Legislative Session Update

Every Child Counts Newsletter

Legislative Update

June 24, 2011

Greetings!

There has been a lot of action in the Senate this week following action in the House as they passed their omnibus bill. The Senate decided to not take up the omnibus bill but to pass individual budget bills (again).

On Monday, budget subcommittees met (briefly - very briefly) to pass the various bills out and move them to the floor. On Wednesday, the Senate debated SF 539 (ed. approps), SF 542 (HHS approps) and SF 538 (standings).

SF 539 includes funding for the Four Year Old Preschool Program. However, the bill reduces the amount spent on the preschool program. Currently, each preschool pupil's education is funded at 60 percent of what a public school elementary or secondary school student's is. This bill lowers it to 50 percent. If you remember the omnibus bill had funding at 30 percent.The bill does increase funding for ECI preschool tuition assistance from the original proposal. Check out the updated chart on funding for early ed programs in this bill here.

SF 542 is not much different from the omnibus bill in terms of funding for child care - which is good! The original 4 million dollar cut to child care is restored. The funding for hawk-i outreach is restored in SF 542. The omnibus bill cut this funding.

SF 538 includes funding for Shared Visions. This funding was cut in half at the beginning of the year. It is good to see this money restored in a bi partisan fashion!

If you are interested there are Notes on Bills and Amendments (NOBA) on each of these bills. Click on the bill numbers below and you can download the NOBA. The NOBA's will explain the differences between the House and Senate versions of the appropriations.

SF 538

SF 539

SF 542

As far as I know, these three bills are not going to conference committee unlike a few bill that were in committee yesterday and agreement was reached. These bills are being negotiated in private meetings with the House and Senate leaders and the Governor (or his staff).

One of the bills that went to conference committee yesterday was SF 525 (mental health reform). You can view the conference committee report (CCR) here.

It looks like the full House and Senate will return on Monday and begin to wrap up the session. If everything goes well, we should have a budget before the next fiscal year begins on July 1st. A lot can happen between now and then, so I am not holding my breath. (But I am not holding out hope, either).

Just think in six short months we get to do this all over again and it is an election year - can't wait!

Thank you,

Sheila

Federal Budget

NEW AD from First Focus:

CALLS ON CONGRESS TO PROTECT CHILDREN BY OPPOSING CUTS TO MEDICAID & CHIP

Earlier in the week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing to discuss the role of Medicare and Medicaid in the federal budget, the First Focus Campaign for Children released a new ad urging Members of Congress to hold children harmless in any deficit reduction effort by protecting essential health care programs for children.

FF baby and medicaid ad

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives approved a Budget Resolution that would end the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program, cut $771 from Medicaid, and block grant the program. Currently, White House and Congressional negotiators are considering a variety of proposals to rein in federal spending - including specific cuts to Medicaid which would drastically impair health care to our lowest income and most vulnerable children.

Legislation is pending before Congress, the State Flexibility Act, which would fundamentally reverse the enormous progress our nation has made in reducing the ranks of uninsured children by repealing a provision of the health reform law that requires states to maintain current eligibility and enrollment requirements for Medicaid and CHIP. Without this so-called "Maintenance of Effort" provision, an estimated 14 million children currently covered by either Medicaid or CHIP could be dropped from coverage.

On every front, it seems that children's health coverage is imperiled. It is short-sighted both from a fiscal standpoint and a moral standpoint to balance the federal budget by cutting the very programs that sustain our nation during times of crisis and keep our children healthy

The data on the cost effectiveness of preventive health care is irrefutable, as is the need for early and continuous health care so that children can grow up to become productive members of society.

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February 8 & 9, 2012

Early Childhood Iowa Congress

Building Quality Systems from the Inside Out: Passion, Creativity & Change

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