They are done! 

Just yesterday the legislature finished up votes on the Omnibus Budget bill, and here is where we ended up:

As far as the items that we were clearly following at the end of the session, that were originally included in the Governor’s Budget:

     HCBS/DD               $4M
      HCBS/PD               $3.6M
;     Base Funding for CILs             $650,000
 Reimbursement Rates            $2.25M (for Reimbursement rates for six programs which include:  PD, TBI, TA in addition to Addiction and Prevention, DD Grants, and ICF/MR)  So, it appears that the rate increase will be somewhere around 2%.                

So, all in all this session I think we can call this a success!  It feels a little weird, because we did start with everything included in the Governor’s budget request, so I don’t know that I anticipated such a rollercoaster ride to secure everything we achieved, but I guess it just goes to show “You just never know!”

Thank you for all of the work each of you have done in making legislative contacts, and educating your legislators.  As we look to next year, we know there is a significant need to continue to educate legislators on long term supports and services and the shift that must happen to rebalance our system.  They continue to fund both systems institutional and community based…and it is very true, our state cannot afford this, so, as we move through this summer, we will really work to create and initiate a ‘game plan’ for educating these folks so that they can represent us-the consumers-and debate our issues of community based services.

I will still have another update looking at the entire session and some of the things that passed outside of these specific budget items we were watching…hopefully late this week, or early next…

Thanks for all of your work!

 

Jennifer Schwartz
Executive Director
Ks Association of Centers for Independent Living
214 SW 6th Street
Topeka, KS  66603
785-215-8048
785-215-8050