ISSUE SUMMARY OF THE 2005-2007 STATE BIENNIAL BUDGET (Updated: 08/18/2008)

Following is a list of issues in the 2005-2007 biennial budget monitored by people with disabilities. It includes a brief description of what disability advocates believe is needed, and how the issue was addressed by the Governor’s proposed budget, the Joint Finance Committee's recommendations and the legislature, and the final decisions by the Governor.

More detailed information about the proposed biennial budget is available from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau and Governor Doyle's web site.

Accessible Transportation: [More Information]:

Funds to counties to provide transportation to the elderly and people with disabilities

What is needed: Increase of $2 million the first year and $4 million the second year

Increase of $2 million the first year and $4 million the second year
Approved Governor’s proposal (LFB Paper 727, Alt. 1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Assistive Technology: [More Information]:

Helps people with disabilities select, acquire, and use assistive devices

What is needed: $1.2 million over the biennium to improve access to assistive technology for people with disabilities

Not included
Not included
Not included

Birth to Three Program [More Information]:

Provides therapies and other services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities and their families.

What is needed: Maintain the current program

No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases

Children's Long Term Support Waiver [More Information]:

Provides flexible services to limited numbers of kids with disabilities

What is needed: $450,000 in GPR and $608,800 in FED over the biennium to fund 80 new slots using the new Children's waivers.

$450,000 in GPR and $608,800 in FED over the biennium to fund 80 new slots
Cut the Governor's proposal by $112,500 GPR and $152,100 FED in 2006-07. Includes funding for 50 slots. (20 SLOTS IN 2005-06 AND 30 SLOTS IN 2006-07) (More information in LFB Paper 390, Alternatives 2c and 2f)
JFC modification signed into law

Community Aids:

Funds to counties for a wide variety of services

What is needed: Inflationary increases each year

No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases

Community Integration Program (CIP 1B): (More Information)

Medicaid waiver program to provide supports to people with disabilities to live in the community

What is needed: Reduce waiting list of 3,600 by one-third at a rate of $89.20 per day by increasing funding by $16.1 million over the biennium

Fund 25 additional slots, beginning in 2005-06
Accepted Governor's proposal to add 25 slots beginning in 2005-06 (More information in LFB Paper 360, Alternative B1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Community Integration Program: Institutions [More Information]

Moves people from State DD centers to the community

What is needed: Continue with downsizing of Southern and Central DD Centers at current rate of $325/day

Project 90 people moving from Southern and Central Centers over the biennium the current rate of $325/day, delete 132 positions at the Centers as a result.
ACCEPTED GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL TO DELETE 132 POSITIONS IN 2006-07 FROM SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL DD CENTERS TO REFLECT ANTICIPATED PLACEMENTS FROM THE CENTERS (More information in LFB paper 410, alternative A3 and B1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Community Options Program (COP): [More Information]

Provides services to help people get the long-term support they need to remain in their own homes and communities

What is needed: 18.2 million to reduce by one-third COP waiting lists for people with physical disabilities and elderly people and 3.1 million to reduce by one-third COP waiting lists for people with mental illness.

No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases
No cuts or increases

Education Equalization Aids:

Funds to school districts depending on property wealth

What is needed: Support adequate funding for regular and special education

Increase of $700 million in aids to provide property relief
Increase of $422 million in general school aids.
Governor used vetoes to transfer an additional $330 million above the JFC increase.

Employment and Vocational Services: [More Information]

Variety of services to help people with significant disabilities become employed

What is needed: Increase of $2.0 million the first year and $2.2 million the second

Increase of $2.09 million over the biennium
Approved Governor's proposal (More information in LFB paper 840, Alternative 1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Family Support Program: [More Information]

Flexible funding for families to cover costs associated with raising a child with a disability

What is needed: $ 1.7 million in new state funding to reduce the family support waiting list of 3,400 children by one-third.

No cuts or increases
No cuts or increase
No cuts or increases

In-Home Autism Services:

Provides intensive in-home services to children with autism meeting certain criteria

What is needed: Support increase in slots to meet need

250 additional slots per year (funded through the Children's Long Term Support Waiver
Approved Governor's proposal (More information in LFB Paper 360, Alternative A1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Life Span Respite Care: [More Information]

Stipends for parents for respite care and capacity building to provide respite care

What is needed: Maintain program funding

$225,000 in state funding to maintain current funding
Approved Governor's proposal
Governor’s proposal signed into law

Medicaid and Waiver Services: [More Information]

Primary funding source for services to people with developmental disabilities\

What is needed: Maintain current benefits and eligibility. Raise cigarette tax by $1 per pack to address Medicaid deficit.

Transfers $169.4 million from Patient Compensation Fund and raises $130 million from state revenue bonds to maintain program.
Deleted $130 million in bonding authority (More information in LFB Paper 180, Alternative 2) and deleted the proposed Patient Compensation Fund transfer (More information in LFB Paper 450, alternative 4) Maintain current benefits and eligibility for existing Medical Assistance program, including waivers
Maintains current benefits and eligibility for existing Medical Assistance program, including waivers. Cut over $93 million, primarily in the area of provider reimbursements such as nursing homes, outpatient hospital services and pharmacies.

Mental Health Services: [More Information]

Provides services for people with mental illness

What is needed: $20 million to fund the state share for community support programs, crisis intervention, and targeted case management.

Not included in budget
Not included
Not included

Nursing Home Relocations: [More Information]

Nursing home residents who want to move into the community may not be able to because funding for the services they need is unavailable.

What is needed: Support the Governor's Community Relocation Initiative

Projected relocation of 1,440 individuals under CIP II waiver with higher rate for services. Creates permanent community slots.
Adopted Governor's proposal with added requirements that DHFS submit a report to the Joint Finance Committee on program's progress by 1/1/07 (More information in LFB paper 387, final motion not included in the paper) Also added requirement that person must be institutionalized for at least 100 days in order to be eligible for relocation.
Governor vetoes the 100-day requirement and DHFS reporting requirement.

Personal Care, Home Health and Nursing: [More Information] [WPSA Position and Talking Points Paper]

Medicaid services that help people live in the community.

What is needed: Maintain current services and eligibility

Save $10 million in state funding over the biennium in personal care, home health and private duty nursing
Adds an additional cut of $6,847,800 ($4,172,200 GPR and $4,172,200 FED (More information in LFB 388, alternatives A3 and B2)
Governor did not veto but stated in his veto message that he is directing DHFS to spread the $6.8 million cut added by JFC over the entire Medicaid budget

Special Education Services: [More Information]

Funds to partially reimburse school districts for service costs.

What is needed: Maintain current reimbursement rate of 30% (or $75 million over the biennium)

Increase of $12 million in the second year of the budget (rate will drop below 30%)
Adopts the Governor's proposal to provide an additional $12 million general purpose revenue in fiscal year 2006-07. In addition, the measure authorizes licensed school counselors and school nurses as a class of personnel eligible for state reimbursement under the state special education categorical aid. (LFB Paper 608, Alt. A1)
JFC modification signed into law

Special Education High Cost Needs: [More Information]

Additional funds for districts with kids with extra-ordinary high education costs

What is needed: Increase of $5 million each year of the biennium.

Increase of $3.5 million in the second year of the budget
Approved Governor’s proposal (LFB Paper 608, Alt. B1)
Governor’s proposal signed into law

SAGE Program:

Aid to school districts to lower class size in classes with poorer students

What is needed: Increase of about $60 million over the biennium to maintain and expand program.

Increase of about $45 million over the biennium to offset cost increases and expand program
Eliminates most of the funding increase for the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education program by deleting $12 million for SAGE in 2005-06 and $24.5 million in 2006-07. That leaves an increase of $2.5 million in 2005-06 and $3.5 million in 2006-07 for the SAGE program. (LFB Paper 605, Alt. A3, B4, C1, D2). Also adopted motion by Senator Darling that allows the Milwaukee Public Schools to increase SAGE classroom sizes from 15 pupils to 25 pupils in preschool to grade 3 (class sized of 25 are currently allowed for grades 4 and 5).
Governor vetoes preserve K-3 grade level requirement for SAGE participation and eliminates the class size increases for Milwaukee Public Schools

School Transportation:

Busing children to school

What is needed: $42 million to help school districts with transportation

$15.4 million transferred from the transportation fund for districts
Cut Governor’s proposal by $3.65 million in 2006-07, for a total increase of $12.75 million over the biennium.
JFC funding increase signed into law

Supplemental Security Income Managed Care:

Ongoing implementation of managed care

What is needed: Ensure managed care does not force people to change doctors or disrupt benefits.

Expand implementation in Milwaukee County, Dane County, areas served by Marshfield Clinic, and the southeastern region
ADOPTED GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL WITH ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT THAT DHFS SUBMIT A REPORT TO JFC ON THE INITIATIVE’S PROGRESS BY 1/1/07 (More information in LFB 386, alternatives 1 & 4)
Governor’s proposal and JFC addition signed into law

Therapy Rates for Rehabilitation Agencies:

Medicaid rates for therapies differ for agency therapists and independent therapists

What is needed: Maintain current rate structure

Save $3 million in Medicaid funds by reducing payments to agencies to make them the same as for independent therapists plus 5%
Deleted Governor’s proposal
Governor’s proposal not in budget