California State Budget
* Assembly Budget Panel Approves SSI/SSP COLA for 2008
* Proposed by Governor In January
* Senate Budget Subcommittee Took Action April 19
* Advocates Praise Action - Hope No Reductions In May Revise

SACRAMENTO -   The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services voted 6-0 Wednesday (May 2) to approve the Governor's proposal to fully fund the cost of living increases scheduled to take effect January 1, 2008 for SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) grants to over 1,239,000 eligible low income seniors, persons with disabilities and persons who are blind.  Based on the actions taken by both houses (the exact amount will differ slightly when updated information is received later this month) the maximum SSI/SSP grant would increase on January 1, 2008 from $856 to $888 for individuals and $1,502 to $1,558 for couples.

The action by the Assembly Budget Subcommittee approved $171.6 million in State funds for the state cost of living increase reflecting the latest economic data (called the "California Necessities Index" or CNI)  that the increase is based on - a total that is slightly different from the amount in the Governor's proposed budget released January 10, which was an estimate of what the increase would likely be.  The action of the Governor in January - and the Senate in April and Assembly yesterday was widely praised by disability and senior advocates.  The issue of SSI/SSP impacts hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities and seniors and others including community-based organizations who provide supports and services, and  community care facilities.

CDCAN Vote Record Report - May 2, 2007
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
Action: Approve Governor's Proposal to fully fund SSI/SSP cost of living increases (as revised by Legislative Analyst Office and understanding that numbers will be further adjusted with more current information later in the month)
AYES (6):
Democrats (4): Berg, Beall, De La Torre, and Hernandez
Republicans (2): Benoit and Maze
NOES (0)
ABSTAIN, ABSENT, NOT VOTING (0)

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants Budget Item Held Open
* The subcommittee held open action and further discussion with the Department of Social Services on the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), established in 1997,  to provide state funded assistance similar to SSI/SSP to persons with disabilities and seniors who are legal immigrants and who became ineligible for SSI as a result of  federal welfare reform passed in 1996.
* The program grants are $10 less than SSI/SSP grants for individuals and $20 less than SSI/SSP grants for couples. About 11,400 persons are enrolled in the Cash Assistance Program Immigrants program in any given month  
* The program is overseen by the California Department of Social Services and administered by the counties.  The federal government is not involved with this program.

Senate Took Action Earlier in April
The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs took action earlier on April 19, approving $124.4 million in State funds for the revised Supplemental Security Payment (SSP) cost of living increase of 3.7% (estimated in the Governor's budget released in January at 4.2%), and approved passing through the entire $34.4 million in federal funds for the SSI (Supplemental Security Income) cost of living increase of 1.;2%.

Background of SSI/SSP Grants To Lowest Income Seniors and People With Disabilities
* The Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program (SSI/SSP) provides cash grants to persons who are elderly, blind and/or persons with disabilities  too disabled to work and who meet the program’s federal income and resource requirements. Persons who receive SSI/SSP are eligible for IHSS, "categorically eligible" for Medi-Cal's Aged, Blind or Disabled Program with no share of cost.
* There are about 1,239,000 persons with disabilities (including developmental), seniors and persons who are blind who receive SSI/SSP grants.  That number is expected to grow during the 2007-2008 State budget year by 2.1% (to 1,265,000).  Of the total, about 8% are children under the age of 18, 49% are persons between ages of 18 and 64, and 43% are age 65 and older (about 360,000), about 22,000 were persons who are blind, and about 834,000 who were children and adults with disabilities (including those with developmental disabilities).
* The SSP cost of living increases were suspended as part of the 2005 State Budget for two years (January 1, 2006 and January 1, 2007).  The Legislature last year rejected the Governor's proposal to extend by nearly a year and half,  the withholding of the federal increases to SSI recipients.

Next Steps
* Later this month (after the Governor releases revisions to his proposed budget on May 14), both houses will adjust the actual numbers to reflect the latest updated economic information for the exact SSI/SSP cost of living increases scheduled for January 1, 2008.
*  While no action is final until a budget is actually passed by the Legislature and then signed by the Governor, advocates are hoping that the vote to fully fund SSI/SSP cost of living increases will mean no reductions or suspensions of increases will be proposed in the revisions to the proposed budget that the Governor will release on May 14 (referred to as the "May Revise" or the "May Revision").  Advocates were concerned that the budget revisions that the Governor will release will contain proposals for suspension of some duration of SSP, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants and CalWORKS (California's welfare to work program) cost of living increases or other reductions.
* Budget issues left "open" will be taken up by the various budget subcommittees sometime after May 14 - but before the end of the month as the budget process begins to reach its final weeks.
* Additional subcommittee hearings will be held on those items not heard (May 9 for regional center and at least one developmental center budget issues which were not heard as scheduled on April 11) .
* After May 14 the subcommittees, with rare exceptions,  will only hear public testimony on issues that are newly proposed by the Governor in his revisions to his budget. 
* State budget year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. 
* Meanwhile, legislative policy committees completed hearing bills that have some impact on state spending, by the deadline of April 27. All bills referred out of policy committees by that date are waiting final action from the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committees.  Many bills - impacting regional centers, In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, special and adult education, accessible and affordable housing, transportation, utilities, veterans with disabilities, health care reform, developmental centers, health facilities, employment are waiting action. Watch for CDCAN reports or go to the CDCAN website for more information at www.cdcan.us

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
05/11/07 - Legislature - Policy committees: last day to hear and report any bills that are "non fiscal" (meaning does not impact state spending or request an appropriation of government funding). The deadline for bills that do impact state funding or asks for funding was April 27.
05/14/07 - Budget: Scheduled date when Governor will release revisions ("May Revise")
05/25/07 - Legislature - Policy committees: last day to meet before June 11th
05/28/07 - Memorial Day (state and federal holiday)
06/01/07 - Legislature - Appropriations Committee: deadline to hear and report out all bills to the Senate or Assembly floor.  [bills held in committee cannot have further action until at least January 2008 - referred to as "two year bills]
06/08/07 - Senate and Assembly Floor: last day for Senate to pass Senate Bills to the Assembly, last day for Assembly to pass Assembly bills to the Senate
06/11/07 - Legislature - Policy committees: can meet and hear bills (from the other house)
06/15/07 - Budget: State Constitutional deadline to pass the State Budget (which in modern times has never been met)
07/01/07 - Budget: start of the 2007-2008 State Budget Year
07/13/07 - Legislature - Policy committees: last day to hear and report any bills out either to Appropriations Committee or to the Floor (in either house)
07/20/07 - Legislature - Summer Recess begins on this date if State Budget is passed
08/20/07 - Legislature reconvenes from Summer Recess (could change depending on actual date they recessed)
08/31/07 - Legislature - Appropriations Committees: last day to hear and report bills out to Assembly or Senate floors (bills held in committee cannot have further action until at least January 2008 - referred to as "two year bills")
09/03/07 - Labor Day (State and federal holiday)
09/04/07 - Legislature -  Senate and Assembly Floor sessions through end of the 2007 session (September 14). No committees can meet.
09/14/07 - Legislature adjourns for year (until January 2008) - lsat day for any bill to be passed. Bills not acted on cannot have further action until at least January 2008 - referred to as "two-year bills"]
10/14/07 - Last day for Governor to sign, veto bills

SUMMARY OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE MAY 2
As expected, most budget items and issues were held open - meaning no action taken - to wait until after the release on May 14th of the Governor's revisions to his proposed budget (called the "May Revise" or "May Revision"). 

Non controversial items approved by Subcommittee May 2
The following were routine or non controversial budget issues having no opposition and approved by the subcommittee 6-0:
* Department of Social Services Consolidation Project as budgeted
* Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) positions as budgeted  for the Energy Utility Program
* Department of Aging Evidence Based Health Promotion Initiative as budgeted
* Department of Aging Mental Health Services for Older Persons and Adults with Disabilities as budgeted
* Department of Aging - continuation of the Adult Day Health Center Program Reform as proposed in budget (including "budget change proposal" or BCP). Senate took identical action earlier in April.

Budget Issues or Items Heard by the Subcommittee on May 2:
Food Stamps
Action Taken: Subcommittee heard additional information from the Department of Social Services on the issues relating to elimination of fingerprinting requirement for the Food Stamp only caseload.
Food Needs In California
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revisions and further review
Implementation of AB 2384 on Corner Store Conversion
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revisions and further review
Categorical Eligibility for Food Stamps
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revision and further review
Adult Protective Services - Funding Request from County Welfare Directors Association
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revision and further review
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revisions and further discussion from the Department of Social Services
Medi-Cal Disability Claims Workload
Action Taken:
* Held open for further review and discussions from the Department of Social Services.
* Subcommittee requested quarterly updates from the Department on the progress of eliminating the backlog of Medi-Cal disability claims (as per the budget change proposal or BCP for this issue) and how the number of days for determination has been reduced to comply with the requirements of the legal settlement. 
Department of Community Services and Development: Naturalization Services Program
Action Taken: Held open for Governor's May budget revision and further review
Department of Aging: Caseload Estimates
Action Taken:
*  Approved 5-0,  "place holder" trailer bill language (refers to budget related legislative language that states intent or a concept without details, which the subcommittee will later include) to do the following as recommended by the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO):
* Suspend the Department of Aging's requirement to provide the state level report through 2010
* During the interim, direct the Department of Aging to use the "program statistical fact sheets" for state and federal program data to inform the Legislature when it reviews its annual budget requests.
* Require the Department of Aging to post the "program statistical fact sheets" on the internet by March 1, rather than March 15.
* Requested that the Department of Aging provide regular progress updates on the progress of completion of the California Aging Reporting System (CARS).
Funding Requests from Advocates
Note: These are funding requests not in the Governor's Proposed Budget released in January that advocates asked the subcommittee to hear and consider (including the additional funding for Adult Protective Services by the counties which was heard separately on the hearing agenda]
* Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs (request from advocates to restore state funding to the Senior Companion Program ($1.7 million) and allow an additional funding (augmentation) for the Foster Grandparent Program ($1.1 million).
* Senior Nutrition Program  (request from advocates for $6.46 million in General Fund to support senior nutrition programs)
* Linkages Program (proposal from advocates for an increase of  $1.85 million in state general funds for the Linkages Program which is funded only by the State. This program administered by the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) currently serving 3,600 persons has a goal to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of seniors and adults with disabilities by assisting them to remain living in a home environment.  Linkages is a General Fund program, which currently serves 3,600 “at risk” adults throughout California.
* Legal Services Hotline (advocates are requesting additional funding beyond what is in the Governor's proposed budget to support the hotline.  The hotline - and legal assistance - advocates say is needed for low income seniors who need assistance for legal issues that traditional legal aid programs do not offer.
Action Taken: All funding requests from advocates were held open for Governor's May budget revision and further review. :


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