Master FIR (1988)

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Altamirano		DATE TYPED:	02/02/99		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Fund Developmentally Disabled Programs				SB	292
					ANALYST:		Burkhart

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY99	FY2000	FY99	FY2000	Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
	$ 3,857.0			Recurring GF

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 292 appropriates 3,857.0 from the general fund to the Department of Health in FY 2000 for the following purposes:

1,000.0 for increased salaries for direct care staff providing services through developmental disability, disabled and elderly, and medically fragile children medicaid waiver programs;

422.5 for caregivers' criminal history screening costs for background checks;

300.0 for the cost of mandated national accreditation of Department of Health administered developmental disabilities community based programs;

500.0 for continued implementation of the certified medication aides program;

1,384.5 for cost-of-living increases; and

250.0 for contracts for developmental disability services statewide.

Significant Issues

Appropriation of these monies would enhance the level and number of services provided to developmentally disabled individuals. However, the monies appropriated for salary enhancement have the effect of treating providers of services to the Department of Health unequally. Thus providers of developmentally disabled services would receive salary increases whereas providers of public health services or those providing services to the mentally ill population would receive nothing. There is no data available that shows one segment of the provider community is suffering more than another. In addition, the provision of salary increases for direct care staff for those working in the waiver program has the effect of treating some state employees differently than others and this provision could not be implemented under present state personnel office regulations. State employees provide direct services in the Los Lunas community program for the developmentally disabled

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The Department of Health has an elaborate system for the financial control and administration of these monies.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Administration of these monies is within the budgeted capacity of the Department of Health.

DUPLICATION

Sb292 duplicates to some extent the following bills: SB2, HB2, HB137, SB24, SB243, SB144

TECHNICAL ISSUES

This bill provides unequal treatment of the provider community that contracts with the Department of Health.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1. How were the appropriation amounts determined?

2. Was there any consideration given to the provision of an overall cost-of-living or salary increase amount for all community providers of services to the Department of Health?

MB/njw