|
Legislation
CSNI takes an active interest in Legislation (Federal and State) that could positively or detrimentally impact the developmental disability community. This is accomplished through monitoring proposed Legislation at the Federal and State level to ensure it advances the "system",
and responding to changing needs of those individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. CSNI has
a dedicated staff that educates, through testimony, various legislative committees and representatives and actively informs self-advocates and parents of children who have developmental disabilities of pending legislation and proposed policy changes.
CSNI tracked
over 50 bills on
issues relative
to developmental
disabilities,
acquired brain
disorders and
other health
care issues.
Attached is
a spreadsheet
which shows the
final action all
legislation the
Public Policy
Group tracked
since January,
2009.
Legislative Liaisons
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 14, 2010
This Week in
Concord
Legislature
Adopts
Budget-Balancing
Bill
The
special
2010
session
of the
legislature,
called
by the
Governor
and
Executive
Council
for the
specific
purpose
of
enacting
measures
necessary
to
ensure a
balanced
state
budget
for the
biennium
ending
June 30,
2011,
was
convened
on
Wednesday.
As
previously
reported,
prior to
the end
of the
regular
legislative
session
last
week,
the
committee
of
conference
on
HB 1128
had
reached
agreement
on
numerous
provisions
that
eliminated
all but
$30
million
of the
projected
state
general
fund
deficit
of $295
million.
The
issue of
expanded
gambling,
a point
of
contention
between
the
House
and
Senate
conferees,
had
blocked
final
agreement
on HB
1128,
necessitating
the
special
session.
Special
Session
HB 1
(known
as SSHB
1) was
introduced
in the
House
Wednesday
and
included
all the
measures
previously
agreed
to by
the
conferees,
along
with
several
other
provisions
necessary
to
eliminate
the
entire
projected
deficit
of $295
million.
The
Governor
has now
signed
the
legislation.
Addressing
a state
budget
shortfall
of this
magnitude
was an
extremely
onerous
task,
with
difficult
choices
having
to be
made
every
step of
the way.
Although
there
will be
some
direct
impact
from the
reductions
at the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
overall
the
adoption
of SSHB
1 did
not
result
in
significant
cuts to
the
Bureau
of
Developmental
Services.
For
this,
your
legislators
should
be
commended.
Please
express
your
appreciation
to them.
Interim
Study
Bills
The
remaining
work of
the 2010
session
includes
reviewing
bills
that
have
been
sent to
interim
study in
either
the
House or
the
Senate.
Each
bill
will be
studied
by a
committee
between
now and
November,
and an
interim
study
report
will be
issued.
The
report
will
include
a
recommendation,
which
will say
one of
two
things:
“recommended
for
future
legislation”
or “not
recommended
for
future
legislation.”
Regardless
of which
recommendation
is made,
the bill
will die
at that
point,
and it
will be
up to
one or
more
legislators
to
decide
whether
to
introduce
new
legislation
for the
2011
session.
Below
are
Interim
Study
Bills of
Potential
Interest:
-
HB
1456,
establishing
a
committee
to
study
the
use
of
pesticides,
herbicides
and
their
alternatives
in
residential
neighborhoods,
school
properties,
playgrounds
and
other
places
children
congregate.
-
HB
380,
relative
to
long-term
care.
-
HB
606-FN,
relative
to
aid
to
the
disabled.
-
HB
1437,
requiring
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
to
provide
a
legislative
report
on
Katie
Beckett,
the
Medicaid
program
for
home
care
for
children
with
severe
disabilities.
-
HB
1657,
directing
the
commissioner
of
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
to
adopt
rules
regarding
transfers
of
income
to
special
needs
trusts
__________________________________________________________________________
Committee assignments for House
see
attached
Committee assignments for Senate
see
attached
For more
information on specific legislators visit:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/
|
