Fwd: Texas Legislature to Consider DADS Budget Cuts

[Guest guest]

The cuts appear to be most due to lack of ARRA funds that balanced the budget for the growth last sessionas well as dedicated funds from federal grant programs and SSLC. Rolling out additional slots and filling slots that become open due to attrition in the coming year will be limited most likely.

Texas Legislature to Consider DADS Budget Cuts

Texas Legislature to Consider DADS Budget Cuts

The Texas Legislature will convene for the 82nd Legislative Session on Jan. 11, 2011 to consider legislation and the budget proposals of state agencies for the 2012-2013 biennium. Prior to the start of each legislative session, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Governor's Office of Budget, Policy and Planning (GOBPP) jointly issue instructions to Texas state agencies regarding how to develop their Legislative Appropriations Requests (LARs). An agency’s LAR is its request to the legislature for money to operate its programs over the next two-year biennium.

Texas leaders instructed state agencies to prepare budget proposals for the next biennium that would reduce state general revenue funding requests/spending by 10 percent for fiscal years 2012-2013. The instructions to reduce budget requests for 2012-2013 are based on predictions of an $11 to $21 billion shortfall during that biennium. This shortfall represents the difference between what the state expects to collect in revenue during that period and what it would cost to keep programs operating at current levels. Given the proposed budget cuts, it is especially important for the disability community to follow the budget adoption process and provide input on how these cuts will affect you.

The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) administers long-term services and supports for people who are aging or who have cognitive and physical disabilities. DADS also licenses and regulates providers of long-term services and supports programs. DADS programs include state supported living centers, home and community-based Medicaid waiver programs, nursing facilities and ICFs/MR.

DADS submitted a base budget request that will reduce the number of persons served in community-based Medicaid waivers. The agency has submitted Exceptional Items, or a supplemental budget request, to maintain existing services for Texans who are currently receiving Medicaid Waiver program services and other community-based services. If the legislature does not approve the supplemental request, then 13,368 individuals who are currently receiving services or are expected to receive services by the end of September 2011 will not receive services in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and FY 2013.

The current FY 2010-2011 budget expanded the number of persons served in community waiver services. The FY 2012-2013 base request reduces the number of persons served overall and reverses expansion efforts that occurred in FY 2010-2011.

Beginning in January, the Texas Legislature will consider the DADS budget proposal as well as those of other agencies. The regular legislative session will adjourn on Monday, May 30, 2010.

Further Information

Click here to view DADS LAR. All agency LARS may be viewed here. A chart on the "Texas Biennial Budget Cycle," which shows the steps taken in developing and approving the state budget is on page five of the booklet, "Budget 101: A Guide to the Budget Process in Texas," by the Senate Research Center. Click here to view agency LAR summaries.

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