jim Mills is truly a
pioneer in children's advocacy," said Jim Kallinger. "His
life has been dedicated to the identification of innovative ways to
help improve the quality of life for Florida's children and
youth."
The Chiles Advocacy Award is named for the late Governor Lawton Chiles
and his wife Rhea, who brought awareness to and elevated the critical
importance of issues related to Florida's children, and helped craft
state and national policies to benefit children and their families. The
Chiles Advocacy Award is given annually to a Floridian who has
demonstrated a commitment over many years to advocating for public
policies that improve the lives of Florida's children. Past winners
include: 1999 Rhea Chiles; 2000 Susan Muenchow; 2001 Linda Merrill;
2002 David Lawrence; 2003 BeBe Furnside; 2004 Budd Bell; 2005 Ed
Feaver; 2006 Ann Levy; 2007 Karen Woodall; and 2008 Maryann Barry.
The entire FCSC family congratulates Jim on this
well-deserved honor.
|
Property
Tax Cap Bill Continues to Move
HJR 385 by Rep.
Rivera (R-Miami-Dade) passed the Finance & Tax Council Wednesday.
The bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit ad valorem taxes
levied by all jurisdictions (schools, cities, counties and districts)
to 1.35 percent of the taxable value (the equivalent of 13.5 mills).
House staff projects a $6.3 billion reduction in local government
revenues in the first year of implementation. No action was taken on
the Senate companion bill (SJR 738), but it was discussed by the Revenue and
Estimating Impact Conference.
TABOR Bill Unlikely
A measure calling
for local governments to seek voter approval before raising taxes seems
dead for this session after the
bill's Senate sponsor again postponed action on the controversial item.
During the meeting of the Senate Government Oversight and
Accountability Committee, chairman and bill sponsor Sen. Mike
Haridopolos (R-Brevard) postponed action on SJR 1906, also
known as the TABOR bill. It's the third time he has done so. The bill
would limit revenue increases to inflation plus population growth
unless voters approve it or a supermajority of local officials take a
vote. Local government groups have criticized the plan saying it could
paralyze local officials already strapped for cash.
Cigarette Taxes Get
Support in Senate
Chairman of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee Sen. Thad
Altman announced Monday he is backing an expanded version of a
cigarette fee hike that would raise taxes by $1 a pack. During a news
conference he said the Finance and Tax Committee's package would
include SB 1840. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Deutch
(D-Palm Beach) also now will call for a $1 per ounce surcharge to other
tobacco-based products, including cigars, chewing tobacco and snuff.
Altman said the proposal was primarily to address a health care need,
despite the fact that backers say it could generate $850 million for a
state beleaguered by budget troubles.
Senate Looks to Revenue from Gaming Compact
A Senate proposal, SB 788 by Sen.
Dennis Jones (R-Pinellas), that would generate at least $400 million a year in revenue for the
state, plus a sliding percentage of winnings, has been placed on the
agenda of the Policy & Steering Committee on Ways and Means. A
House committee looking into the issue is not expected to go as far as
the Senate bill. Rep. Ken Roberson said the House wants to renegotiate
the compact to "get the best deal out of this." Earlier in
the week, the legislature's economists issued a report on estimated
revenues. View the report.
Worst to First Kicks off
Campaign to put Florida Kids First
 FCSC
stood with dozens of children's advocates from around the state during
Children's Week at the Florida Capitol, as Lawton "Bud"
Chiles III announced a statewide campaign to push for better
investments in children's health and education. The Worst to First
campaign is organizing children's advocates through an online network
at www.WorstToFirst.org,
and Chiles announced he will lead a listening tour across Florida later
this year to rally Floridians. "We have witnessed a tragic decline
over the last decade in support for the well being of Florida's
children. This is a moment where success can only come through shared
commitment to investing in our communities, not just with money but
with our time and energy," said Chiles, president of The Lawton
Chiles Foundation. "We have
to change things. We have to
build a force of people that will not be quiet until this state is
leading the way for our children again."
Florida consistently
places at or near the bottom of independently compiled rankings of
state performance on children's health and education. For example,
Florida currently has the second highest percentage of uninsured
children in the nation, and Florida ranks 45th in the nation in high
school graduation rates. A 2008 study by The Commonwealth Fund ranked
Florida 50th out of all states and the District of Columbia on an index
of Child Health System Performance, ranking above only Oklahoma. The
web site includes tools to organize advocates, support programs, and
compile the latest research on children's health and education. Updates
on the Worst to First Campaign will be included in future FCSC publications.
|
Florida
KidCare Bill to be Heard in Senate Committee Monday
KidCare bill, SB 918 by Sen.
Nan Rich (D-Broward), is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health
Regulation Committee on Monday, April 6. Calls, e-mail messages and
personal visits from advocates helped make this possible. SB 918 will
remove barriers to KidCare and make it easier for families to enroll
uninsured eligible children, and help eligible children currently
enrolled not lose their coverage. Thousands of children needlessly lose
coverage every month in the complex KidCare program. Passing this bill
will better position Florida to qualify for federal bonus dollars under
the Child Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (CHIP) recently passed
by Congress. Future federal funding allocation to the states under
the federal-state partnership will be based on the states implementing
some key streamlining provisions that are included in SB 918.
TAKE ACTION: Please contact
the Senate Health Regulation Committee Chair and members to reinforce
how important the bill to streamline the Florida KidCare program is to
the thousands of uninsured low-income children in Florida.
Senate Health Regulation Committee
Sen. Don Gaetz,
Chair 850-488-5009 gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Thad
Altman 850-487-5053
altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Mikd
Bennett 850-487-5078
bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Andy Gardiner 850-487-5047
gardiner.andy.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Dennis
Jones 850-487-5065
jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Eleanor Sobel 850-487-5097
sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Dave Aronberg
850-487-5356 aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov
Sen. Al
Lawson 850-487-5004
lawson.alfred.web@flsente.gov
~ Submitted by Linda Merrill,
Florida Child Healthcare Coalition
Booster Seat Bill Up on Monday
SB 1404 by Sen.
Thad Altman (R-Brevard) will be up in Senate Criminal Justice on
Monday, April 6. The bill requires booster seats for children aged 4
through 7.
TAKE
ACTION: Please contact Criminal Justice Chair Sen. Paula Dockery
and committee members and let them know how important this bill is to
ensure the safety of Florida's children.
|
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
ELC
Consolidation Bill Heavily Debated
SB 2570 by Sen. Stephen Wise (R-Duval) passed the
Senate Commerce Committee by a 6-4 vote on Wednesday. Two senators who
voted yes voiced concerns about the proposal. The bill was heavily
debated. Florida CSC, The Children's Trust, and the Children's Board of
Hillsborough County all voiced strong opposition to the bill along with
the Association of ELCs. In addition to eliminating 11 of the 31 coalitions,
the bill reduces the number of members on the remaining governing
boards, shifts authority from the local level to the Florida Agency for
Workforce Innovation, potentially jeopardizes local quality rating
systems, and increases the number of children that must be served by
each ELC. The bill now goes to the Senate Education/Pre-K Committee. A
similar House bill, HB 501 by Rep.
Greg Evers (R-Santa Rosa), has yet to be heard, diminishing the
likelihood of final passage.
|
Dangerous Bill to Expand Detention Heads to House
Floor
A bill that is less
favorable for youth in the juvenile justice system has made it through
its last stop at the Full Appropriations Council on General Government
& Health Care. HB 173 by Rep.
Sandy Adams (R-Seminole) authorizes a court to retain jurisdiction over
a child and the child's parent or guardian until the costs, fees, and
costs associated with court-appointed counsel are satisfied.
DJJ Blueprint Commission
SB 2128 by Sen.
Victor Crist (R-Hillsborough) was passed by Children, Families, and
Elder Affairs. The bill seeks reform recommendations made by the
Blueprint Commission regarding the Florida Department of Juvenile
Justice. The House companion, HB 1211 by Rep.
Luis Garcia (D-Miami-Dade), was also found favorable by Criminal & Civil Justice
Policy Council. The legislation aims to begin reforms of Florida's
juvenile justice system by diverting youth, protecting victims of
juvenile crime and addressing issues surrounding over-representation of
minority youth. The bill continues the implementation of the 2008
Blueprint Commission's recommendations.
Juvenile Justice Policy
Research Institute
SB 2218 by Sen.
Stephen Wise's (R-Duval) passed favorably with 2 amendments by
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (483354, 967652). The bill would require DJJ to establish
the Juvenile Justice Policy Research Institute within the agency.
Additionally, the bill provides that public defenders are available to
juveniles at all stages of delinquency court proceedings, and provides
for Medicaid eligibility for juveniles committed to certain residential
juvenile programs.
Services for Youth in the Juvenile Justice
SB 2094 by Sen.
Victor Crist (R-Hillsborough) passed
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs. The bill would make changes to
the juvenile justice chapter, along with conforming changes to a few
other relevant statutes such as the "Children and Families in Need
of Services" (CINS/FINS) statute and the "Comprehensive Child
and Adolescent Mental Health Services Act" in an effort to enhance
services for youth in the juvenile justice system. The House companion
(HB 1475) passed
the Criminal & Civil Justice Policy Council, and is now in Criminal
& Civil Justice Appropriations.
|
INDEPENDENT LIVING / FOSTER CARE
Concurrent Custody
HB 1519 by Rep.
Rich Glorioso (R-Hillsborough) establishing concurrent custody for relative
caregivers passed unanimously out of the House Criminal and Civil
Justice Council and moves to Policy Council next. Senate companion, SB 1888 by Sen.
Storms, will be heard in Judiciary on Monday, April 6, at 4 pm.
TAKE ACTION: Contact members of the Senate Judiciary
Committee and urge them to support SB 1888.
Bills to Help Foster Youth
Maintain Education
SB 1128 by Children, Families, and Elder
Affairs; Education Pre-K - 12, passed out of the Senate
Judiciary Committee. This bill addresses problems faced by foster youth
in continuing/ maintaining their education (such as enrollment when
their placement changes) and provides supports for youth in school
passed in both chambers.
|
Bill
Gives Grandparents and Other Relatives a Voice
HB 381 by Rep.
Nick Thompson (R-Lee) passed through Full Appropriations Council on General Government & Health
Care this week. The bill
makes a number of changes to chapter 39, Florida Statutes, relating to
grandparents and other relatives caring for children. This bill
provides, in part, that: DCF's quality assurance program must analyze
unaccepted reports to the abuse hotline by identified relatives as part
of its review of screened out hotline calls; a relative may request to
receive notification of all proceedings and hearings related to a child
and the attorney for the department must provide such notification to a
relative who requests it; authority to develop liaison functions under
the relative caregiver program for relatives who care for children;
physicians and mental health professionals engaged in the care or
treatment of a child may have access to reports and records in cases of
child abuse or neglect and specified medical records must be preserved
in permanent form by the department; and a reporter of abuse,
abandonment or neglect must be provided with the name and other contact
information of the protective investigator. The bill has been cited as
the "Zahid Jones, Jr. Give Grandparents and Other Relatives a
Voice Act."
Bill Relating to Medicaid
HFPC 09-01,
which was submitted as a committee bill by the Health and Families
Services Policy Council passed favorably out of the Council on Thursday
by a vote of 21-2. The bill makes significant changes in the
Medicaid Managed Care program administered by AHCA, and also
establishes a pilot program for a "medical home" in two
counties-Alachua and Hillsborough.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening for Minors
SB242 was favorable with 1 amendment (209710) by Health Regulation. SB242 requires that a
physician refer a minor to an appropriate specialist for screening for
autism spectrum disorder under certain circumstances. The terms
"appropriate specialist" and "neuropsychologist"
are also defined in the bill text.
Homelessness Bill
HB 597 by Rep.
Betty Reed (D-Hillsborough) moved forward this week with a favorable
approval by the Health and Family Services Policy Council. The bill now
moves to its appropriations committees. The bill establishes a
voluntary contribution to the homeless when renewing motor vehicle
registration or driver license renewals. It also establishes a homeless
prevention grant program and conforms the definition of homeless in
general and homeless children to conform with the Federal definition. The
bill also encourages the state to adopt the "Housing First"
model in serving the homeless. The Senate companion bill, SB 1054 (Crist)
also progressed this week with a favorable approval and committee
substitute in the Senate Committee on Children and Families, and moves
next to Community Affairs.
Governor Extends Autism Task Force
Gov. Charlie Crist
signed Executive Order 09-82
on Thursday, which extends the Task Force on Autism Spectrum Disorders
until January 5, 2011. Gov. Crist was joined at the signing by task
force co-chair Dan Marino, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami
Dolphins. Legislation approved during the 2008 Legislative Session
increases health care coverage for services for autism. Beginning April
1, 2009, SB 2654 requires
group health insurance policies to cover screening and therapies for
autism. For children diagnosed before age 8 with autism spectrum
disorders - specifically autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, and
pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified - coverage
includes up to $36,000 a year for therapies, up to $200,000 in total
lifetime benefits. Additionally, insurers cannot deny coverage due to
diagnosis of a developmental disability, and coverage must continue
until the child's 18th birthday or until no longer enrolled in high
school.
|
|
Grant Opportunities Abound in Stimulus Package
The American Recovery
& Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides nearly $100 billion in
nationwide, competitive grant opportunities. Governments,
501(c)(3) organizations and collaborative partnerships are eligible for
many of these funding opportunities, which flow from federal agencies,
through the states or directly to the recipients. Interested
parties should closely monitor www.recovery.gov and www.flarecovery.com for the latest grant
information. The National Council of Non Profits provides
important resources and information regarding the stimulus at www.councilofnonprofits.org.
U.S. Senators Call for
Conference on Children and Youth
Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
and Richard Burr (R-NC) are set to re-introduce legislation to hold a
White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010. They are
circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter asking other senators
to become original sponsors of this important initiative. A White House
Conference is needed to focus community and national attention on
the nation's most vulnerable children, and as a result, on the most
critical issues facing children in the United States in the 21st
century. Please contact Florida Sens. Nelson and Martinez and ask
them to cosponsor the White House Conference on Children and Youth
legislation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TAKE
NOTE
Ragbeer Honored for Advocacy Work
Diana Ragbeer, Director of
Public Policy & Communications with The Children's Trust, was honored
Thursday with the Nancy Hughes "Community Commitment" Award
during a Miami-Dade Days luncheon in Tallahassee. Nancy Hughes was a
longtime lobbyist from Miami-Dade County who passed away several years ago.
The award is named for Nancy because of her caring and loving nature, her
professionalism, her dedication and her hard work. It's given
annually to someone who embodies those characteristics. The board felt
that Diana "is the embodiment of Nancy Hughes' spirit." Diana's
advocacy work in Tallahassee spans nearly 20 years. During that time, her
wise counsel and expertise has been sought by many statewide and national
organizations. Over the years, she
has also successfully merged dozens of divergent agendas into one clear
vision -- fighting for Florida's children and their families. At home,
she nurtures tomorrow's leaders by engaging and inspiring youth to care
about their community and state.
Policy Group Wants Your Input
The Florida Cabinet for
Children and Youth has adopted recommendations to establish an outcomes
accountability process, linking child well-being indicators to budgeting,
action plans and performance measures. Baseline indicator data aligned
with four key Cabinet strategic plan goal areas already have been
established. Next, the Cabinet will select "headline"
indicators on which to focus efforts for the next 3 to 5 years. The
Policy Group for Florida's Families and Children is assisting the Cabinet
in this effort, and would like to hear from a broad range of people on
which indicators they believe would best demonstrate improvement
in the well-being of Florida's children. Anyone interested can
provide input through a short online survey.
All responses are anonymous and information will be collected in the
aggregate. The Policy Group asks that participants provide their
affiliation when completing the survey. The survey will be available
until April 17. The survey is also available directly through the Policy Group web site.
Florida's Children First Offers Seminars on Serving Foster
Youth
On February 19, Florida's
Children First (FCF) and the Broward Children's Services Council
co-sponsored a seminar on Serving Foster Youth with Disabilities in our
Community. The Broward CSC arranged for several community partners who
work with children and youth with disabilities to present information on
their programs. The community panel focused on early identification of
young children with disabilities and school-to-work readiness programs to
assist youth transitioning to adulthood. A second panel, arranged by FCF
featured attorneys who discussed legal avenues for accessing
developmental services from APD, guardianships and alternatives to
guardianship. The program was well-received by advocates, community-based
care providers, School Board and DCF employees in attendance. Florida's
Children First is available to work with other CSCs to do similar
seminars to address the needs of this important and often forgotten
population of children. Visit the web site at: http://floridaschildrenfirst.org.
Campaign Recognizes Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights
Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet signed a resolution on
March 24 recognizing the Get Outdoors Florida! Coalition and the Children's Outdoor
Bill of Rights, which encourages children and families to get outdoors,
be active and reconnect with nature. The Get Outdoors Florida! coalition
unites public and private partners and includes federal, state and non-profit
conservation organizations; health and education groups; and businesses.
The coalition strives to create a vision of a healthy Florida community
that is connected with nature, reflects social diversity and exhibits a
conservation ethic, ensuring recreational opportunities and a sustainable
future. The Florida Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights proclaims each
Florida child has the right to enjoy nature-based activities, such as
swimming in a healthy lake, climbing a tree, catching a fish, or camping
out under the stars. For more information, visit the Get Outdoors
Florida! Web site at: www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.com.
-------------------------
Capitol
Connection is also available online at the FCSC web site.
|
|
