Bill Text: CT HB05328 | 2014 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Advisory And Planning Councils For State Developmental Services Regions, A Change In Terminology And The Autism Spectrum Disorder Advisory Council.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2014-06-06 - Signed by the Governor [HB05328 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05328-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 5328
AN ACT CONCERNING ADVISORY AND PLANNING COUNCILS FOR STATE DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES REGIONS, A CHANGE IN TERMINOLOGY AND THE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 17a-273 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(b) Each such council shall consist of at least ten members appointed from the state developmental services region. No employee of any state agency engaged in the care or training of persons with intellectual disability shall be eligible for appointment. At least one member shall be designated by a local chapter of the Arc of Connecticut in the region. At least one member shall be an individual who is eligible for and receives services from the Department of Developmental Services. At least two members shall be parents of persons with intellectual disability. Members shall be appointed for terms of three years. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms, except a member may continue to serve until a successor is appointed. Each council shall appoint annually, from among its members, a chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary. The council may make rules for the conduct of its affairs. The director of the region shall be an ex-officio member of the council without vote and shall attend its meetings.
Sec. 2. Section 17a-270 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) There is established a Council on Developmental Services which shall consist of [thirteen] fifteen members appointed as follows: Eight shall be appointed by the Governor, for two-year terms, one of whom shall be a doctor of medicine, one of whom shall be a person with intellectual disability who is receiving services from the Department of Developmental Services and at least two of whom shall be [parents or guardians of persons] a relative or a guardian of a person with intellectual disability; [, to serve for terms of two years each; four] six shall be appointed by members of the General Assembly for two-year terms, one of whom shall be a [parent] relative or guardian of a person with intellectual disability, appointed by the speaker of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a person with autism spectrum disorder who is receiving, or has received, services from the department's Division of Autism Spectrum Disorder Services appointed by the majority leader of the House, one of whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, and one of whom shall be a [parent] relative or guardian of a person with intellectual disability, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and one of whom shall be a member of the board of trustees of the Southbury Training School, appointed by said board for a term of one year. No member of the council may serve more than three consecutive terms, except that a member may continue to serve until a successor is appointed. The members of the council shall serve without compensation except for necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties. The Commissioner of Developmental Services or the commissioner's designee shall be an ex-officio member of the Council on Developmental Services without vote and shall attend its meetings. No employee of any state agency engaged in the care or training of persons with intellectual disability shall be eligible for appointment to the council. The council shall appoint annually, from among its members, a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary. The council may make rules for the conduct of its affairs. The council shall meet at least [bimonthly] six times per year and at other times upon the call of the chair or the written request of any two members.
(b) The council shall consider and advise on such matters as its members, the board of trustees of the training school and the Commissioner of Developmental Services may request. The council shall consult with the Commissioner of Developmental Services on the administration of the state program for persons with intellectual disability. The council shall recommend to the Governor and to the General Assembly such legislation as will in its judgment improve the care and training of persons with intellectual disability.
Sec. 3. Section 17b-244 of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) The room and board component of the rates to be paid by the state to private facilities and facilities operated by regional education service centers which are licensed to provide residential care pursuant to section 17a-227, but not certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid program as intermediate care facilities for [persons with mental retardation] individuals with intellectual disabilities, shall be determined annually by the Commissioner of Social Services, except that rates effective April 30, 1989, shall remain in effect through October 31, 1989. Any facility with real property other than land placed in service prior to July 1, 1991, shall, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1995, receive a rate of return on real property equal to the average of the rates of return applied to real property other than land placed in service for the five years preceding July 1, 1993. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, and any succeeding fiscal year, the rate of return on real property for property items shall be revised every five years. The commissioner shall, upon submission of a request by such facility, allow actual debt service, comprised of principal and interest, on the loan or loans in lieu of property costs allowed pursuant to section 17-313b-5 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, whether actual debt service is higher or lower than such allowed property costs, provided such debt service terms and amounts are reasonable in relation to the useful life and the base value of the property. In the case of facilities financed through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the commissioner shall allow actual debt service, comprised of principal, interest and a reasonable repair and replacement reserve on the loan or loans in lieu of property costs allowed pursuant to section 17-313b-5 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, whether actual debt service is higher or lower than such allowed property costs, provided such debt service terms and amounts are determined by the commissioner at the time the loan is entered into to be reasonable in relation to the useful life and base value of the property. The commissioner may allow fees associated with mortgage refinancing provided such refinancing will result in state reimbursement savings, after comparing costs over the terms of the existing proposed loans. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992, the inflation factor used to determine rates shall be one-half of the gross national product percentage increase for the period between the midpoint of the cost year through the midpoint of the rate year. For fiscal year ending June 30, 1993, the inflation factor used to determine rates shall be two-thirds of the gross national product percentage increase from the midpoint of the cost year to the midpoint of the rate year. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997, no inflation factor shall be applied in determining rates. The Commissioner of Social Services shall prescribe uniform forms on which such facilities shall report their costs. Such rates shall be determined on the basis of a reasonable payment for necessary services. Any increase in grants, gifts, fund-raising or endowment income used for the payment of operating costs by a private facility in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992, shall be excluded by the commissioner from the income of the facility in determining the rates to be paid to the facility for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1993, provided any operating costs funded by such increase shall not obligate the state to increase expenditures in subsequent fiscal years. Nothing contained in this section shall authorize a payment by the state to any such facility in excess of the charges made by the facility for comparable services to the general public. The service component of the rates to be paid by the state to private facilities and facilities operated by regional education service centers which are licensed to provide residential care pursuant to section 17a-227, but not certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid programs as intermediate care facilities for [persons with mental retardation] individuals with intellectual disabilities, shall be determined annually by the Commissioner of Developmental Services in accordance with section 17b-244a. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, no facility shall receive a rate that is more than two per cent greater than the rate in effect for the facility on June 30, 2007, except any facility that would have been issued a lower rate effective July 1, 2007, due to interim rate status or agreement with the department, shall be issued such lower rate effective July 1, 2007. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, no facility shall receive a rate that is more than two per cent greater than the rate in effect for the facility on June 30, 2008, except any facility that would have been issued a lower rate effective July 1, 2008, due to interim rate status or agreement with the department, shall be issued such lower rate effective July 1, 2008. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, rates in effect for the period ending June 30, 2009, shall remain in effect until June 30, 2011, except that (1) the rate paid to a facility may be higher than the rate paid to the facility for the period ending June 30, 2009, if a capital improvement required by the Commissioner of Developmental Services for the health or safety of the residents was made to the facility during the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, or June 30, 2011, and (2) any facility that would have been issued a lower rate for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, or June 30, 2011, due to interim rate status or agreement with the department, shall be issued such lower rate. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, rates in effect for the period ending June 30, 2011, shall remain in effect until June 30, 2012, except that (A) the rate paid to a facility may be higher than the rate paid to the facility for the period ending June 30, 2011, if a capital improvement required by the Commissioner of Developmental Services for the health or safety of the residents was made to the facility during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, and (B) any facility that would have been issued a lower rate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, due to interim rate status or agreement with the department, shall be issued such lower rate. Any facility that has a significant decrease in land and building costs shall receive a reduced rate to reflect such decrease in land and building costs. The rate paid to a facility may be increased if a capital improvement approved by the Department of Developmental Services, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, for the health or safety of the residents was made to the facility during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, or June 30, 2015, only to the extent such increases are within available appropriations.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services and the Commissioner of Developmental Services shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 17a-215d of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) There is established the Autism Spectrum Disorder Advisory Council. The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the commissioner's designee; (2) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee; (3) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; (4) the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or the commissioner's designee; (5) the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee; (6) the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services, or the commissioner's designee; (7) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee; (8) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee; (9) the executive director of the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, or the executive director's designee; (10) two persons with autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives; (11) two persons who are parents or guardians of a child with autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the minority leader of the Senate; (12) two persons who are parents or guardians of an adult with autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (13) two persons who are advocates for persons with autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives; (14) two persons who are licensed professionals working in the field of autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the majority leader of the Senate; (15) two persons who provide services for persons with autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the minority leader of the House of Representatives; [and] (16) two persons who shall be representatives of an institution of higher education in the state with experience in the field of autism spectrum disorder, one each appointed by the Governor and the president pro tempore of the Senate; and (17) one person who is a physician who treats or diagnoses persons with autism spectrum disorder, appointed by the Governor.