RICHMOND, VA ̶ Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, Vice Chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, today lauded the passage of the amended 2017-2018 Biennium budget. Landes highlighted his budget amendments included in the Joint Conference Committee Report.
“The General Assembly once again passed a conservative and responsible budget that advances the most important issues to Virginians,” said Landes. “We have demonstrated our commitment to economic development, providing high-quality education for Virginia’s students, and increasing healthcare access, affordability and choice. I am also pleased to note the inclusion of a number of my budget amendments that fund my priorities and provide significant cost savings as well.”
The following amendments offered by Del. Landes have been included in the Joint Conference Committee Report, which was approved today:
- Item #88 1c directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to convene a stakeholders group to review state and local regulations governing Virginia farm wineries and report any recommendations resulting from such a review by November 30, 2017.
- Item 129 #4c restores funding through a general fund increase of $248,772 from the general fund in the first year to the See Virginia First program.
- Item 129 #5c restores funding through a general fund increase of $65,006 the first year to the See Virginia First program.
- Item 235 #1c provides $200,000 in additional general funds to hire additional staff for educational and interpretive programs eliminated through the proposed budget reductions for the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia.
- Item 306 #4c adds 144 Medicaid Family and Individual Support Waiver slots in the second year. Funding is contained in the introduced budget to provide funding for these slots. Projections of utilization of the newly designed Building Independence, Family and Individual Supports and Community Living Waivers programs has resulted in the ability to serve more individuals than originally anticipated. Language in the introduced budget is eliminated which would have delayed access to additional waiver slots in fiscal year 2018.
- Item 310 #8c adds $371,00 from the general fund and $3.0 million from matching federal Medicaid funds for the fiscal impact of House Bill 2417, also sponsored by Del. Landes, which directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to establish a program using prepayment analytics to mitigate the risk of improper payments to providers of services furnished under the state plan for medical assistance who commit fraud, abuse or errors.
- Item 364 #2c utilizes $8,274,474 the Virginia Water Quality Reserve Fund for the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund and appropriates them for distribution in the second year for agricultural best management practices cost share program activities. Of the total, the amount reserved for technical assistance matches the share established in Chapter 780 for fiscal year 2017.
- Item 4.01 #2c states that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall establish a policy for granting undergraduate course credit to entering freshman students who have taken one or more Advanced Placement, Cambridge Advanced (A/AS), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate examinations by August 1, 2017. The policy shall: outline the conditions necessary for each public institution of higher education to grant course credit, including the minimum required scores on such examinations; identify the course credit or other academic requirements of each public institution of higher education that the student satisfies by achieving the minimum required scores on such examinations; and ensure that the grant of course credit is consistent across each public institution of higher education and each such examination. The Council and each public institution of higher education shall make the policy available to the public on its website.
- Item C-22.85 #1c provides pre-planning funds of $250,000 from the general fund in the first year for an indoor museum gallery building at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia.
Additionally, the following cost savings amendments offered by Del. Landes were included in the Joint Conference Committee Report, including language barring Medicaid expansion:
- Item 284. #1c eliminates funding of $4.5 million from the general fund the second year for a statewide gap analysis of the community mental health system in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.
- Item 306 #18c restores language contained in Chapter 840, 2016 Acts of Assembly which prohibits Medicaid payment of overtime for consumer-directed personal assistance, respite and companion services. In addition, language authorizing overtime beginning July 1, 2017 is eliminated along with funding of $8.5 million from the general fund and $8.5 million from the nongeneral fund.
- Item 306 #19c restores language contained in Chapter 780, 2016 Acts of Assembly which conditions expansion of Medicaid pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) upon an appropriation by the General Assembly. Language is eliminated which provides authority to expand Medicaid pursuant to the PPACA on or after October 1, 2017. A companion amendment in Part 4 eliminates any language changes which would allow for such an expansion without an appropriation by the General Assembly.
- Item 4-5.03 #1c restores language that prohibits agencies from altering factors which may increase the number of eligible recipients for its authorized services or payments, or altering factors which may increase the unit cost of benefit payments within its authorized services unless the General Assembly has made an appropriation for the cost of such change. In addition, it eliminates a change to allow for such changes if the General Assembly gives it authorization.
Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes parts of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties. Landes is currently serving his eleventh term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Visit SteveLandes.com for additional information.