SACRAMENTO - The 13 page agenda for the February 10th hearing by the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblymember Jerry Hill (Democrat – San Mateo, 19th Assembly District) was released this morning that focuses on the Governor’s special session proposed budget cuts to human services under the Department of Social Services and the California Children and Families Commission that he wants passed by March 1 in order to be implemented by June 1, 2010 or for some proposals, by the start of the new State Budget year that begins July 1, 2010 or for placement on the June 8, 2010 State primary election for voter approval. [A copy of the 13 page agenda is attached to this CDCAN Report as a pdf file (titled “20100210-AssemblyBudgetSubHumanServicesAgenda.pdf ) and also is available on the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us in both pdf and word formats. ]

A hearing by the same subcommittee is also scheduled for February 11th, that will focus on the Governor’s special session health budget proposals, including proposed cuts to Medi-Cal, developmental services, public health, adult day health care, mental health services (see previous CDCAN Report for detail).

Issues to be heard February 10th – though likely not acted on by the subcommittee – include Governor’s proposals dealing with:

· In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) proposal that would significantly narrow eligibility that would mean nearly 90% of the estimated 460,000 people in the program would lose all services under the program; and reduce State participation toward IHSS worker wages to the state minimum wage.

· SSI/SSP individual grants proposed for a $15 reduction, lowering the maximum grants for individuals to the lowest (or minimum) level allowed by the federal government (grants for couples were lowered to the minimum level allowed by the federal government last fall as part of the 2009-2010 revised State budget passed last July)

· Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) and California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), proposal to eliminate all funding for these two state funded only programs. CAPI provides grants similar to SSI/SSP to about 9,000 legal immigrants who have disabilities, are blind or elderly but do not qualify for SSI/SSP. CFAP provides food assistance benefits to legal immigrants over the age of 18 and under 65 years to about 32,000 people.

· CalWORKS, the state’s “welfare to work program”, proposal to reduce the maximum grants by 15.7% effective June 1, 2010 if approved by the Legislature. Proposal also to reduce the child care reimbursement rates and to eliminate the CalWORKs Recent Noncitizen Entrants program, also effective June 1, 2010 if approved that impacts about 24,000 persons.

· Children and Families Commission (Proposition 10) proposal – called “redirection of funds” would shift – or reduce - $550 million of the California Children and Families Commission funding for the 2010-2011 State Budget year and instead use that funding for other state programs serving children. The Children and Families Commission was created by the voter approved Proposition 10 in 1998 through a special tobacco tax, to operate various “First 5” programs for children and their families. The Governor’s proposal, if approved by the Legislature, would still need approval from voters, in the June 2010 State primary in order to take effect. A similar proposal by the Governor, Proposition 1D, was placed on the ballot by the Legislature in last May’s special election, which voters rejected by a vote of 3,157,680 (66%) voting no and 1,633,107 (34%) voting yes. Voters also rejected by a similar margin a proposal (Proposition 1E) to shift funding from the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63) - a proposal that the Governor also wants to have placed on the ballot again in June (that issue is being heard by the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on February 11).

Hearing Format

· Assembly Budget Committee staff said that for each of the specific budget issues on the agenda, representatives from the Schwarzenegger Administration (Department of Social Services) will be asked to present the proposal briefly.

· The brief overview of the specific proposal will then be followed by any comments by representatives from the Governor’s Department of Finance (DOF) and staff from the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), the non-partisan agency that reviews budget issues for the Legislature.

· Public Comment: After questions from Assembly Budget Subcommittee members on the specific proposal, public comment will be taken on that specific issue. People can also submit written comments to the subcommittee before, during and after the hearing (Note: persons submitting written to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee should also provide those same comments to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee if they had not done so already – see address below for both).

NEXT STEPS

· The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee reviewed these budget proposals by the Governor on February 2 but took no action.

· The Assembly budget subcommittee hearings this week are probably the last opportunity for the public to provide oral testimony on the Governor’s special session budget proposals before the Assembly and State Senate floors decide what to do next.

· Neither house is expected to take any final action on the proposals until later this month.

· After this week and next, hearings by both the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees will resume probably in early March through early May covering the Governor’s other budget proposals for the 2010-2011 State Budget year that begins July 1, 2010 that do not require action before March 1, 2010. Those hearings have not yet been scheduled]

SUMMARY PAGE OF FEB 10th HEARING AGENDA

The following is the first page of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing for February 10th that outlines the order that the subcommittee will hear the Governor’s specific special session budget proposals. The pages following this (see attached agenda) provide details of the Governor’s proposals and analysis by subcommittee staff.

The numbers before each department (“5180” and “4250”) are used in the State budget to identify that particular State agency.

AGENDA SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 1 ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ASSEMBLYMEMBER JERRY HILL, CHAIR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 1:30 PM

STATE CAPITOL, ROOM 4202 (PLEASE NOTE THE ROOM CHANGE)

OVERVIEW OF THE GOVERNOR'S

SPECIAL SESSION BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR HUMAN SERVICES

ITEMS TO BE HEARD

5180 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Issue 1 - CalWORKs Grant Reduction and Child Care Reimbursement Rates (Page 2)

Issue 2 - CalWORKs Recent Noncitizen Entrants Program, CFAP, and CAPI (Page 5)

Issue 3 - IHSS Service and Wage Reductions (Page 7)

Issue 4 - SSI/SSP Grant Reduction (Page 10)

Issue 5 - Federal Funding for Foster Care (Page 12)

Issue 6 - Redirection of County Savings (Page 13)

4250 CALIFORNIA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMISSION (PROP. 10)

5180 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Issue 1- Redirection of Proposition 10 Funds via June 2010 Ballot (Page 14)

ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEMBERS:

Total Members: 7

Democrats (5 members) : Assemblymembers Jerry Hill (Chair); Jim Beall, Jr. (also chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee); Julia Brownley, Hector De La Torre (also chair of the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee); and Edward Hernandez (Democratic Alternate Member: Noreen Evans (also chair of the Assembly Budget Committee)

Republicans (2): Assemblymember Bill Emmerson; and Brian Nestande (Republican Alternate Member: Jim Nielsen

To provide this committee with written testimony or comments, send to the committee office (or provide during the committee hearing):

Assembly Budget Committee

State Capitol - Room 6026

Sacramento, CA 95814

Committee Office Phone: (916) 319–2099

SENATE BUDGET & FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Total Members: 15

Democrats (10 members): Denise Ducheny (Committee Chair), Elaine Alquist (chair of the Senate Health Committee), Mark DeSaulnier, Mark Leno (chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services), Carol Liu (chair of the Senate Human Services Committee), Alan Lowenthal (chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee), Gloria Negrete McLeod, Alex Padilla, Joe Simitian and Roderick Wright

Republicans (5 members): Robert Dutton (Committee Vice-Chair), Roy Ashburn, Robert Huff, Abel Maldonado, and Mimi Walters

Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services

Total Members: 3

Democrats (2 members): Senators Mark Leno; and Elaine Alquist (also chair of the Senate Health Committee)

Republican (1 member): Senator Roy Ashburn

To provide this committee with written testimony or comments, send to the committee office (or provide during the committee hearing):

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Office

State Capitol – Room 5019 [different from the committee hearing room]

Sacramento, CA 95814

Main committee office phone: (916) 651-4103

Committee FAX number: (916) 323-8386

OTHER HEARINGS AND MEETINGS FEBRUARY 10TH:

ASSEMBLY ACCOUNTABILITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE

09:00 AM – State Capitol – Room 437

Informational Hearing – Subject: State Expenditures

PUBLIC TESTIMONY TAKEN AT THIS HEARING : Not certain

PRIORITY: Important

CDCAN COMMENT: While this committee doesn’t have direct responsibility over the state budget process – the issues it covers does deal with the state budget, and could have impact on how decisions are made on certain budget proposals.

SENATE BUDGET & FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

09:30 AM to 12:00 PM – State Capitol – Room 4203

Informational hearing – subject: Governor’s special session budget proposals

PUBLIC TESTIMONY TAKEN AT THIS HEARING: Not certain

PRIORTY: Not certain at this time until details of agenda are available

ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE #1 ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

1:30 PM – State Capitol – Room 4202

Subject: Governor’s special session budget proposal human services budget proposals

(see above or attached agenda pdf file for details)

PRIORITY: VERY HIGH

ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE #5 ON TRANSPORTATION

4:00 PM - State Capitol – Room 127

Subject: Governor’s special session budget transportation proposals:

· Department of Transportation (CalTrans)

PUBLIC TESTIMONY TAKEN AT THIS HEARING: Yes – limited, but people can submit comments before, during and after the hearing

CDCAN COMMENT:

PRIORITY: HIGH