2008 Legislative
Wrap Up
Friday, April 4th, marked the 40th and final day
of the legislature’s 40-day session. Many priorities fell through
and many passed. Several aging related issues were accomplished.
In the fiscal year 2009 budget, the legislature put in $1,045,000
for the Home Delivered and Congregate meals for seniors, $4.1
million to replace lost federal funds in the Adult Protective
Services program ( $3.4 million added in the supplemental budget),
$50,000 to the Council on Aging to prepare a Project 2020 report
on Georgia’s aging population (SB 341), $488,517 to support the
Money Follows the Person grant to transition a greater number of
clients from an institution to the community, and a 3%
($1,350,227) rate increase for Community Care and Home and
Community Based Service providers. Unfortunately the legislature
also reduced the elder retirement communities’ contracts by
$40,000, decreased funding for the AAA Administration by $116,000,
eliminated $500,000 to provide funds to update the Aging
Information Management System, and eliminated $50,000 funding for
the Silver Haired Legislature.
After a 3 year journey, the Coalition for
Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) priority, SB 88, 'Power of
Attorney for the Care of a Minor Child Act' , sponsored by Senator
Renee Unterman of the 45th completed its final hurdle in the
legislature on the last day when it was approved by the House. SB
88 gives grandparents the legal authority, through the power of
attorney, to enroll their grandchildren into schools and take them
to medical appointments without the added expense of legal fees
and or court costs. The subsidy portion, which would have helped
grandparents and grandchildren financially, was removed from the
bill because legislators feared it would create a new entitlement
and would cost too much. Because of the grandparents three year
advocacy around this issue some financial gains were made on
behalf of grandparents raising grandchildren (like the
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Subsidy Payment of $50 per
child per month which covers additional expenses associated with
rearing grandchildren). Grandparents empowered themselves and
learned how to continue to advocate for their and their
grandchildren’s needs.
Other important pieces of legislation that passed
include the Security Freeze bill, HB 130, by Rep. Calvin
Hill of the 21st , which allows consumers to place a security
freezes on their credit accounts at a cost of $3 as well allows
seniors who are 65 and older to freeze their credit at no charge;
HB 535, by Rep. Mark Butler of the 18th, which creates a
Patient Advocate General for MH/MR/DD facilities; HB 1044
by Rep. Len Walker of the 107th, which provides that respite care
services programs shall not be considered adult day centers for
purposes of licensure; HB 1105 by Rep. Donna Sheldon of the
105th , which requires hospitals to offer certain vaccinations to
inpatients aged 65 years or older; HB 1216, by Rep. Ron
Stephens of the 164th , which provides new boundaries and changes
regional development centers to regional commissions; HB 1234,
by Rep. Mickey Channell of the 116th, which places requirements on
CMOs; SB 341, by Sen. Lee Hawkins of the 49th which
requires the Council on Aging to study certain aging population
matters and produce a report; and SB 531, by Senator Bill
Hamrick of the 30th, which gives homeowners threatened with
foreclosure more notice and the identity of their mortgage holder.
Throughout the last week of the session the
legislature remained at an impasse over the tax cut proposals. The
House remained committed to the speaker’s revised plan to
eliminate the car tag tax on personal motor vehicles while the
Senate adhered to its position of reducing income tax rates by
10%. Both House and Senate tax cut proposals died during the final
hours of the session. Also lost in the battle was the much needed
funding stream for Trauma Care in Georgia. Because of the
Governor’s decrease in revenue estimates for FY 08 and FY 09, and
the looming recession nationwide, the passage of tax cuts would
have produced huge revenue holes causing a devastating impact on
the state’s budget over the next few years, prompting deep cuts,
and thereby causing many critically needed programs to suffer.
Thanks Mom & Dad
Fund License Plates
The Thanks Mom & Dad Fund® announces the Thanks
Mom & Dad License Plate. Approved by the legislature and
constitutional amendment last year, the plates will help
raise money for grants and create greater awareness about the
importance of aging
programs.
The fund raises money to distribute in annual grants to aging
programs throughout the State of Georgia.
This is the one foundation created to support the
aging network’s local programs and it needs your help to make the
plates a reality. Keep in mind that there is a deadline later this
year and plates will not be manufactured UNLESS we have 1,000
plates pre-sold. Therefore, if you’d like to get one, please sign
up NOW to beat the deadline– don’t wait for your renewal! It’s
simple and directions are on the flyer. The simple logo says
“Thanks Mom & Dad” and honors those who came before us. Perhaps
your friends with teenagers in cars want it to say “Thanks Mom &
Dad” too!
Consider getting one and telling all your friends!
It helps our common cause of improving the quality of life for
older adults. If you have any questions, you can call
Maureen Kelly at 404.463.3222.
License Tag Flyer (PDF)
expired
FY 08 Supplemental Budget for the APS Program
GGS members, we need you to contact the Appropriations committee
this weekend and next week asking them to put the entire $3.5
million into the FY 08 supplemental budget for the APS program
which lost the federal funds of targeted case management. If the
money isn’t put in then many abused, neglected and exploited
adults will be affected because the APS staff will loose 1/3 of
its workforce (There are 150 APS staff and they will loose 53 if
the rest of the money isn’t put into the FY 08 supplemental
budget). The FY 08 supplemental budget is expected to be voted out
of the subcommittees, full appropriations committee and House next
week so it is important that people start calling the
Appropriations committee first and then the entire House. Below is
a list of the Human Resources Appropriation Subcommittee members
that GGS members should contact. We are also asking that the $1.1
million for congregated and home delivered meals be placed into
the FY 09 budget so that seniors will not lose their meals.
When contacting your legislators here is what you
can say:
'Please replace the $3.5 million in lost federal
funds in the 2008 amended budget for the Adult Protective
Services (APS) Program, which protect disabled adults (18 years
of age and older) and elder persons (65 years of age and older)
who are not residents of long-term care facilities from abuse,
neglect and exploitation. Replacing the $3.5
million dollars in federal funds will help maintain the APS
caseload to the national recommended average of 25 cases per
worker and allow the APS caseworkers to efficiently and
effectively identify situations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation. With the dawn of the baby boomer population
reaching retirement age and the increase in
Georgia’s aged population, we are concerned that APS workers
will be needed more than ever. Without the replacement of the
federal funding, the APS staff will loose 1/3 of its workforce
making it difficult for the remaining workers to do their jobs
effectively and the abused, neglected and exploited adult
population will suffer tremendously. I urge you to replace the
funding.
Thank you.
House Appropriations Human Resources
Subcommittee Members:
Mark Butler, Chairman 404-656-0305
Jeff May, Secretary 404-656-5105
Judy Manning 404-656-7857
Earl “Buddy” Carter 404-656-0213
Keith Heard 404-656-0220
Len Walker 404-656-5139
Jerry Keen 404-656-5052
Bobby Reece 404-656-0254 |
Stan Watson 404-656-0220
Larry O’Neal-Ex Officio 404-656-5103
Chuck Sims- Ex Officio 404-656-0287
Richard Royal- Ex Officio 404-656-0265
Penny Houston- Ex Officio 404-656-0202 |
