Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

03/20/2015 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE

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Audio Topic
01:35:31 PM Start
01:36:19 PM SB26
01:36:19 PM Overview: Fy 16 Budget Department of Health and Social Services
01:46:34 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 26 Presentation: Overview FY17 Operating Budget TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Departments: Health and Social Services TELECONFERENCED
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      March 20, 2015                                                                                            
                         1:35 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:35:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon called the Senate Finance Committee                                                                          
meeting to order at 1:35 p.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Anna MacKinnon, Co-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice-Chair                                                                                              
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
Senator Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                           
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Pete Kelly, Co-Chair                                                                                                    
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Sana Efird, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Health                                                                        
and Social Services; Michael Frawley, Facilities Manager,                                                                       
Department of Health and Social Services.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 26     BUDGET: CAPITAL                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          SB 26 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                     
          consideration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
FY 16 BUDGET OVERVIEW:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
         DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 26                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act making appropriations, including capital                                                                           
     appropriations   and   other   appropriations;   making                                                                    
     appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing for                                                                      
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:36:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
^OVERVIEW:  FY 16  BUDGET DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH AND  SOCIAL                                                                  
SERVICES                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:36:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SANA  EFIRD, ASSISTANT  COMMISSIONER,  DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH                                                                    
AND SOCIAL SERVICES, introduced herself.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL  FRAWLEY, FACILITIES  MANAGER, DEPARTMENT  OF HEALTH                                                                    
AND SOCIAL SERVICES, introduced himself.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Efird  discussed the PowerPoint, "Results  for Alaskans,                                                                    
Department of  Health and Social  Services, FY  2016 Capital                                                                    
Budget" (copy on file).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Efird looked at slide  2, "FY 2016 Capital Request." The                                                                    
Emergency  Medical Services  (EMS) Match  for Code  Blue was                                                                    
located  in  the Capital  Budget  bill.  The other  project,                                                                    
Mental  Health Home  Modification and  Upgrades request  was                                                                    
identified in the Mental Health  Budget. The EMS request was                                                                    
$500,000 in  general funds (GF),  and the  Home Modification                                                                    
request was  $750,00 in  GF and  $300,000 of  MHTAAR funding                                                                    
for a total of $1,050,000.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Efird addressed  slide 3,  "Emergency Medical  Services                                                                    
Match for Code Blue Projects - $500.0 GF Match."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     -Matches federal, local and private funds to purchase                                                                      
     critical EMS equipment and ambulances                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     -Serves all seven EMS Regions                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     -Projects identified by Code Blue Steering Committee                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     -Since program inception in FY 2002, over $20,500.0                                                                        
     has been leveraged.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy  wondered  why the  projects  had  ongoing                                                                    
requests.  Ms. Efird  replied that  the  issue was  ongoing.                                                                    
There was a  waitlist from every EMS regions  each year. The                                                                    
request  did  not  cover  their universe  of  need  for  the                                                                    
projects. The EMS Code Blue  would replace old equipment, so                                                                    
there was  a constant turnover  of old ambulances  and other                                                                    
types of equipment.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy wondered why  the other project had ongoing                                                                    
requests.  Ms. Efird  replied with  slide 4,  "Mental Health                                                                    
Home Modification and Upgrades  to Retain Housing - $1,050.0                                                                    
($750.0 GF/Co-Chair Hawker, $300.0 MHTAAR)":                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     -Competitive capital grants                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     -Provides housing modifications                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     -Allows persons with a disability to remain in their                                                                       
     homes                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
    -Approximately 125 families served each grant cycle                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     -Grantees coordinate efforts                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:40:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy  wondered if  this was  the first  year for                                                                    
the Home Modification, and whether  there was leftover money                                                                    
from previous  years. Ms. Efird  responded that  the program                                                                    
was created in 2002, and  there was approximately $8 million                                                                    
appropriated since that  time. Over $6 million  of the total                                                                    
was  expended, and  the current  grant cycle  had encumbered                                                                    
the  majority of  that money,  but had  not been  completely                                                                    
expended.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy wondered  which organization  administered                                                                    
the program.  Ms. Efird  replied that  it was  a competitive                                                                    
grant program, and there were  a number of grantees that she                                                                    
would provide to the committee.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  asked if  there were  strict perimeters                                                                    
for  whether  the  home  modifications  were  needed  for  a                                                                    
specific case. Ms. Efird replied  that there were perimeters                                                                    
under  the   solicitation  and   the  agreements   with  the                                                                    
grantees,  there  were  a   number  of  specifications.  For                                                                    
example,  the grantee  must require  individuals  to sign  a                                                                    
promissory note for  a period of three years,  as a security                                                                    
agreement. Within  that three-year  period, the  grant funds                                                                    
must be  repaid, if the  recipient no longer resides  in the                                                                    
dwelling.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche wondered  if the state had  a process to                                                                    
collect  a removable  high value  home. Ms.  Efird responded                                                                    
that there were funding  limits. She shared that individuals                                                                    
with special  needs could receive  a maximum of  $15,000 per                                                                    
home,  and  there  were some  other  specifications  on  the                                                                    
amount of  funding. She  believed that  the state  would not                                                                    
recoup the funds after the three-year limit.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy  asked if the  competitive bid  process had                                                                    
any leftover from  year to year. Ms. Efird  replied that the                                                                    
entire amount of funding was  appropriated, but there may be                                                                    
leftover  funds through  each grantee.  That leftover  money                                                                    
was used for another request for proposal (RFP).                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon announced the following week's agenda.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  26  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
1:46:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 1:46 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
032015 DHSS Capital Budget Overview.pdf SFIN 3/20/2015 1:30:00 PM
SB 26