December 2010
United
States Congress
Prior to leaving Washington, DC for the holiday break, the
111th Congress passed a Continuing
Resolution to keep the federal government running at FY 2010 funding levels
through March 4, 2011. As part of the legislation, federal salaries were
frozen for two years and increased funding for the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the
Affordable Care Act (i.e., healthcare reform) was not included. The time
span of the bill will provide members of the 112th Congress two months to deal with passing a budget, or yet another
Continuing Resolution. The 112th United
States Congress convened on Tuesday, January 5th. Ohio's John Boehner
officially presides as Speaker of the House
as Republicans won the majority in November's elections;
Democrats maintain a majority in the Senate.
Legislation
The 111th Congress
passed Senate
Bill 1481, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act. President Obama is expected to sign the
bill into law.
This groundbreaking legislation, which was strongly endorsed by the National Association of County Behavioral
Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) streamlines Section
811 processing requirements, removes outdated regulatory barriers, and transfers
funding for the "mainstream" voucher program to the Section 8 voucher
program.
The Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) issued a notice of web availability and opportunity
for public comment on updated guidance for the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities Programs. Comments
are due January 18, 2011. For information on submitting comments, please see:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-30689.pdf.
President Signs Tax
Bill
President Obama signed House Bill 4853, the Tax Relief, Unemployment
Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. The compromise tax deal extends
expiring tax cuts for all Americans and several expiring corporate and
individual tax breaks. Other major provisions include a one-year
reauthorization of federal unemployment insurance benefits; a continuation of
the emergency unemployment compensation benefits; and, a payroll tax holiday
during 2011 when individuals will pay two percentage points less on their
Social Security payroll tax.
Affordable Care Act
The United States
Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has issued new regulations
that will enable HHS and states to
prohibit health insurers from increasing rates by more than 10%, unless those
rate increases can be justified, beginning in 2011. The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a new publication, Rate Review:
Spotlight on State Efforts to Make Health Insurance More Affordable, that
examines rate regulation in practice and limitations on statutory authority.
The report is available at:
www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8122.pdf.
Medicaid
The State of Ohio
was informed late in the year that the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services was awarding a $12M bonus for
improving Medicaid coverage for uninsured children.
Disability Policy
Seminar - Fight for New Champions on Capitol Hill
The 2011 Disability Policy Seminar will be held February 14-16 in
Washington, D.C. This year's Seminar will be held at the Grand Hyatt on H Street NW, Washington.
2010 Census
The early data from the United
States Census Bureau indicates Ohio's population grew by 1.6% since the
2000 census, for a total population of 11.56 million people. If those
numbers hold, Ohio would lose two seats in the United States Congress. The State had planned to lose one
seat, with two being a worst-case scenario. In all, twelve (12) of the
four hundred thirty five (435) seats in the United
States House of Representatives are shifting. Ohio is one of just two
states in the nation losing two seats, with New York being the other.
Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey
& Pennsylvania all will lose one. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada,
Texas, Utah & Washington will all pick up seats. California continues
to lead the nation with fifty-three House
seats, followed by Texas with thirty-six (36). Ohio's new sixteen
district map will be re-drawn by the Ohio
House of Representatives and Senate,
then signed by Governor John Kasich.
National Perspective is a publication of the
Ohio Association of County Boards of DD, designed to update
Association members on national and federal issues of interest.
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