03/12/1994 10:05 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
  SB 360 - COMMITTEE LEGISLATION FOR INTRODUCTION                              
                                                                               
  Co-chair Pearce  directed  attention  to  draft  legislation                 
  proposed for introduction in the Senate.  She explained that                 
  similar  legislation  was  introduced in  the  House.   That                 
  legislation has  time constraints, hence  need to  introduce                 
  like legislation in  the Senate for more  expedient passage.                 
  In  the  FY  94  budget,  the  governor  requested,  and the                 
  legislature authorized, transfer  of $1.6  million from  the                 
  community  developmental  disabilities   grant  to   medical                 
  assistance.  Project Choice is a waiver program developed to                 
  finance  care  for  individuals whose  care  was  previously                 
  provided  through   DD  grants.     The  transfer   included                 
  authority,   responsibility,   and   funding.       However,                 
  implementation of Project Choice was substantially  delayed.                 
  Only  $400.0 of  the $1.6  million has  been used in  FY 94.                 
  Representatives  of the  Key Campaign  indicate  that people                 
  have thus been caught without funding.   The Dept. of Health                 
  and  Social  Services has  only  processed six  waivers, and                 
  there is  a waiting  list of over  500.   The proposed  bill                 
  would move remaining moneys from  medical assistance back to                 
  the  DD  grants   to  allow  grantees  to  complete   FY  94                 
  operations. The legislation must be passed and signed by the                 
  governor before  April 1 for  grant funding to  be available                 
  for the  remainder  of the  fiscal  year.   Co-chair  Pearce                 
  called for opposition.   None was  raised, and the bill  was                 
  approved for introduction.  It  was subsequently numbered SB
.                                                                         
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:20 p.m.