Capitol Child Advocate - April 13, 2009

April 13, 2009

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-MISSOURI UPDATE-

Key Children’s Issues Unfunded in Senate Appropriations Committee Budget

The Senate Appropriations Committee finished making their changes to the Budget last week with several positive changes, yet still leaving many key programs unfunded. The appropriations committee decided not to restore Governor Nixon’s proposal to cover 27,000 additional children through SCHIP while also cutting the funding to insure children with cancer and autism that was added through an amendment by Rep. Jason Kander (D-Kansas City) on the House Floor. Other omissions include a failure to fund the Governor’s recommendation to increase funding for diapers and clothing for foster children, and to maintain transitional child care assistance up to 139% FPL.

The Committee did make a number of positive changes, while also keeping some positive changes made on the House floor. Among some of the key programs funded were SCHIP presumptive eligibility, which allows children to get treated at rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers while being presumed eligible for health insurance through SCHIP, and restoring $450,000 to the child care assistance program. The Senate budget still leaves a $1.4 million cut from the Governor’s budget for child care, which will likely force DSS to reduce transitional assistance to 135% of federal poverty. Partnership for Children appreciates the committee’s efforts to restore some of the funding cut by the House and will work to keep this funding when the budget goes to conference between the two chambers.

-MISSOURI UPDATE-

Key Children’s Issues Unfunded in Senate Approps Committee Budget

Update on Children’s Bills of Interest

- QRS on the House Calendar

- TABOR Unlikely to Advance

- Physical Education

- Nurse Home Visiting

- TANF Drug Testing

- Child Witness Protection Act

Upcoming Hearings

Upcoming Events

- Rally for HealthCare – April 16

- Wear Blue Day – Prevent Child Abuse

- Parents to Politicians – Child Care Forum

New Bills Filed

The most significant change between the House and Senate budgets was the restoration of the Governor’s proposal for Medicaid for low-income parents, which will increase eligibility from 20% to 50% of federal poverty at no state cost. MO hospitals have offered to increase their own taxes to pay for the expansion. This will likely be a contentious issue as the House and Senate seek to find agreement on the budget.

While it is disappointing that the Senate appropriations committee has rejected the proposal to cover more children through SCHIP, there is still a chance for restoring these cuts when the budget hits the Senate Floor. Statewide, approximately 80% of Missouri voters support Health Coverage for children, yet both chambers of the General Assembly seem poised to reject any proposals that helps provide health insurance to our most vulnerable citizens. Please contact your Senator and tell them to support any amendment to provide health coverage for kids through the SCHIP program.

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Update on Children’s Bills of Interest

QRS on the House Calendar (HCS HB 387)

HCS HB 387 (Cooper), establishing a voluntary Quality Rating System for child care programs, passed unanimously out of the House Rules Committee last Tuesday, paving the way for floor debate on the measure expected this week.

Partnership for Children strongly supports HCS HB 387 because it will give parents more comprehensive information when choosing a child care program, will help providers improve the quality of their care, and prepare more young children for success in K-12.

For many members of the House, this is their first opportunity to debate and vote on a bill that advocates have been working to pass for several years. Please call your State Representative TODAY and ask them to Vote Yes on House Bill 387, a voluntary Quality Rating System for Missouri’s child care programs. Click here for more talking points on HB387.

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TABOR Unlikely to Advance this Year (HJR 23)

It appears that efforts to pass a constitutional state spending limit known as TABOR are dead this year after the sponsor of HJR 23, Rep. Allen Icet, failed to show up to a hearing on the bill last Wednesday in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The chair of the committee, Senator Carl Vogel, and a room full of advocates opposing the bill waited for nearly an hour for the bill sponsor to show up to present HJR 23 before the hearing was cancelled and “postponed indefinitely.”

Partnership for Children opposes HJR 23, because of its potentially crippling impact on funding for children’s services. If Missouri is truly dedicated to reducing state spending and increasing the earnings of our workforce in the future, then we should invest now in the health, education, welfare, and the human capitol potential of every Missouri child.

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PE Requirements in Schools (HB 509)

Last week, House Bill 509 sponsored by Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) passed the Missouri House of Representatives by a vote of 135-19. This bill would require all school districts to have physical education programs. During the committee process, requirements for school meals to derive no more than 30% of their calories from fat and to limit saturated fat to less than 10% of the calories for all meals was added. In addition to these requirements, snacks must not exceed specified calorie, sugar, and fat contents; and beverages are limited to certain juices and juice drinks, water and zero-calorie flavored water, and lowfat and nonfat milks. Foods that compete with school lunches are limited in their hours and alocations of sale, and any money from these sales must go to the school's nutrition program account. HB 509 will now go to the Senate and will work its way through the committee process and hopefully to the floor before the legislative session comes to a close on May 15th at 6 p.m.

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Nurse Home-Visiting (HB 634)

Partnership for Children testified recently on HB 634 sponsored by Rep. Jason Holsman (D-Kansas City) and we are pleased to announce that this bill was passed out of committee last week. This bill adds home nursing visits and follow-up care as needed until an infant's second birthday for certain at-risk newborns to the list of covered services under the MO HealthNet Program. It is uncertain whehter the committee chairman will allow the bill to move to the House Floor despite the overwhelming support it received in committee.

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Child Witness Protection Act (HB 863)

This legislation was passed by the House of Representatives last week on a vote of 155-2. Amended slightly from the introduced version, the subsitute establishes the Child Witness Protection Act that applies to children 17 years of age or younger who are testifying in any judicial proceeding. The bill will now move to the Senate for further deliberation.

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TANF Drug Testing (HB 30)

After several days of heated debate, HB 30 was passed by the House on Thursday of last week by a vote of 104-45. This bill, sponsored by Ellen Brandom (R-Sikeston), requires the Department of Social Services to develop a program to screen and test recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program who the department has reasonable cause to believe, based on the screening, engage in the illegal use of controlled substances. Applicants or recipients who test positive for the use of a controlled substance after an administrative hearing will be declared ineligible for TANF benefits for one year beginning on the date of the administrative hearing decision. Partnership for Children opposes this legislation because of its potential harm to the children of families who may be kicked off the TANF program as a result of a positive test for illegal substances. The cost of the requirements of this bill will exceed $5 million, not an insignificant amount when we consider the relatively minor cost of providing diapers and clothes to foster children that was rejected by both chambers of the legislature this session.

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Upcoming Hearings:

Omnibus Education Bill (SB 291 - Shields): Modifies provisions relating to education. House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee. Wed, 4/15 at 8 AM.

Educational Rights for Foster Students (SB 96 – Justus): Establishes educational rights for foster care students and requires a full school day of education for certain children. House Special Committee on Children & Families. Wed, 4/15 at 8:30 AM.

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Upcoming Events:

Faith & Families Rally for HealthCare

April 16, 2009

Jefferson City State Capitol