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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08011989 - 1.31 1-031 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa DATE: July 24, 1989 ---------- County cou - SUBJECT: LEGISLATION: SB 376 (Cecil Green) SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Take no position on SB 376, which would expand the number of persons who would be eligible for 24-hour care under the in-home supportive services without providing the state with an adequate source of revenue with which to reimburse the counties for the increased costs, thereby forcing the state to reduce reimbursements to the counties in other areas . BACKGROUND: Existing law provides for the In-Home Supportive Services Program (IHSS) , under which qualified aged, blind and disabled persons receive services in order to permit them to avoid institutionalization. Among the supportive services which are provided is protective supervision. SB 376 specifies that protective supervision includes, but is not limited to, monitoring the behavior or physical condition of mentally or physically disabled recipients in certain circumstances . The bill expands the definition of persons who are eligible to protective supervision to include adults having physical disabilities or physical impairments . This level of service requires 24-hour care and monitoring. The Social Services Department reports that currently about 90 of the IHSS recipients (280 clients out of a total caseload of 3000) receive 24-hour care. Passage of SB 376 would make about 5% more of the clients eligible for 24-hour care. Current law requires the state to reimburse counties for all IHSS program costs above the 1987-88 county contribution to IHSS. However, without a new revenue source, the state would have to reduce funding for other programs, possibly doing even more damage to the Social Service Department ' s already inadequately funded programs . It is not argued that these additional individuals are not in need of the services which would be provided by SB 376, only that expanding this program will necessarily reduce funding to other critically needed programs and that CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: -YES SIGNATURE: P RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR -RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATUREM: ACTION OF BOARD ON AUG 1 1929 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. AUG 1 1989 CC: ATTESTED PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY M382 (10/88) this program is not the highest priority in the view of the Social Services Director. Senator Green wrote to the Board of Supervisors soliciting the Board' s support for SB 376. In view of the above and in view of the status of SB 376, the Social Services Director recommends that the Board take no position on SB 376 and so inform Senator Green and this office concurs with that recommendation. SB 376 was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 21, 1989 and was held in committee and under submission, which is tantamount to refusing passage of the bill. Therefore no position the Board would take at this point would be likely to have any influence on the legislation in any case. cc: County Administrator Social Services Director Senator Cecil Green Les Spahnn, SRJ. Jackson, Barish & Associates