Budget Continues to Dominate Legislative Agenda -- The big news at the Capitol this week continues to be the budget.  The House and the Senate have released their respective budget recommendations for health and human services. The House proposal is much more favorable.  To view a comparison, please read the Legislative Update for Week Three in the Legislature by clicking here.
 
On Monday, Senate President Jeff Atwater was quoted in the press as saying that he could not guarantee that funds expected from the six-month Congressional extension of Federal Medicaid Matching Percentage (FMAP) will be used to avoid cuts in Health and Human Services programs.  He indicated that instead, the funds could be used to repeal or lower fee increases adopted by the 2009 Legislature primarily for motor vehicle fees and licenses as well as for a school sales tax holiday.  The House leadership has hinted that the money may go into state reserves.  If FMAP funds are extended through FY 2010-11, they would go a long way in offsetting cuts in health and human service programs if the Legislature used them for that purpose.
 
A number of FAHSA priority bills were acted on in committee this week, including bills related to continuing care contracts, mandatory defibrillators in assisted living facilities, elevator regulator relief for multi-family residences, and preservation of affordable housing.  FAHSA was successful in amending SB 1172 to extend the provisions in it related to elevator regulation to apartments, including those in continuing care and other similar retirement communities.  We are working to do the same in the House.  For a summary of action on these and other bills, please refer to the Legislative Update.