Agriculture and the Environment. The final budget agreement includes $3.38 million for county conservation districts; while this represents a $500,000 decrease from FY 2012-2013, the Governor's original budget proposal had eliminated the general fund lines entirely in favor of relying on Act 13 revenues to fund the districts. Counties received $5 million in 2012 and will receive $7.5 million in 2013 from Act 13.
Funding for gypsy moth control, black fly and West Nile virus was largely level funded. County fairs will see a $1 million increase to $3 million, after more than doubling in FY 2012-2013. Farmer's market food coupons will receive the same appropriation of just over $2 million, while the food purchase program will receive a $100,000 increase.
The governor originally proposed level funding for agriculture research and the Penn State Extension program through the Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund, but the lines received a $1.5 million increase in the final budget agreement. Finally, around $35 million are available in state funds for the farmland preservation fund, provided through cigarette tax revenues and the Environmental Stewardship Fund, representing an almost $10 million increase.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs. Funding for community-based substance abuse services remains at FY 2012-2013 levels. The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will continue as the Single State Agency for the Substance Abuse and Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. While sequestration is likely to result in reduction of federal funds, state funds to DDAP remain level. Funds that come to the Single County Authorities from the Department of Public Welfare are also level-funded as are those for intermediate punishment programs. Funding for Tobacco Prevention and Cessation remains at 4.5 percent of the total available and will be allocated to communities based on the same formula as in the past few years, although the total available is still being determined.
Child Welfare. Children and youth agencies will see a $15 million increase in state Act 148 funding in FY 2013-2014. Federal funding for placement maintenance (Title IV-E), training and certification, Children's Justice Act, child care services and the Nurse-Family Partnership is also increased. Child care assistance funding is reduced, both state and federal, but there is flexibility within the increase in the child care services line. The primary concern is the potential cost of projected service increases if pending legislation growing out of the Task Force on Child Protection Report is adopted, as this was not anticipated in county budget planning for FY 2013-2014. Other unknowns at this point include the impact of the Title IV-E waiver pilot.
Community and Economic Development. Many programs through DCED, including the Municipal Assistance Program (which provides funding for planning and shared services), remain level funded in FY 2013-2014. The Office of Open Records, however, will receive a nearly 23 percent increase from FY 2012-2013 and funding for Marketing to Attract Tourists, level funded in the governor's proposal, would also see an almost 28 percent increase over FY 2012-2013. The Pennsylvania First program, which offers grants for job creation, infrastructure projects and workforce development, also saw an $8.3 million funding increase to $37.8 million. DCED's General Government Operations budget includes funding for the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB), whose functions now fall under DCED pursuant to Act 2 of 2013.
Homeless Assistance Program. Funding for temporary shelter to homeless individuals and rental assistance to those in danger of becoming homeless remains at $18.5 million, consistent with the governor's request.
Human Services Development Fund. The final budget funds HSDF at the same level as FY 2012-2013, $13.46 million, also consistent with the governor's request.
Judiciary. The final budget agreement maintains levels of funding from FY 2012-2013 for most judicial line items that impact the counties, including intermediate punishment, adult probation and funding supporting judicial computers. However, juvenile probation will see a 15 percent ($2.5 million) increase, following a five percent decrease in FY 2012-2013. Senior Judges Support Grants, J-NET and line items for court costs will also receive increases of about three percent.
There is no direct allocation for district attorney salary reimbursement, but concurrent with budget action in 2009, a permanent court fee surcharge was imposed to raise funds for the commonwealth portion.
Juvenile Detention. Specific funding levels for juvenile detention are not yet known but are established through the needs-based budgeting process. The Department of Public Welfare will provide a breakdown of the specific funding levels within their overall budget within the next few weeks.
Libraries. In the Department of Education, the public library subsidy is level funded at $53.5 million for the second straight year, following a FY 2011-2012 reduction of two percent.
Long-term Care. The FY 2013-2014 budget for long-term care reflects a two percent increase in Medicaid funding for nursing homes, the first such increase in three years. As in previous years, lines for home and community-based services, long-term care managed care, and long-term care includes funding for nursing homes. Once again, a variety of funding sources such as the lottery fund, tobacco settlement, and nursing home assessment are being utilized to help support the funding levels for long-term care.
Home and community-based services are slightly increased at about $396 million in state and federal funds, marginally higher than FY 2012-2013. Long-term care managed care is funded at just over $185 million in combined state and federal funds. Also, state funding for nursing homes is $838.5 million, which will lead to at least $434 million generated in nursing home assessment funds, an additional $13.4 million in carryover intergovernmental transfer funds, another $95.1 million from the tobacco settlement and $309 million from the lottery fund. More than $2 billion in federal funds is also being used for the nursing home payments. This increased state allocation will permit the commonwealth to draw down some additional funds from the nursing home assessment program.
Medical Assistance Transportation Program. State funding for MATP for FY 2013-2014 has been approved at $72.8 million in the final budget, level funded with FY 2012-2013 but less than the $76.2 million proposed by the governor. Counties have and will continue to work with DPW to develop cost-containment initiatives and weed out fraud and abuse; still, MATP is federally mandated and needs to be appropriately funded in order for our most vulnerable citizens to receive necessary transportation to their medical providers.
Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Early Intervention and Autism. County mental health base dollars, intellectual disability base dollars and the Behavioral Health Services Initiative line items are all funded essentially flat with the FY 2012-2013 enacted budget. The mental health base line is increased from FY 2012-2013, but the entire increase is dedicated to pension costs for the state hospital system and an initiative to move 90 individuals from state hospitals to the community. ID waiver funding is sufficient to annualize the FY 2012-2013 waiting list initiative and serve an additional 1,080 individuals with emergency status on the ID waiting list. Counties will assist with placing individuals into the ID initiative as part of their waiver administration responsibilities.
Early intervention funding is increased over FY 2012-2013, but this increase merely assures continuation of the existing program. Counties serve children ages 0-3 with developmental delays and also provide matching funds for state dollars. The autism services funding level continues the current program and authorizes $1.5 million to provide services to an additional 118 adults with autism.
Medical Assistance capitation funding, which funds several programs including the Behavioral HealthChoices program, was increased, although details are not yet available on the impacts on BH HealthChoices. Also, sequestration will reduce federal funds for the community mental health services block grant, but the impact to counties is not known at this time.
Transportation. Counties receive $5 million annually for bridge projects under Act 44 of 2007. Further details regarding allocations from the county liquid fuels fund and the Motor License Fund were unavailable at press time.
