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LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY PREVENTION CAMPAIGN
OF NORTH CAROLINA
Monday, June 9, 2008
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On Thursday, May 5, the House of Representatives gave final approval to its version of the budget, HB 2436. The measure now goes to the Senate, where senators will craft their version of the budget, which is expected to be ready next week. The Senate's budget is nearly finished because Senate and House members worked jointly on budget matters, even prior to the beginning of the legislative session. The timeframe for making appeals for changes and additions will be extremely limited. There is much work to be done as evidenced by the final outcome of the House's version of the budget. Note items recorded below.
NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE HOUSE'S BUDGET -- HB 2436
The House's budget does not include the $250,000 requested for pregnancy prevention programs -- The results of which will mean prevention programs in New Hanover, Anson, and Person Counties -- programs that are up for renewal of grant funds -- will be cut. In addition, other programs that have been approved for funding will not be funded.
The House's budget does not include the $375,000 for school-based/school-linked health centers, which mean school health centers will not receive a cost of operations increase in order to sustain the centers.
Current base state funding ($1.79 million) for all pregnancy prevention programs has been made non-recurring meaning that the base recurring funding has been made one-time money. (Item #49 in Money report) This also means that prevention advocates will have to struggle to retain this money each and every year in the same manner that we have to struggle to retain the block grant/federal funds. At a time when the programs are struggling to stay alive financially, such action may mean the demise of many programs as staff may leave because of the uncertainly of the funding!
POSITIVE ITEMS IN THE HOUSE'S BUDGET -- HB 2436
I. HOUSE'S BLOCK GRANT FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
TANF Block Grant - Item #12 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives --- $450,000
If approved in the final budget, this money will offset the Medicaid funds cut in 2007. With the additional $450,000 in funding, Adolescent Parenting Programs (APP) in ANSON, SCOTLAND, FORSYTH, and WILSON counties will no longer be in jeopardy of being cut. In addition, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programs (APPP) in CHATHAM, GUILFORD, FORSYTH, and SCOTLAND counties will no longer be in jeopardy of being cut.
TANF Block Grant - Item #21 Transfer to Social Services Block Grant for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives --- $2,500,000
If approved in the final budget, this TANF money will be transferred to the Social Services Block grant and used as it has been in the past: $1.5 million to local teen pregnancy and parenting programs and $1 million to local health departments for out-of-wedlock birth prevention. Before a cut in 2001, the funding for these two items totaled more than $3.8 million.
II. HOUSE'S MONEY REPORT FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
Item #45 Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program --- $75,000 Recurring
This money is the grant-in-aid for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign (formerly Coalition) of NC. With this funding, if approved, APPCNC's grant-in-aid in recurring funds will be fully restored.
Item #12 Expand Adolescent School Health Centers --- $250,000 Non-recurring
This money, if approved, would be used for start-up grants for new school-based/school-linked health centers. Unfortunately, once the new centers are developed, this item could become a negative for existing centers. If the base funding for the centers is not expanded, the $250,000 to start new centers could reduce the funding for existing centers, once the new centers are on-line and operating. Funding for successful existing centers could be cut in order to accommodate the new centers.
Item #9 Aid to Safety Net Community Health Centers --- $2,700,000 Recurring & $2,300,000 Non-recurring
This money will be used to fund a competitive grants program, for which the school-based/school-linked health centers could compete, but these funds cannot be used solely for operational purposes and the school-health centers need operational funds.
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AN IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE ALERT IS FORTHCOMING
Please be watchful for a legislative action alert, and please act immediately realizing that the timeframe for making appeals for changes and additions will be extremely limited. Thanks so very much for your numerous contacts to members of the House of Representatives! You did an excellent job, and we intend to be more successful with members of the Senate.
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Compiled by Patricia Yancey
Director of Public Education
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina
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FYI -- Recorded below is the contact information for members of the Senate who will need to be convinced of funding changes and additions.
President Pro Tempore of Senate
Sen. Marc Basnight (D)
Room 2007, Legislative Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
(Dare, Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Hyde, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, & Washington)
919-733-6854 - Raleigh
E-mail: Marcb@ncleg.net
CO-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE OVERALL SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
The following legislators ultimately will be responsible for what gets into the Senate's version of the budget.
Senator Linda Garrou (D) (Co-Chairperson)
Room 627, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 733-5620
O: (336) 922-4192 (Forsyth)
E-mail: Lindag@ncleg.net
Senator Charlie Albertson (D) (Co-Chairperson)
Room 525, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 733-5705
H: (910) 298-4923 (Duplin, Lenoir, & Sampson)
E-mail: Charliea@ncleg.net
Senator Charlie Dannelly (D) (Co-Chairperson)
Room 2010 Legislative Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
O: (919) 733-5955
H: (704) 392-1227 (Mecklenburg)
E-mail: Charlied@ncleg.net
ADVISORY MEMBERS
Sen. Walter Dalton (D)
Room 523, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 715-3038
H: (828) 287-2908 (Cleveland & Rutherford)
E-mail: Walterd@ncleg.net
Senator Kay Hagan (D)
Room 411, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 733-5856
O: (336) 379-8721 (Guilford)
E-mail: Kayh@ncleg.net
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Senator Bill Purcell (D) (Co-chairperson)
Room 625, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 733-5953
H: (910) 276-7328 (Scotland, Richmond, Stanly, & Anson)
E-mail: Williamp@ncleg.net
Sen. Doug Berger (D) (Co-chairperson)
Room 622, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 715-8363
O: (919) 671-6565 (Franklin, Granville, Vance, & Warren)
E-mail: Dougb@ncleg.net
Sen. Harris Blake (R)
Room 517, Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
O: (919) 733-4809
O: (910) 295-3613 (Moore & Harnett)
E-mail: Harrisb@ncleg.net
Sen. Charlie Dannelly (D) (Vice-chairperson)
Room 2010 Legislative Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
O: (919) 733-5955
H: (704) 392-1227 (Mecklenburg)
E-mail: Charlied@ncleg.net
Sen. Jim Forrester (R)
Room 1129 Legislative Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
O: (919) 715-3050
O: (704) 263-4716 (Gaston, Iredell, & Lincoln)
E-mail: Jamesf@ncleg.net
Sen. Steve Goss (D)
Room 1118 Legislative Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
O: (919) 733-5742
H: (828) 265-2943 (Alexander, Ashe, Watauga & Wilkes)
E-mail: Steveg@ncleg.net
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