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Hello fellow advocates, the 2006 legislative session has started and it’s going to be a BUSY 90 days!!!!! In this edition we will be focusing on legislative issues. But don’t worry, we’ll be discussing other issues as well. Legislative Internship -
Kenny started his internship for Senator Grosfeld. He has testified on a bill, and put an amendment on another
bill. He requested a meeting with
the sponsor for that bill to discuss the amendment. Kenny has also submitted written testimony on the Department
Of Disabilities budget. It’s
going to be a BUSY session. The 2006 session began January 11th
and it ends April 10th. THOSE
90 DAYS GO BY REALLY FAST!!
BILLS: SB-10 – Last week on behalf of Senator Sharon Grosfeld, Kenny testified on SB-10. This bill would require some landlords who want to change to selling apartments instead of renting them (condominiums are apartments you own instead of renting) to give a person with a disability a 3 year lease extension to allow them more time to look for another place to live if they are unable to purchase the condominium. The bill also changes the term “handicapped citizen” to “person with a disability.” SB 126 - This bill
proposes to allow the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to
use a portion of Partnership Rental Housing Program (PRHP) funds in a new way
that will help create more affordable housing opportunities for people with
disabilities. Changes created by the bill will allow a small number of
apartments in a complex to be set aside for persons with disabilities.
A requirement for receiving this loan is that the developer must
only rent those apartments set aside to people with disabilities.
This will need to somehow be monitored on a regular basis but if properly
carried out will insure that these units are used by those who need them the
most and have the greatest difficulty in finding rental housing.
Rent for the units would be lower than otherwise charged for units in the
same building or complex. The
reduction in monthly rental amount will allow people with disabilities who use
section 8 vouchers to rent these apartments. MAC Bill – This bill doesn’t have a number yet, but this is the bill CDRC will be working on with Delegate Costa, who is a member of the MAC, and Delegate Hubbard. Medicaid Matters Maryland (MM!MD) will be working with us to support this piece of legislation that would call for at least 5 members of the Maryland Medicaid Advisory Committee be people who are on Medicaid. The Medicaid Advisory Committee, or MAC, is a group of legislators, Doctors, Care Providers, Consumers (people on Medicaid), and other professionals who monitor the Medicaid Program and the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene’s (DHMH) activities relating to Medicaid. Our bill will require the MAC to have more consumers, with different types of needs, and fewer professionals so that people who have Medicaid get more of a say as to what happens with the Medicaid program. It also asks that some money be made available to help with transportation, child care, and other expenses that might keep someone from being able to participate. Delegate Hubbard, of Prince Georges County, is the lead sponsor of this bill. He is also chair of the committee that will hear the bill. Keep your fingers crossed. Maybe we’ll get our third bill in three years passed. OTHER POLICY WORK:
DHMH Focus Group – CDRC attended 1 of 8 focus groups hosted by the department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH). This was one of the “Secret Meetings” we told you about at our December meeting. We were not invited originally. But, our friends helped us to get an invitation because they knew we needed to be there (Thanks for your help.) We were there with the Arc of Maryland, and other advocacy organizations. DHMH is currently reviewing the role of State Residential Centers (SRC’s) in the state of Maryland in providing quality health care in areas of mental health, developmental disabilities, and chronic hospital care. The Department asked the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore to gather information. They asked many questions. Afterwards, everybody felt like we got our points across at the meeting and we hope that DHMH takes our words into consideration. NO MORE STOLEN LIVES!! As Michael Taylor says, “Close ‘Em All!” Department of Disabilities State Plan – There was time for public comments at the end of the last meeting of the Maryland Commission On Disability (MCOD). We had 10 CDRC members make comments. They all were disappointed that the State Plan does NOT have any numbers or timelines for getting people out of State Residential Centers (SRC’s) and Nursing Facilities (NF’s) and into the community. When the public comment was done, Diane McComb ((Deputy Director of the Department of Disabilities) said, if anyone knows of somebody that wants to get out of a SRC or a NF just contact her and she will make sure that individual gets out. So if anyone knows somebody that wants to get out of a SRC or NF just contact Diane and give her their name. 410-767-3665. Here is Diane’s e-mail address: McComb@mdod.state.md.us Web Site – Kenny will continue to update our web page weekly. He will be updating the site with some photos from the recent events soon!!! Also remember to check the Calendar for CDRC activities! Check the site often to stay on top of what CDRC is up to. www.thecdrc.org Our next CDRC meeting will be
February 26, 2006
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