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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE & ALERT 

ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY PREVENTION COALITION OF NORTH CAROLINA

Thursday, July 5, 2007


 
House and Senate budget conferees are still trying to resolve differences between the two versions of the budget bill (HB 1473 and Senate Committee Substitute for HB 1473).   Conferees for the Health and Human Services section of the budget worked for hours trying to resolve their differences, starting around 6:00 p.m. July 3.  It was an evening in which proposals and counter proposals were "pitched" back and forward.  Agreements were reached only to be withdrawn later.  Unfortunately, when the public meeting ended at 2:30 a.m. July 4, conferees had not reached agreements on all budget items.  What a way to start a holiday!
 
As reported in previous alerts, your assistance is urgently needed to get conferees to reach a more favorable agreement on the two budget items that affect pregnancy prevention programs and initiatives.  Note items recorded below:     
 
  • Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina (APPCNC) -- Currently the budget agreement for APPCNC is $100,000 in recurring state funds.  This compromise cuts funding for APPCNC by $75,000.
The Senate's budget bill contained $100,000 in recurring state funds for the  2007-2009 biennium for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina.  The House's budget contained $175,000 in non-recurring state funds for FY 2007-08.  As previously reported, a compromise of $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium and $75,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 was offered and the House & Senate conferees working to resolve the differences in the Health & Human Services section of the budget accepted the compromise.   
 
Unfortunately, the agreement was changed to $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  The legislative Fiscal Research staff indicated that the earlier agreed upon funds, over the biennium, equaled to more than either the Senate or the House had included in its budget bills. This was considered a gray area, and the staff felt that agreeing to funding that exceeded the total funding (over the biennium) probably was not within the rules that govern the budget conferencing process.
 
YOUR MESSAGE TO BUDGET CONFEREES -- Let the budget conferees know that the current compromise drastically cuts funding for APPCNC.  Ask the conferees to include $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $75,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 in their final budget for APPCNC.   APPCNC uses its state funds to leverage national and local resources in order to provide technical support and resources to local programs in North Carolina.  APPCNC is the primary source of training for local adolescent pregnancy prevention councils and their staff. Funds are not available for local council staff to travel outside of NC for training and the councils depend heavily on APPCNC for in-service education and to bring new program ideas as well as critical information on programs that are shown to be effective -- that are evidence based prevention programs.
  
  • Healthy Start Foundation -- Currently the budget agreement for the Healthy Start Foundation is $150,000 recurring state funds.  
The Senate's budget bill contained $150,000 in recurring funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  The House's budget contained $275,000 non-recurring for FY 2007-08.   The compromise for the Healthy Start Foundation was based on the one provided for APPCNC, and conferees agreed to $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $125,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08.   Unfortunately, the agreement was changed to $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  As noted previously with the APPCNC funding, the legislative Fiscal Research staff indicated that the earlier agreed upon funds, over the biennium, equaled to more than either the Senate or the House had included in its budget bills. 
 
YOUR MESSAGE TO BUDGET CONFEREES -- Let the budget conferees know that the current compromise drastically cuts funding for the Healthy Start Foundation.  Ask the conferees to include $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $125,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 in its final budget for the Healthy Start Foundation.   The Healthy Start Foundation uses its funds to combat infant mortality and it also funds pregnancy prevention initiatives. 
 

 

ITEMS ON WHICH FAVORABLE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED -- Hopefully the agreements will be sustained.

 

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives -- The Senate's version of the budget contains $450,000 in extra federal block grant funding for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives.  Several weeks ago, the House and Senate budget conferees agreed to accept the Senate's position on the funding. 

 

School Nurses Funding -- The Senate's version of the budget contained $2,100,000 in FY 2007-08 and $3,100,000 in FY 2008-09 for 42 additional school nurse positions and 62 positions respectively.  The House's budget contained $4,000,000 each year of the 2007-2009 biennium for 80 additional school nurse positions.  Tuesday, July 3, the conferees agreed to $2,700,000 in FY 2007-08 and $3,300,000 in FY 20080-09.   The agreed to funding for school nurses remained the same over the course of the evening in which numerous budget scenarios were offered for consideration and agreements on various items were reached then later withdrawn. 

 

 

ITEMS THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS--  A REMINDER -- "OFF THE TABLE" DURING BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS ARE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS IDENTICAL IN BOTH BUDGET BILLS: 

 

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives --  $2.5 million in block grant funds to pregnancy prevention initiatives -- the level of funding that is currently appropriated from federal block grant funds.   

School-based and school-linked health centers --  $375,000 in non-recurring state funds to provide a cost of operations increase for school-based and school-linked health centers for FY 2007-08. NOTE special provision for the designation of this funding.  

Women's Health Services -- $200,000 FY 2007-08  and $ 200,000 FY 2008-09  --  Provides funding for family planning services to uninsured women who are not eligible for Medicaid. 

Aid to Community Health Centers -- $5,000,000 FY 2007-08  non-recurring funds -- Provides funding on a competitive grant basis to rural health centers, local health departments, qualified health centers, free clinics, school-based health clinics, and entities providing preventive care.  


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE & ALERT 

ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY PREVENTION COALITION OF NORTH CAROLINA

Thursday, July 5, 2007


 
House and Senate budget conferees are still trying to resolve differences between the two versions of the budget bill (HB 1473 and Senate Committee Substitute for HB 1473).   Conferees for the Health and Human Services section of the budget worked for hours trying to resolve their differences, starting around 6:00 p.m. July 3.  It was an evening in which proposals and counter proposals were "pitched" back and forward.  Agreements were reached only to be withdrawn later.  Unfortunately, when the public meeting ended at 2:30 a.m. July 4, conferees had not reached agreements on all budget items.  What a way to start a holiday!
 
As reported in previous alerts, your assistance is urgently needed to get conferees to reach a more favorable agreement on the two budget items that affect pregnancy prevention programs and initiatives.  Note items recorded below:     
 
  • Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina (APPCNC) -- Currently the budget agreement for APPCNC is $100,000 in recurring state funds.  This compromise cuts funding for APPCNC by $75,000.
The Senate's budget bill contained $100,000 in recurring state funds for the  2007-2009 biennium for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina.  The House's budget contained $175,000 in non-recurring state funds for FY 2007-08.  As previously reported, a compromise of $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium and $75,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 was offered and the House & Senate conferees working to resolve the differences in the Health & Human Services section of the budget accepted the compromise.   
 
Unfortunately, the agreement was changed to $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  The legislative Fiscal Research staff indicated that the earlier agreed upon funds, over the biennium, equaled to more than either the Senate or the House had included in its budget bills. This was considered a gray area, and the staff felt that agreeing to funding that exceeded the total funding (over the biennium) probably was not within the rules that govern the budget conferencing process.
 
YOUR MESSAGE TO BUDGET CONFEREES -- Let the budget conferees know that the current compromise drastically cuts funding for APPCNC.  Ask the conferees to include $100,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $75,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 in their final budget for APPCNC.   APPCNC uses its state funds to leverage national and local resources in order to provide technical support and resources to local programs in North Carolina.  APPCNC is the primary source of training for local adolescent pregnancy prevention councils and their staff. Funds are not available for local council staff to travel outside of NC for training and the councils depend heavily on APPCNC for in-service education and to bring new program ideas as well as critical information on programs that are shown to be effective -- that are evidence based prevention programs.
  
  • Healthy Start Foundation -- Currently the budget agreement for the Healthy Start Foundation is $150,000 recurring state funds.  
The Senate's budget bill contained $150,000 in recurring funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  The House's budget contained $275,000 non-recurring for FY 2007-08.   The compromise for the Healthy Start Foundation was based on the one provided for APPCNC, and conferees agreed to $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $125,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08.   Unfortunately, the agreement was changed to $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-2009 biennium.  As noted previously with the APPCNC funding, the legislative Fiscal Research staff indicated that the earlier agreed upon funds, over the biennium, equaled to more than either the Senate or the House had included in its budget bills. 
 
YOUR MESSAGE TO BUDGET CONFEREES -- Let the budget conferees know that the current compromise drastically cuts funding for the Healthy Start Foundation.  Ask the conferees to include $150,000 recurring state funds for the 2007-09 biennium and $125,000 non-recurring funds for FY 2007-08 in its final budget for the Healthy Start Foundation.   The Healthy Start Foundation uses its funds to combat infant mortality and it also funds pregnancy prevention initiatives. 
 

 

ITEMS ON WHICH FAVORABLE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED -- Hopefully the agreements will be sustained.

 

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives -- The Senate's version of the budget contains $450,000 in extra federal block grant funding for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives.  Several weeks ago, the House and Senate budget conferees agreed to accept the Senate's position on the funding. 

 

School Nurses Funding -- The Senate's version of the budget contained $2,100,000 in FY 2007-08 and $3,100,000 in FY 2008-09 for 42 additional school nurse positions and 62 positions respectively.  The House's budget contained $4,000,000 each year of the 2007-2009 biennium for 80 additional school nurse positions.  Tuesday, July 3, the conferees agreed to $2,700,000 in FY 2007-08 and $3,300,000 in FY 20080-09.   The agreed to funding for school nurses remained the same over the course of the evening in which numerous budget scenarios were offered for consideration and agreements on various items were reached then later withdrawn. 

 

 

ITEMS THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS--  A REMINDER -- "OFF THE TABLE" DURING BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS ARE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS IDENTICAL IN BOTH BUDGET BILLS: 

 

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives --  $2.5 million in block grant funds to pregnancy prevention initiatives -- the level of funding that is currently appropriated from federal block grant funds.   

School-based and school-linked health centers --  $375,000 in non-recurring state funds to provide a cost of operations increase for school-based and school-linked health centers for FY 2007-08. NOTE special provision for the designation of this funding.  

Women's Health Services -- $200,000 FY 2007-08  and $ 200,000 FY 2008-09  --  Provides funding for family planning services to uninsured women who are not eligible for Medicaid. 

Aid to Community Health Centers -- $5,000,000 FY 2007-08  non-recurring funds -- Provides funding on a competitive grant basis to rural health centers, local health departments, qualified health centers, free clinics, school-based health clinics, and entities providing preventive care.