State Senate Budget Committee Holds Hearings on Critical Intellectual and Developmental Disability Funding Initiatives

This month, advocates came out in force to fight for increased funding for intellectual and developmental disability (ID/DD) services at two recent hearings held by the California Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

On May 2, the subcommittee met to consider several items of concern to ID/DD system stakeholders including a proposal to repeal the requirement that activity centers, adult day centers, behavioral management programs and other day programs bill regional services for half and full days of service, an initiative that would suspend the 14-day mandated uniform holiday schedule for ID/DD providers which allows additional days of services to be paid, and restructure of the Department of Developmental Services.

Of greatest interest to the ID/DD community was consideration of the bipartisan 8% funding increase of ID/DD rates to address the state’s Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce crisis heard at the May 9 subcommittee hearing. While the agenda included several budget items related to aging, health and various human services issues, the large majority of advocates were present to discuss the proposed increase for ID/DD provider rates.  In fact, UCPLA Chief Program Officer Kimberly Lee (right) traveled to Sacramento to testify before the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee’s May 9 hearing, urging lawmakers to adopt this vital 8% rate increase. 

While the Senate and Assembly are considering a $290 million appropriation which would support an 8% ID/DD rate increase, California’s Department of Developmental Services budget request includes a modest proposed targeted increase of $167.7 million. You can review the DDS 2019 May Revised Budget highlights by clicking here.

Subcommittee member Senator Jeff Stone (R-28) argued passionately for increased ID/DD funding. “I’m of the opinion, as well as a majority of the Senate, that this is a high priority for us…and why isn’t it a higher priority for the Governor?” “These are the people that need out services probably the most and we can’t even get contractors to take care of some of the most vulnerable and precious people in California…my regional center is losing contractors because they can’t continue to pay these rates.”

Stone also alluded to the recently completed rate study that recommends more than $1.2 billion is needed to address California’s workforce crisis. “I don’t mean to be over passionate but this is one of the most, if not the most, important legislative budget issues we are facing…setting the stage for how we’re going to treat this vulnerable population in the future and I don’t know how you can say this can’t be a high priority with $22 billion dollars in unanticipated revenues coming into the state,” argued Stone. “It’s time for us to put the rhetoric aside…it’s time for us to do action and the way we do action is we start restoring these rates…we should have a three-year phase-in where we get to that $1.2 billion in the general fund and we need to start this year.” You can watch Sen. Stone’s statement by clicking here.

All self-advocates, advocates, and any stakeholder who supports a quality and sustainable ID/DD support system, are urged to contact Governor Newsom to request inclusion of an 8% across-the-board ID/DD rate increase in the California FY2019-2020 state budget.  Read more about how you can get involved and see more Policy and Advocacy updates by clicking here.

– Lori Anderson, President and CEO