HB 346: "An Act relating to services for persons with developmental disabilities."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 346 01 "An Act relating to services for persons with developmental disabilities." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 47.80.130 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 04 (d) When state funding is not adequate to meet service needs, the department 05 shall establish a waiting list for persons with developmental disabilities who would be 06 eligible to receive state-funded services under AS 47.80.100 - 47.80.170 if adequate 07 state funding were available. The department shall, on an annual basis, review the 08 waiting list and submit a report to the governor containing the information required 09 under this subsection. The department shall send a copy of the report to the persons 10 chairing the house and senate finance committees and the persons chairing the house 11 and senate health, education and social services committees and shall notify the full 12 legislature that the report is available to all legislators. The report must 13 (1) describe the purpose for the waiting list and the strategies used to 14 notify persons about the waiting list, and must include a copy of the information used
01 by the department to inform individuals and families about their rights and 02 responsibilities under AS 47.80.100 - 47.80.170; 03 (2) explain how an individual is placed on the waiting list, what criteria 04 determine rank on the list, and how the waiting list is used to select individuals 05 equitably and fairly across the state; 06 (3) give the basic demographic information across all regions about the 07 age, sex, racial and ethnic background, educational level, sources of income, eligibility 08 for medical assistance under AS 47.07.020(b)(11) or (12), and marital status of the 09 individuals and their principal caregivers on the waiting list; 10 (4) identify the level of need and preferences of the individuals and 11 families on the waiting list for the services and the supports they feel are necessary to 12 meet their needs and project an annual cost to meet this need; 13 (5) identify how many individuals were removed from the waiting list 14 during the 12 months covered by the report, why they were removed from the list, and 15 how long the individuals had been waiting for services or supports before they were 16 removed from the list; 17 (6) list the number of individuals who have been on the waiting list for 18 90 days or more with an account of the department's steps to regularly review each 19 individual's status while waiting for services or supports; 20 (7) report annual data from the Department of Education and Early 21 Development about the number of students in special education with developmental 22 disabilities graduating from high school, dropping out of high school before reaching 23 age 22, or reaching age 22 without graduating from high school; and 24 (8) include a copy of written policies, manuals, and procedures used 25 by the department to implement AS 47.80.100 - 47.80.170. 26 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 27 to read: 28 TRANSITIONAL PROVISION; FIRST REPORT. The Department of Health and 29 Social Services shall prepare the first annual report required under sec. 1 of this Act so that 30 the report is available to the governor and the legislature by November 15, 2000, and is based 31 on the waiting list existing from October 1, 1999, through September 30, 2000.