Senate Ways and Means Committee Budget is positive for individuals with disabilities   We have completed analysis of the recently-concluded State Senate Budget. Senator Therese Murray, Senate Committee on Ways and Means and her Committee Staff should be commended on a largely positive budget for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities.   Positive features of the recently-concluded Senate budget include: $20 million for funding a salary reserve for staff funded through DMR and other human service agencies Full funding for the Boulet or Wait List settlement $500,000 additional for Family support services for those on waiting lists $1 million for autism spectrum disorder services $500,000 additional dollars to be redirected from Dept. of Education account to help keep families together through the DMR-DOE initiative (agency chargeback) Funding of Turning 22 for high school graduates who need day or family support services $1 million additional dollars earmarked for Early Intervention programs (this account, line item 4513-1020, was increased by $1 million as well) We continue to be concerned with the addition of budget earmarks for specific agencies (see details beneath budget table below). These earmarks reduce the availability of funds for ALL individuals, families and programs served by a particular line item. Earmarking allows agencies to bypass the usual public bid process otherwise required by law.  In the case of the new DMR autism line item, earmarking reduces total funding by 20%. A legislative Conference Committee, comprised of 3 members from the Senate and 3 members from the House will soon be appointed to iron out differences between each branch’s budget. We will be asking for your help in contacting your legislators to support the line items in either budget that best serve our community. For now, please take a moment to say thanks to your senator for his/her work on the budget using the Arc Action Center: http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/alert/?alertid=7630921&type=ST

 

*$100,000 for the Life Focus Center in Charlestown Eugene O’Flaherty (Chelsea)

**$150,000 for Best Buddies Dan Bosley (North Adams); $100,000 for Special Olympics Stephen LeDuc (Marlboro); $50,000 for the Advocacy Resource Center in New Bedford Antonio Cabral (New Bedford)

***$100,000 for the Life Focus Center in Charlestown Eugene O’Flaherty (Chelsea)

Senate Earmarks with Sponsors:

^†$200,000 earmark for Melmark New England (inserted by Senate Ways & Means)

(First four were Arc priorities):

REJECTED (Arc urged adoption)
ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS  Senator Creem Provides training guidelines for
police officers on how to interact with people with mental illness and
mental retardation.

REJECTED (Arc urged adoption)
DISPOSITION OF SURPLUS LAND OF DMH OR DMR
Creem and Tolman
Creates dedicated funding stream from a portion of the proceeds of sale or
transfer of state school/state hospital surplus land for use in building
housing for people served by DMR and DMH.

ADOPTED (Arc urged adoption)
ALTERNATIVE HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM
Mr. Joyce, Mr. Barrios, Mr. O'Leary, Mr. Tucker and Ms. Fargo
Adds $700,000 to this rental assistance program for people with
disabilities and brings the line-item to the funding level passed by the
House last month.

REJECTED (Arc recommended rejection)
TURI STUDY AMENDMENT
Jack Hart
This drastically dilutes the Toxics Use Reduction
Institute (TURI) line item to conduct an analysis of safer alternatives to
5 toxic chemicals. This funding was included in the House budget and was
included in the Senate Ways and Means Committee budget released earlier
this week

Other human-service related amendments (this is not a comprehensive list):

REJECTED
DMR SERVICE COORDINATORS
Ms. Spilka, Ms. Fargo, Messrs. Tisei and McGee
$1,362,718 for 5920-1000

REJECTED
STATE HOUSE RENOVATIONS TO BRING BUILDING INTO COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ACT
Messrs. Timilty, McGee, Tolman, Tarr, Ms. Chandler, Ms. Tucker, and Ms.
Fargo moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, by inserting after item
1100-1100 the following item:
1102-8800 Renovations for State House Handicapped Improvements provided
further that said increase in item 1102-8800 shall represent funding for the
Division of Capital Asset Management to renovate the State House to bring it
into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act...........$1,000,000

ADOPTED
FOR A MULTI-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAM REGARDING STATE HOUSE DISABILITY ACCESS
ASSISTANCE
Messrs. Timilty, McGee and Tarr and Ms. Fargo
$125,000 for 1107-2400 MOD to develop training materials for use with
employees working in the State House on the Americans with Disability Act
and how to assist people with disabilities within the building.

REJECTED
OFFICE ON DISABILITY
Mr. Joyce and Ms. Fargo
$64,720 for 1107-2400 MOD