2016 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP May 25, 2016

Overview  Introductions  Budget  Bills of Interest  Interim Activities

Our Values  To Love  To Serve  To Teach  To Work for Justice

Legislative Session By the Numbers  90 Days  47 Senators  141 Delegates  1 Governor  2832 Bills Introduced  CC tracked 475 bills  780 Lobbyists

The Budget

Budget Overview  FY2016 – This Year  Projected to close with a $550 million fund balance  FY2017 – Next Year  $42.2 billion in appropriations for fiscal 2017 – $2.0 billion (4.9%) over previous year  General fund appropriations increase by $965.7 million or 5.9%  Out Years  Structural deficits anticipated to return in 2018  By FY 2021, imbalance anticipated to exceed $500 million

General Fund Expenditures

Items of Interest  Rate Increases  Nursing Homes – 2.0%  Medical Adult Day – 2.0%  Behavioral Health – 2.0%  DDA – 3.5%  Level Funding  Head Start  $13.8 million for DHR Modernization

Legislative Priorities  $80 million set aside  Governor can spend all or nothing  Includes  $1 million food supplement program  $1 million for Baltimore City Safe Streets Program

Legislation

Agency Priorities  Keep the Door Open  Healthy Working Families Act  Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion  Re-entry

Keep the Door Open  As proposed would have tied rate increases for behavioral health providers to medical inflation.  The bill passed the House and Senate in different forms and the two side were unable to reach a compromise.

Healthy Working Families Act  The bill would have required employers to provide employees with paid sick and safe time at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.  The bill passed the House but was not voted on in the Senate.

Expansion of the EITC  The bill would have expanded the EITC to year olds and increased the amount of the credit.  The bill passed both houses in different forms and compromise could not be reached.

Re-entry Legislation  Year of Re-entry Legislation  Justice Reinvestment Act  90 paged bill with numerous provisions with the aim of reducing incarceration and reinvesting that funding in community supports  Includes some expungement opportunities for individuals

Other Bills of Interest  Birth/Death Certificate Fees  Reduce fee from $24 to $10  Waive fee for individuals experiencing homelessness  Food Stamp Minimum Benefit  Would increase minimum benefit for individuals 62 & older from $16 to $30  Status is pending

Other Bills of Interest  Extortion – Immigration Status  This bill makes it illegal to threaten to report an individual’s immigration status to the authorities unless the person provides money, property or labor  Designation of Lay Caregiver  Requires the hospital to allow patients to designate a lay caregiver who would be notified if the patient is being discharged or transferred; would be consulted regarding aftercare and would be issued the discharge plan

Other Bills of Interest  School Behavioral Health Accountability Act  Requires MSDE to develop and implement a standardized reporting system to determine the effectiveness of community-partnered school behavioral health service programs  Crisis Services Strategic Plan  Requires the Behavioral Health Advisory Council to develop a strategic plan for ensuring that clinical crisis walk-in services and mobile crisis teams are available statewide and operating 24/7.

Other Bills of Interest  ABLE Accounts  Creates accounts which will promote financial savings for individuals with disabilities without effecting their eligibility for government services  Task Force to Study Family and Medical Leave Insurance  Creates a task force to study existing family and medical leave insurance programs and make recommendations.

The Interim

 Planning  Repeat & New Priorities  Legislative Visits  Let us know about special events (cook outs, graduations, concerts)  Justice League Expansion  Our goal is to have 10% of the Agency as members by the start of session

Questions?