CAPITAL NEWS

2017 Legislative Session –Week 5

April 3 - 7, 2017

Halfway through session and four weeks to go! The House and Senate full Appropriations Committees amended and passed their budget proposals setting up a vote next week by both Chambers. The House and Senate are still roughly $4 billion apart with sizable differences on spending for public schools, universities and hospitals topping the list. The House General Appropriations Bill is now HB 5001, while SB 2500 is the Senate’s General Appropriations Bill.

The Senate is off until Thursday April 13, 2017 when they will return to pass their appropriations related bills. The House returns Wednesday.Negotiations between the two chambers are expected to occur in the last 3 weeks of session.

There were no changes on any of the housing funding issues discussed last week in the Capital News – Week 4. SB 358 relating to Substance Abuse and Mental Health; SB 1024 relating Homeless Databases passed through their committees this week.

Housing Budgets Recap

The Senate allocated $274,400,000 of housing trust funds for SHIP ($124,900,000) and SAIL ($149,500,000). The House allocated $155,000,000 of housing trust fund for SHIP ($69,750,000) and SAIL ($85,250,000). Both allocations include new funding and reserves from unobligated Florida Housing Finance Corporation Guarantee Fund Program. The Senate allocated $75,000 from SHIP funding to Florida Supportive Housing Coalition for supportive housing training.

Last year SAIL was funded at $64,600,000 and SHIP at $ $135,500,000. It is estimated that there is $292.37+million available for appropriation in the Sadowski Housing Trust Funds FY 2017-18.

Health Care BudgetsRecap

Revenue maximization funding and implementing language in SB 2514 remains the same although the bill is generating opposition from some nursing homesdue to funding methodology changes. As a recap SB 2514 established the guidelines for transfer of general revenue from DCF to AHCA to draw down federal match currently at the rate of 61.9% The purpose of the proposal is to increase community mental health and substance abuse funding without spending any new state dollars. The increased revenue is to eliminate Medicaid limitations of some behavioral health care services, fund Medicaid substance abuse case management, and increase Medicaid rates on some services provided by the SAMH Network. The plan also establishes administrative claiming for the managing entities overseeing Medicaid recipients. Administrative claiming is a 50% federal match to state general revenue.

Currently by House and Senate General Appropriation Bills transfer from $19 to $24 million of state from DCF to AHCA.

Week 6 at a Glance

House Budget Considered: The House is expected to take up its budget bills Wednesday and/or Thursday 4/12-13, 2107.

Senate Budget: The Senate’s proposed budget will be available Thursday and will be on the special-order calendar April 12th and discussed April 13th.

BILLS

General Bills*

HB 381 - Pub. Records/Homelessness Surveys and Databases:Creates public records exemption for individual identifying information of person contained in Point-in-Time Count & Survey or data in Homeless Management Information System; defines term "individual identifying information"; provides for retroactive application of exemption; specifies that exemption does not preclude release of aggregate information; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity. Has not passed any House committees however SB 1024 has passed and is on the Senate Calendar 4/6/17.

SB 358 - Mental Health and Substance Abuse:Authorizes the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to approve behavioral healthcare receiving systems, designate and monitor receiving and treatment facilities and suspend or withdraw such designation for failure to comply with the law and the department’s adopted rules. This bill revises the reporting requirements to the crisis stabilization unit database by the managing entities and requires DCF to post that data on its website on a monthly basis. Passed Children, Families, & Elder Affairs 2/6/17: PassedSenate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and Appropriations.Unanimously passed the Senate 3/30/17. Now in House messages.

CS/SB 854:Task Force on Affordable Housing:Task Force on Affordable Housing;Creating a task force on affordable housing; requiring members of the task force to serve without compensation; directing the task force to develop recommendations for the state’s affordable housing needs, subject to certain requirements, etc.Now in Appropriations wanting to be put on the agenda.

SB 916: Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program:Deleting the fee-for-service option as a basis for the reimbursement of Medicaid provider service networks; requiring provider service networks to be prepaid plans; revising the number of eligible Medicaid health care plans the agency must procure for certain regions in the state, etc. Now inAppropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

HB 1013:Task Force on Affordable Housing:Similar to CS/SB 854. Passed Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on 3/15/17. Now inTransportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee. Will need to be amended to match CS/SB 854.

SB 1024:Public Records/Homeless Management Information Systemrelated toPublic Records/Homeless Management Information System;Creating a public records exemption for individual identifying information of a person contained in a Point-in-Time Count and Survey or data; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc. Passed Children, Families and Elder Affairs, 3/13/17. Passed Governmental Oversight and Accountability 3/27/17.Placed on Senate Calendar 4/6/17.

* Note: (Bills that have not passed a committee in the House or Senate and therefore not expected to pass have been removed from the report. This includes HB 91 - State Housing Tax Credit Program; HB 133 and SB 1656:-Housing Assistance; HB 1327: Behavioral Health Services.

Appropriation Bills

SB 2500 – Senate’s General Appropriations Bill: Providing moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2018. On Senate Calendar 4/13/17.

SB 2502 – Senate’s Implementing Bill: Provides guidance as to how to appropriate funds in SPB 2500. Includes requiring the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to contract for an independent consultant to study and make recommendations on certain aspects of the home and community-based services Medicaid waiver program, etc.On Senate Calendar 4/13/17.

SB 2514 – Senate’s Health Care Conforming Bill: Creating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Safety Net Network; requiring the Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Health Care Administration to determine the scope of services to be offered through providers contracted with the SAMH Safety Net Network, etc.On Senate Calendar 4/13/17.

HB 5001 – HouseGeneral Appropriations Act: Providing moneys for the annual period beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2018. On House Calendar 4/12/17.

HB 5003 – House Bill Implementing the 2017-18 General Appropriations Act: On House Calendar 4/12/17.

(See attached Project Funding document for in-depth budget analysis including project bills previously listed in the weekly report.)

Information about bills, committees, and handouts are available through Live streaming of committee meetings is available through the Florida Channel . Audio and pod casts are available from past committee meetings at listed under each Committee. If you have any questions contact

  • The 2017 Session convened on Tuesday, March 7th and is scheduled to conclude on May 5th
  • Week 6 – Senate Block Calendar/House Weekly Schedule
  • Week 7 - Senate Block Calendar/House Weekly Schedule

Prepared by FSHC 4/9/17Page 1