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March 9, 2009

-MISSOURI UPDATE-

Supplemental Budget Shortchanges Children’s Health (HB 14)

Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 87-70 to approve the FY’09 Supplemental Budget with much of the debate focusing on Governor Nixon’s plan to insure 27,000 additional children – a key provision that was removed by the House Budget Committee.

 

Once the bill was placed before the entire House of Representatives, the House voted down three Democratic amendments to restore $1.9 million in state funding for children’s health that would have leveraged another $5.5 million in federal dollars – effectively sending millions of Missouri’s taxpayer dollars out of state.

 

The supplemental budget now moves to the Senate where Appropriations Committee hearings will begin Tuesday at 8:00 a.m.  Partnership for Children will be working tirelessly in the Senate and the House as the budget process continues to ensure that out federal tax dollars are spent on Missouri’s kids and not sent out of state.

 

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House Proposes Deep Budget Cuts to Safety Net Services

The House Budget Committee spent all last week reviewing recommendations from the various Appropriations Committees as well as the House budget bills filed by Rep. Allen Icet. While funding for K-12 education and higher education was mostly maintained or even increased for inflation in the FY '10 budget, deep cuts totaling over $300 million were proposed to the Departments of Health, Mental Health, & Social Services.

 

An increase in the federal reimbursement for Medicaid (FMAP) was a key provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aiming to stabilize budget deficits and prevent state cuts to safety net services during this economic crisis. Missouri is slated to receive an additional $1.6 billion in federal FMAP funding over the next two years, yet House Republicans have objected to using this funding to maintain vital health, mental health, and social service programs. At a time when demand for safety net services is increasing, the current House Budget fails to help Missouri individuals and families recover during this economic crisis.

MISSOURI

 

Supplemental Budget Shortchanges Children’s Health

 

House Proposes Deep Budget Cuts to Safety Net Services

 

Child Care Capitol Action Day – March 25th

 

Update on Children’s Bills of Interest

- Children’s Health Insurance

- Quality Rating System

- Parental Rights

- Educational Rights for Foster Children

- PE Requirements

 

Upcoming Hearings  

 

KANSAS

Governor Kathleen Sebelius to Become Secretary of Health and Senior Services

 

Sales Tax Holiday for Kansas?

 

Senate Passes Statewide Smoking Ban

 

Senate Passes Primary Seatbelt Legislation

 

KAC Policy Update

New recommendations by the Governor to extend health coverage to an additional 35,000 adults and 27,000 children were cut from the House Budget, as well as funding to increase the foster care clothing and diaper allowance, youth tobacco prevention funding, and to maintain current eligibility limits for child care assistance. Funding for presumptive eligibility for children’s health coverage, a key victory won during last year’s budget process, was cut from the House Budget this year.

 

Summary of House Budget Cuts to New Funding in Governor’s Budget:

 

- Health Insurance for Parents: After the House Budget Committee eliminated Governor Nixon’s original proposal to use $51 million in state funding to expand adult coverage up to 50% of the federal poverty, Nixon is touring the state this week to sell a new plan that would cost the state no funding at all. The plan takes a voluntary contribution from hospitals throughout the state and replaces them with state funding in order to pull down nearly $100 million in federal funding.  Despite the “no cost” provision for expanding health coverage to 30,000 adults, the House Budget Committee has yet to agree to this plan.

 

- Health Insurance for Children: Leveraging a $22 million contribution from the state, Missouri stands to gain nearly $60 million in federal funding as part of a program to insure 27,000 additional children.  Governor Nixon proposed eliminating premiums for families up to 225% of FPL and capping the premium at $50 for families between 225% and 300% FPL.  In addition, this proposal called for more outreach to families of children who are currently eligible, but not currently enrolled in the program.

 

- Child Care ($3.4 million): Cut the Governor’s recommendation for an increase of $3.4 million to maintain current income eligibility limits for child care at 127% federal poverty and transitional assistance up to 139% FPL. Also cut an additional $450,000 from the core program budget. DSS estimates that eligibility limits under the House Budget Proposal would drop to 123% FPL and transitional assistance would drop to 135% FPL.

 

- Foster Care – Increase Clothing/Diaper Allowance ($1.3 million): This increase for foster parents who care for children in the custody of the state would have extended the diaper allowance from age 2 to age 3 and increased the clothing allowance by an average of $140 a month, or 65% of the recommended USDA rate. Under the House Budget cut, Missouri’s clothing allowance for foster kids will remain at 35-45% of the recommended USDA rate.

 

- Youth Tobacco Prevention ($1.5 million): Cut the Governor’s recommended increase of $1.5 million.

 

Summary of House Cuts to Core Program Budgets:

 

- SCHIP Presumptive Eligibility ($13.2 million):  This was touted as a great victory for children of Missouri during last year’s legislative session, yet that victory may be short-lived if the budget passes as it stands now.  This program allows Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers to enroll children in health insurance while they are seeking treatment.  It serves as an outreach mechanism for children who already qualify for the program but are not currently enrolled.  Many of the clinics and centers have just recently finished training on how to implement the program, with literally hundreds of children and their families benefiting from it to date.

 

- Division of Regulation & Licensure ($1.3 million): The Department of Health & Senior Services estimates that this cut will eliminate 45 positions, many of which are front-line inspectors. These cuts would further jeopardize the state’s ability to ensure the health and safety of children in child care programs.

 

- Children’s Treatment Services ($1.5 million): This cut would impact therapy treatments for child victims of abuse or neglect in Missouri’s foster care system. Either services would be scaled back or reimbursement rates to contracted providers would be reduced.

 

- Adoption Resource Centers ($300,000): Completely eliminates the two adoption resource centers in Kansas City and St. Louis that provide assistance to parents adopting high-needs children from the foster care system.

 

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Child Care Capitol Action Day – March 25th

Is improving the quality and affordability of child care in Missouri a top priority for you?

Then join Partnership for Children at the Capitol in Jefferson City to make child care a top priority for state lawmakers!

 

SAVE THE DATE

Child Care Capitol Action Day

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – 9am – 2:30 pm

 

Help us gather support for child care assistance to keep Missouri’s families working and a Quality Rating System to improve access to quality care with the greatest benefits for Missouri’s children.

 

RSVP or More Information: Contact Carrie Shapton at shapton@pfc.org or 816-531-9200 x227

 

You don’t have to be an expert – just an advocate for children!

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Update on Children’s Bills of Interest

Children’s Health Insurance - HB 293 (Nance)

HB 293 passed out of the House Healthcare Transformation Committee with additional provisions to reach out to uninsured children who are eligible for state coverage but not enrolled. The original language of this bill required school districts to distribute information to parents during school enrollment on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  Working with other advocacy organizations and the bill sponsor, PFC was able to amend this legislation in committee to require the Department of Revenue to add a box on state tax return forms asking parents if their kids have health insurance and then directing them to the MO Healthnet hotline.  The bill was also amended with the help of PFC and others to include a provision to enroll children in the SCHIP program whose families are already eligible for programs like WIC, TANF, and free and reduced lunch.  PFC is encouraged by the progress of HB 293 and will continue to work with the bill sponsor to ensure that this important legislation continues to move forward.

 

Quality Rating System - HB387 (Cooper)

Last Wednesday, the House Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education heard testimony on HB387, establishing a voluntary statewide Quality Rating System for child care programs in Missouri. Over 300,000 Missouri children under the age of 6 are in need of child care because all their parents are in the workforce. Decades of research show that the early years of a child’s life are critical for brain and social development and that quality early childhood programs improve outcomes in K-12 education. Many education groups testified in support of HB387, including MNEA, MSTA, and AFT. The GKC Chamber of Commerce also joined Partnership for Children in supporting this important legislation for Kansas City’s children and families.

 

Child Protection - HJR 16 (Davis)

This Joint Resolution proposes a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a parent or legal guardian the right to care, educate, and raise his or her children without governmental hindrance unless there is a compelling governmental interest.  The vague language of this legislation and its potential hindrance to the state’s ability to remove a child who is in immediate danger, are the key reasons why Partnership for Children opposes HJR 16. 

 

The bill was scheduled for a vote in the House Special Committee on Children and Families last Wednesday, but after discussing the bill for nearly an hour, the chairwoman Rep. Cynthia Davis (and sponsor of the bill) adjourned the committee meeting without going to a vote. PFC is optimistic that this piece of legislation will not move forward.

 

Educational Rights for Foster Children (SB 96)

Sponsored by Senator Jolie Justus, SB 96 passed the Senate last week.  Our thanks and congratulations go to Senator Justus for being a champion for children in general and especially for Missouri’s vulnerable foster children.  Partnership for Children testified in favor of this bill in prior weeks, hoping that it would provide greater educational success for some of Missouri’s most vulnerable kids.

 

PE Requirements - HB 509 (Stream)

HB 509 was voted “DO PASS” by the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education last week.  HB 509 requires all school districts to have a physical education program that requires daily participation for students in K-8 grades, plus a minimum 20-minute daily recess period for K-5 grade students.  Research continues to show that children who are active throughout the day have fewer behavioral problems, and achieve greater success in the classroom.

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Upcoming Hearings

FY ’09 Supplemental Appropriations Bill (HB 14): Tuesday, Mar. 10 @ 8am – Senate Appropriations.  Department of Social Services portion of HB 14 continued on Wednesday, Mar. 11 @ 8 am – Senate Appropriations.

 

Nurse Home Visiting (HB634): Tuesday, Mar. 10 @ 5pm – House Healthcare Transformation. Adds home nursing visits and follow-up care as needed for certain at-risk newborns to the list of covered services under the MO HealthNet Program.

 

K-12 Open Enrollment (SB373): Wed, Mar 11 @ 3pm – Senate Education. Creates procedures for open enrollment of public school students across school district boundary lines.

 

Education Foundation Formula (SB453): Wed, Mar 11 @ 3pm – Senate Education. Modifies the elementary and secondary education funding formula to remove from the calculation of the state adequacy target the inclusion of the gaming revenues from the repeal of the loss limits.

 

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-KANSAS UPDATE-

Governor Kathleen Sebelius to Become Secretary of Health and Senior Services

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was nominated to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Senior Services on Monday March 2nd. Sebelius has the task of reforming a system whose costs in recent years have risen four times as fast as incomes and left a million people a year without health insurance. The Department of Health and Senior Service oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs and other agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, who will succeed Gov. Sebelius, is not planning any major staff or policy changes once he becomes governor, and does not plan to run for Governor in 2010.

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Sales Tax Holiday for Kansas?

A sales tax holiday under consideration by the Legislature for the first weekend in August would enable parents with school aged children a break when purchasing school supplies.  Rep. Virgil Peck, R-Tyro, has proposed exempting items such as school supplies, computer software, clothing, books and computers from sales taxes for four days in August. Groups including the Kansas Association of School Boards and the Leagues of Kansas Municipalities oppose House Bill 2328 because of the money it would remove from state and local government coffers. The District of Columbia and 16 states, including Oklahoma and Missouri, have sales tax holidays, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators.

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Senate Passes Statewide Smoking Ban

SB25 was passed by Senate and is currently in the House Health and Human Services Committee. There will be a hearing on Tuesday, March 10th and Wednesday, 11th on the legislation. This ban would prohibit smoking across the state of Kansas except for very few places. Relating to children, SB25 will ban smoking in in-home day care facilities.

To view SB 25: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/25.pdf

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Senate Passes Primary Seatbelt Legislation

SB59 has passed the Senate and has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. Kansas law currently requires seat belts only for front-seat passengers, and law enforcement officers can't stop adult drivers for seat belt violations unless they have been pulled over for another offense. That would change under Senate Bill 59, which requires seat belts for drivers and all passengers. The bill reduces the fine for seat belt violations from $30 to $25, but it adds court costs, which are typically $75. the state will receive a one-time federal payment of $11.2 million if it implements a tougher seat belt law by June, and it would qualify for about half a million dollars in ongoing funding.

View Full Text of Bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/59.pdf

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KAC Policy Update

 

Thanks to our Partners at Kansas Action for Children for this update from Topeka on children’s issues relating to KAC’s 2009 Policy Agenda:

Child Care Assistance

Kansas Action for Children testified March 5 before the House Social Services Budget Committee in support of continued funding for the Child Care Assistance program, which helps parents at or below 185% of the federal poverty level to remain in the workforce. The Governor's budget recommendation maintained funding at this level. However, SRS has indicated that proposed cuts to the agency's budget may prompt a reduction in eligibility for Child Care Assistance to 150% of the federal poverty level as one way to reduce agency expenditures.

 

Children's Health Care

The House Social Services Budget Committee heard testimony March 3 regarding the Kansas Health Policy Authority's 2010 budget. Kansas Action for Children testified in support of funding for the children's health care expansion that was approved by the 2008 Legislature. The Kansas Legislature has already approved increasing the income eligibility requirements for the program to 250 percent of the poverty level by Jan. 1, 2010. While more families are finding themselves unable to cover their children due to economic hardships and layoffs, Kansas has fewer economic resources to assist and implement the expansion. Kansas Health Policy Authority says it would probably cost about $3 million in additional state funds to make more Kansas children eligible. Currently in Kansas, SCHIP offers coverage for children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty level, which is $35,200 per year for a family of three. Unfortunately, the Committee did not include the funding in its recommendations to be reported back to Appropriations.

Autism Waiver

The House Aging and Long Term Care Committee heard testimony March 5 on HB 2094, which addresses funding for Medicaid waivers. Kansas Action for Children testified in support of funding for the autism waiver, which would provide an additional 100 Kansas children with access to early autism intervention services.

To view the bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2094.pdf

 

KIDS College Savings Match Program

The House Education Budget Committee will hold a hearing Monday, March 9 on SB 225. The bill would provide for continuation of the KIDS College Savings Match Program. The Senate unanimously approved renewal of the program last month.
Full Text of Bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/225.pdf

 

Personal Financial Literacy

Child advocates testified March 4 before the House Education Committee in support of SB 84. This bill would strengthen the requirements for school districts to provide coursework in personal financial literacy. The bill was amended by the Senate to delay its implementation until 2012, giving school districts more time to prepare.

Full Text of Bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/84.pdf

 

Teen Drivers

The Senate Transportation Committee will hear testimony March 11 on the Graduated Drivers Licensing bill. The bill was approved by the House last month. This bill includes:

  • 12-month Learner's Permit. A one-year, adult-supervised learning period stands to reduce the number of teen crashes on Kansas roads by up to 50%. By incorporating a 12-month learner's permit phase into our licensing policy, Kansas teens will be better equipped for the lifelong responsibility of driving
  • Six-Month Passenger Limitation. The risk of death among teen drivers more than doubles when there are two passengers in the vehicle and more than triples when there are three passengers. By limiting young drivers to one teen passenger during the first six months of unrestricted driving, Kansas teens will be better equipped to manage distractions on the road.
  • Six-Month Late-Night Driving Limitation. The research tells us that late-night driving poses a serious risk for young drivers. In fact, teens are twice as likely to die in a car crash during late-night hours and national statistics show that almost half of teen crash fatalities occur after 9 p.m. By limiting driving after 9 p.m. to work and school purposes during the first six months of unrestricted driving, we stand to significantly reduce the number of fatalities among Kansas teens.

Child Support Enforcement

A hearing scheduled in Senate Judiciary on HB 2201 was postponed until March 16. HB 2201 addresses professional license sanctions for parents who are in arrears in child support payments. HB 2201 would require restrictions on a professional license holder when the person owes past due child support equal to or greater than three months of child support.

To view the bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2201.pdf

 

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Until next week –

 

Carrie Shapton & Jeremy LaFaver

Policy & Outreach Coordinators

Partnership for Children

shapton@pfc.org; lafaver@pfc.org

816-531-9200