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www.disabilityrightsca.org
May 30, 2018

Budget Conference Committee
Assemblymember Phil Ting, Co-Chair 
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula
Assemblymember Richard Bloom
Assemblymember Rocky Chavez
Assemblymember Jay Obernolte
Senator Holly J. Mitchell, Co-Chair
Senator Nancy Skinner
Senator Richard Roth
Senator John M.W. Moorlach
Senator Jim Nielsen

RE: DRC CONFERENCE COMMITTEE POSITIONS
Dear Conference Committee Members:
Disability Rights California (DRC) is a non-profit advocacy organization that advances and protects the rights of Californians with disabilities, including health and mental health, housing, accessibility, education other issues that directly impact the lives and well-being of persons with disabilities.
We submit our positions to the Conference Committee for consideration on select issues pending in the 2018-19 state budget that are important to our clients and should be funded.
Not in Conference Issues
•	SSI Cash Out:  Approve $29 million in 2018-19, $112 million in 2019-20, $121 million in 2020-21, and $118 million in 2021-22 (all General Fund) and on-going to reverse the SSI Cash-out and provide a hold harmless for all cases including future applicants.
•	Developmental Disabilities:  Approve $5.6 million to fund community based safety net services; approve restoration of social recreation and camping; approve $14.2 million FY 18-19 and $25.2 ongoing to ensure transparency of respite policies and protocols; and, exempt regional center consumers who are engaged in community integrated employment from the Uniform Holiday Schedule.
•	Electronic Visit Verification:  Approve the costs included in EVV multi-department planning team and BBL authorizing expenditure authority of no more than $1 million if there is a written proposed plan for development, stakeholder participation, and cost estimates; allow implementation for 1 year by all-county letters; and, add specified solution principles.
•	Eugenics Sterilization Compensation Program: Provide $5 million to implement the compensation program to surviving individuals who were involuntarily sterilized pursuant to California’s eugenics laws as specified in SB 1190 (Skinner).
Conference Committee Issues
Health and Human Services 
•	Issue 1 - HHS 29 – MediCal Eligibility for Aged and Disabled:  Support the Assembly version of $30 million ongoing to increase MediCal eligibility to 138% of FPL for the aged and disabled.
•	HHS 5 - Long term Care Ombudsman:  Support the Assembly version to approve $7.3 million GF ongoing to adjust the local annual program base and approve corresponding placeholder TBL for allocation methodology.
•	HHS 9 - Pediatric Day Health Care Rate:  Support the Assembly version to approve $8 million ($4 million GF) and placeholder TBL to provide a 50% rate increase to Pediatric Day Health Care facilities.
•	HHS 21 - California Community Transitions Program:  Support the Assembly version that would continue the program, replacing the federal funding with GF in 2018-19 and ongoing.
•	HHS 64 - Deaf Access Program: Support the Assembly version to approve $4.1 million GF for FY 18-19 for the Deaf Access program with placeholder TBL.
•	HHS 83 - SSI/SSP Grant COLA:  Support the Senate version to approve $55 million for an SSP adjustment for aged, blind and disabled persons for inflation beginning January 1, 2019 using the California Necessities Index as the inflation factor.
General Government-Public Safety
•	Issue 1: Housing and Homelessness:  Support Senate version to invest $4 billion over four years for various housing programs, including homeless mental illness program and proposed TBL to place the No Place Like Home program on the November ballot to speed up implementation.
•	Issue 2:  Earned Income Tax Credit:  Support Assembly version to expand EITC to taxpayers who were previously excluded because of age and to adjust the credit to compensate for the increase in minimum wage.
•	Issue 4:  Youth Reinvestment and Adult Reentry and Diversion:  Support Assembly version of $150 million GF for a youth and adult and juvenile reentry and diversion package, including $50 million to community organizations for reentry housing efforts.
•	GG-PS 2 - Equal Access Fund:  Support the Assembly version to approve $20 million General Fund in 2018-19 and $10 million ongoing thereafter.
•	GG-PS 60 - CDCR Janitors BCP:  Support BBL/TBL to ensure that janitors with disabilities working under the private contract with CCHCS for janitorial services at the California Health Facility in Stockton retain their positions at the facility either as civil service employees or as contact employees with job supports depending on the action taken on the BCP.
Education
•	Issue 6 – California Community Colleges- Online College:  Approve Senate version to approve the Governor’s online college with modifications and TBL to ensure that students with disabilities that attend the college will receive the equivalent services and accommodations as on other campuses.
•	EDU 37- Family Empowerment Centers:  Support Assembly version to provide $5.1 million federal IDEA funds to expand California's network of Family Empowerment Centers to help students with disabilities and their families navigate the complex process of accessing supports and educational services. Adopt placeholder trailer bill language specifying the funds would be used to add new centers and increase the base grants allocated to each center.
•	EDU 50 - Willful Defiance Suspension Exemption:  Approve placeholder trailer bill language to approve the Governor's May Revision proposal to eliminate the sunset date of a provision of law that disallows the use of suspension based on acts of willful defiance for students in grades K-3. Applies this provision also to charter schools.
•	EDU 58 - Braille Institute Library in Los Angeles:  Support the Assembly version to provide $500,000 ongoing General Fund to the State Library to support the Braille Institute Library in Los Angeles.
Thank you for your consideration as you make important decisions regarding the health and well-being of Californians with disabilities.
Sincerely,
Very truly yours,
Curtis Child
Legislative Director
Disability Rights California
cc:	Honorable Members, Budget Conference Committee
	Joe Stephenshaw, Staff Director, Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
	Christian Griffith, Chief Consultant, Assembly Budget Committee
	Kirk Feely, Appropriations and Budget Director, Senate Republican Caucus
	Cyndi Hillery, Budget Director, Assembly Republican Caucus
Donna Campbell, Office of the Governor