In Ohio:
On Wednesday, June 27, 2018, the House of Representatives voted 80-0 to pass House Bill 572 (PERS for County Board School Employees). The bill fixes an issue related to a new interpretation of the law that would have only permitted county board of developmental disability school employees (non-teachers) to obtain 9 months service credit towards retirement instead of a year of service credit, like everyone else does.
On Thursday, the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee held a hearing on the issue of prescription drug costs for individuals on Medicaid. Legislators are not happy with recent media reports that pharmacy benefit managers are charging up to 3 times normal costs per prescription to Medicaid. The Ohio Department of Medicaid asked for more time to get answers to questions about why the fee per customer using Medicaid appears to be higher than those who do not (the fee is not charged to Medicaid consumers, but charged to Medicaid, and ultimately, taxpayers).
On Friday, June 29, 2018, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 332 (Organ Transplant Discrimination). The bill would prohibit a person’s disability from being used to deny an individual a place on the organ transplant list. The law will go into effect in 90 days.
In Washington:
On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, the House Committee on Appropriations held a markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for 2019. The committee report recommends appropriation levels for the following programs:
|
Program
|
2018
|
President 2019
|
Committee 2019
|
|
Autism and Other Developmental Disorders
LEND Earmark
|
$49,099,000
|
$0
|
$52,099,000
(Not less than $36,000,000)
|
|
DD Councils
|
$76,000,000
|
$56,000,000
|
$76,000,000
|
|
State P&As
|
$40,734,000
|
$38,734,000
|
$40,734,000
|
|
Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities
|
$ 6,963,000
|
$ 4,963,000
|
$ 6,963,000
|
|
Projects of National Significance
Transportation Earmark
|
$12,000,000
|
$ 1,050,000
|
$12,000,000
($1,000,000)
|
|
UCEDDs
|
$40,619,000
|
$32,546,000
|
$40,619,000
|
|
Independent Living
CILS Earmark
State Grants Earmark
|
$113,183,000
|
$95,997,000
|
$120,000,000
($93,000,000)
($27,000,000)
|
|
Assistive Technology
Financing Earmark
|
$36,000,000
|
$31,939,000
|
$36,000,000
($2,000,000)
|
|
ACL Administration
|
$41,063,000
|
$37,987,000
|
$41,063,000
|
|
Office of Disability Employment Policy
|
$38,203,000
|
$27,000,000
|
$38,203,000
|
|
Birth Defects, DD, Disabilities and Health Research
|
$140,560,000
|
$110,000,000
|
$150,560,000
|
|
Adoption Assistance – Special Needs Earmark
|
$2,867,000,000
|
$3,063,000,000
|
$3,063,000,000
|
|
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
|
$104,970,000
|
$ 0
(Executive Budget proposed moving this program into the National Institutes of Health)
|
$104,970,000 (House Committee said No)
|
|
Impact Aid – Students with Disabilities
|
$48,316,000
|
$48,316,000
|
$48,316,000
|
|
Special Education – Part B Grants to States
|
$12,277,848,000
|
$12,002,848,000
|
$12,327,848,000
|
|
Special Education – Preschool Grants – FAPE 3 to 5
|
$381,120,000
|
$368,238,000
|
$395,000,000
|
|
Special Education – Infants and Families – Birth to 2
|
$470,000,000
|
$458,556,000
|
$470,000,000
|
|
IDEA – National Activities
|
$237,216,000
|
$222,133,000
|
$229,803,000
|
|
Special Education – Educational Technology, Media, and Materials
|
$28,047,000
|
$28,047,000
|
$28,047,000
|
|
Special Education – Parent Information Centers
|
$27,411,000
|
$27,411,000
|
$27,411,000
|
|
Special Education – Personnel Preparation
|
$83,700,000
|
$83,700,000
|
$89,000,000
|
|
Special Education – State Personnel Development
|
$38,630,000
|
$38,630,000
|
$41,000,000
|
|
Special Education – Technical Assistance and Dissemination
|
$59,428,000
|
$44,345,000
|
$44,345,000
|
|
Vocational Rehabilitation – State Grants
|
$3,452,931,000
|
$3,521,990,000
|
$3,521,990,000
|
|
Client Assistance State Grants
|
$13,000,000
|
$13,000,000
|
$13,000,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Training
|
$29,388,000
|
$29,388,000
|
$29,388,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Demonstration and Training Programs
|
$5,796,000
|
$9,296,000
|
$5,796,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Protection and Advocacy
|
$17,650,000
|
$17,650,000
|
$17,650,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Supported Employment State Grants
|
$22,548,000
|
$ 0
|
$22,548,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Independent Living – Blind
|
$33,317,000
|
$33,317,000
|
$33,317,000
|
|
Rehab Services – Hellen Keller National Center
|
$12,500,000
|
$10,336,000
|
$14,000,000
|
|
Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities
|
$228,431,000
|
$216,733,000
|
$237,792,000
|
|
American Printing House for the Blind
|
$27,431,000
|
$25,431,000
|
$28,431,000
|
|
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
|
$73,000,000
|
$70,016,000
|
$75,000,000
|
|
Higher Education – Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
|
$11,800,000
|
$11,800,000
|
$11,800,000
|
|
Research in Special Education
|
$56,000,000
|
$54,000,000
|
$56,000,000
|
|
Special Education Studies and Evaluations
|
$10,818,000
|
$10,818,000
|
$10,818,000
|
|
National Council on Disability
|
$3,250,000
|
$3,211,000
|
$3,250,000
|
Next Week in Public Policy: July 2 - 6, 2018
Happy Independence Day!
Announcement
As an FYI, I have been given information about a job opportunity with REM, Ohio. The position is for a Quality Improvement Manager. If you would like more information about this job, and many others, please visit: https://jobs.thementornetwork.com/job/akron/manager-quality-improvement/746/8176577
Also, don’t forget that the DD Council joined in with the effort by OPRA and the Department of Developmental Disabilities to provide more information about Direct Support Professionals and to provide a central point for job postings in that field. Visit www.dspohio.org to learn more.