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Budget Bills Filed with Cuts for Early Childhood Programs

This week, budget bills were filed for all major departments.  The House Budget Committee began work on these bills and will start “mark-up” next week.  Mark-up is the process of offering amendments to either increase or decrease appropriations for various line items.  

Child Care Subsidy. HB 2011 does not recommend a general revenue increase for the child care subsidy program, but it does re-appropriate federal savings to partially fund the Governor’s proposal .  The Governor had recommended $2.4 million dollars of new general revenue to offer transitional child care assistance to families between 127% - 150% of federal poverty. As the appropriation stands in HB 2011, parents would receive a transitional benefit up to 139% FPL, which will allow a parent to earn up to $1 more an hour without losing all of his or her child care subsidy benefits.  Partnership for Children calls on the General Assembly to provide the Governor’s full budget request for the transitional benefit for child care assistance. 

Foster, Adoption, & Residential Treatment Rates. While the Appropriations Committee for Health, Mental Health and Social Services recommended cutting new appropriations in half for foster parent rates, subsidized guardianship/adoption subsidy case load growth, and the rate increase for residential treatment providers, however, the Budget Committee has appropriated the full amount of the Governor’s recommendation. 

Last week, there was considerable discussion of the recommendation to allow community health centers and Rural Health Clinics to utilize presumptive eligibility for children. Children found temporarily eligible could immediately receive all covered health services.  The family would then have 30 days to complete the Medicaid/MC+ application in order to continue the coverage. Of the 127,000 uninsured children in Missouri, an estimated 84,000 are eligible for state coverage but not enrolled. The Budget Committee did not include funding request attached to this children’s health recommendation yet, however, Partnership for Children is lobbying to include an appropriation for this important outreach strategy.

Unfortunately, the Budget Committee also cut the Governor’s recommended increase of $2 million dollars for the Parents as Teachers Program.  This new funding would have allowed parent educators in Missouri school districts to offer more health and developmental screenings for young children. These screenings are a cost-effective use of Missouri dollars since early interventions prevent future costs when early problems become more severe.

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Pre-K Bill Heard in House Education Committee

House Bill 1692, sponsored by Rep. Clint Zweifel (D-St. Louis County), received an unexpected hearing in the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee last Wednesday. The bill establishes a Missouri Preschool Plus Grant Program that would distribute funds to school districts or community-based programs to provide high quality pre-k for up to 10,000 Missouri children. Partnership for Children’s testimony highlighted the educational and economic benefits of investments in early childhood, including findings in a 2007 study by economist Robert Lynch that Missouri would see $5 billion in benefits by 2050 if we launch a statewide pre-k program for low-income, at-risk 3 & 4 yr-olds today.

Dollars invested in early childhood education would save the state future costs for special education, grade repetition, and the juvenile justice system, while producing a more highly skilled future workforce that is prepared for the challenges of 21^st century jobs. Missouri has only to look at the pre-k expansion efforts in our surrounding states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Arkansas for a reason to invest in the education and workforce potential of our youngest children.  Also testifying in support of HB 1692 were Citizens for Missouri’s Children, the Kansas City & St. Louis School Boards Associations, MNEA, MSTA, the MO Chamber of Commerce, and the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.

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Sales Tax for Veterans Could Free up Funds for Early Childhood

A constitutional amendment authorizing a statewide one eighth of 1% sales tax to fund veterans’ homes, services, and programs was heard in committee last week and may come up for debate in the House before legislative spring break. If approved by voters, the sales tax would produce $103 million for veterans’ services in FY ‘2011 but the veterans would also relinquish all funding from state general revenue, about $37 million. Currently, the MO Veterans Commission receives approximately $6-$9 million each year from the Gaming Commission Fund, which also funds several early childhood programs. If the ballot initiative is approved, the Gaming Commission Fund would need to be statutorily changed to remove the veterans as a beneficiary, which would likely transfer much needed funds to quality early childhood initiatives. For many years these two vulnerable constituencies, children and veterans, have had to fight for limited funding that does not address the true need for services for both groups. A dedicated sales tax for veterans would relieve this conflict, but appropriations from the Gaming Commission alone cannot come close to fully funding needed expansions for quality early care & education programs that prepare our youngest Missourians for future educational success.

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Bill Addresses Requirements for Parental Notification in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

SB 1159 (Gibbons) was heard in Judiciary last week.  This bill would make some revisions to a bill passed last year relating to forensic examinations of sexual offense victims.  This bill would remove the requirement that the medical provider is to provide written notice to the parent that examination has taken place. Most child abuse including sexual abuse takes place within the child’s circle of care. Parents and parent surrogates are the majority of the abusers. This provision requires the medical provider to inform the party who may be responsible for the abuse itself or be allied with the abuser. This could create substantial risk to the child. This bill seeks to address this issue, by changing the langauge to read that if  the appropriate medical provider reasonably believes the sexual offender could be a parent or guardian of the victim and the victim is a minor under the age of eighteen, the medical provider shall only be required to provide written notice to the non-offending parent or guardian of the forensic examination.

In addition, currently, the Attorney General develops the forms and procedures for gathering evidence during a forensic exam and the Department of Health and Senior Services develops checklists for appropriate medical providers to use while providing treatment to victims. Under this act, separate forms, procedures, and checklists shall be developed for victims age fourteen and younger and age fifteen and older.

The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence testified in support of this bill. There was no opposition.

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Legal Advocates Win Major Victory Protecting Children’s Health Care

The State of Missouri will no longer be able to terminate thousands of low-income children’s health care without first providing them with the opportunity to challenge the termination and to receive health care coverage while they appeal, as a result of a settlement announced last week by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice and The National Health Law Program in a major class action affecting tens of thousands of low-income Missouri children.

The settlement provides relief to the more than 20,000 Missouri children who pay a monthly premium to receive health coverage through MOHealth Net for Kids and who would lose benefits as a result of the State’s unlawful policy.  Missouri can no longer close the cases of tens of thousands of children without first giving notice and an opportunity to explain why their case should not be closed.  Additionally, the State will also reinstate health coverage for children who were unlawfully terminated after the federal court ordered Missouri to stop its unlawful policy of terminating children who missed premiums without first providing the opportunity to appeal and for those who may have been eligible under another Medicaid program when they were terminated.  The State will provide financial relief for families forced to pay out-of-pocket, from meager budgets, to cover their children’s medical costs.

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Upcoming Hearings

 House Budget: Monday, March 10th at 9 am in HR 3, Tuesday, March 11^th upon morning adjournment in HR 3; Wednesday, March 12^th at 8 am in HR 3

SB1169 (Champion): Establishes a school-based influenza vaccination pilot program.  Tuesday, March 11^th at 8:15 am in SCR 1 -- Seniors Families and Public Health

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KANSAS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Thanks to our partners at Kansas Action for Children for providing this update. 

Early Care & Education Budget Update

Child Care Assistance. The House Appropriations Committee March 6 approved the SRS budget. Although the Committee chose to defer the decision on almost all funding enhancements until Omnibus, they did include the $2.5 million (SGF) increase in the child care assistance program. This funding would represent services for more than 800 children.

Parents as Teachers. The House Education Budget Committee finalized the education budget on March 6. As with other budgets, the Committee is delaying consideration of new spending until Omnibus. On a motion from Rep. Bill Feuerborn (D-Garnett), the Committee voted to consider adding $2.6 million to Parents as Teachers during Omnibus. This motion is significant because no new funding was included in the Governor's budget, nor recommended by the Department of Education. Unlike the Senate, the House stayed with the Governor's budget recommendation to move the funding for the PAT program to the Children's Initiative Fund, and will look at the funding source again at Omnibus. The House Appropriations Committee will hear this budget report on Tuesday, March 11.

Early Childhood Block Grant. The Social Service Budget Committee report did not recommend funding the new Early Childhood Block Grant. The Committee report did make specific reference to the collaboration occurring between business leaders, parents, law enforcement and other advocates that are coming together to support investment in early childhood education. The Appropriations Committee will take up consideration of this funding at Omnibus.

Senate SRS Budget. The Senate SRS Budget Subcommittee held hearings this week on the SRS budget. Kansas Action for Children testified in support of early education funding and the Child Care Assistance Program. The Subcommittee will deliberate March 10 and make recommendations to the full Ways and Means Committee.

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Possible Movement on Child Care Licensing

The House Federal and State Affairs Subcommittee on Child Care is scheduled March 10 to take possible action on a series of child care licensing bills. This contradicts the Subcommittee's Feb. 27 decision to table the bills in order to give the Kansas Department of Health and Environment time to move forward with discussed improvements. It is possible that the Subcommittee will take action on a bill that has not been the subject of previous discussion, HB 2728. This bill would exempt programs operated by school districts from licensing requirements.

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Law Enforcement Advocates for Early Education

On March 4, Kansas law enforcement leaders teamed up at the Statehouse with the national Fight Crime Invest in Kids organization to support increased investments in early childhood education. Their new report, "Early Education from Birth to Five: Kansas' Investment in Crime Prevention," documents that quality early childhood education improves school success and cuts crime. https://www.khi.org/resources/Other/1104-Early%20Ed%20and%20Crime%20Prevention.pdf

Lenexa Police Chief Ellen Hanson, Topeka Police Chief Ron Miller, Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht and Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson were among those visiting the Statehouse to advocate for more access to high-quality early care and education. Click here to read the Topeka Capital-Journal's coverage of the Fight Crime press conference: http://cjonline.com/stories/030508/loc_253864178.shtml

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Health Policy Update

Children's Health Insurance. On March 4, Kansas Action for Children presented testimony in a briefing about the HealthWave program and urged committee members to consider increasing the eligibility for HealthWave from 200% to 250% of poverty. This would provide the fastest-growing group of uninsured Kansas children with access to health care.

Graduated Drivers Licensing. The House Transportation Subcommittee on Graduated Driver's License is scheduled to meet March 10 to report their recommendations to the full committee.

Health Reform. The Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on the Kansas Health Policy Authority will meet Tuesday, March 11, upon adjournment of the Senate. Public comment will be heard on Wednesday, March 12, and the Subcommittee will deliberate the budget on Thursday, March 13. The House Health and Human Services Subcommittee will meet every day next week to discuss health reform issues.

KDHE Budget. On Thursday, March 13, the Ways and Means subcommittee on KDHE is scheduled to report their budget recommendations to the full committee. Included in this budget is funding for newborn screening and an enhancement for the Kansas Coordinated School Health program.

Until Next Week –

Carrie & Emily

Policy & Outreach Coordinators