REPORT TO THE SENATE MAJORITY CONFERENCE

FROM
THE I3UDGET SUBCOMMITTEE ON

I-Iuman Services

Senator Raymond A . Meier

Chairman

Senator Michael A.L. Balboni

Senator Martin J. Golden
Senator George D. Maziarz
Senator Cathari ne M. Young

2/28/06

GOVERNMENT
EXH IB IT

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Office of Children and Familv Services

• The SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget provides $3.3 bi II ion In A II Funds support. an

increase of$85 million or 2.7 percent.

• The Subcommittee recommends the restoration of funding for the following :

Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention - $1,500,000 ($498,800 increase)

Family Preservation Centers - $315.,000

Runaway and Homeless Y outh - $500,000

Child Advocacy Centers - $1,500,000 ($1,192,200 increase)

Maternity & Early Childhood Foundation - $200,000

Domesti c Violence Training/CPS - $135,000

• The Subcommittee recommends additional funding for the following:

Training/Caseload Standards - $5,000.000

Child Abuse Medical Provider Network (CHAMP) - $500,000

Consultant to review and recommend manageable workloads for CPS, Foster Care,

and Preventive Services caseworkers - S500,000

Home Visiting Program - $3 ,600,000

Kinship [0 establish additional programs and an information and referral network

(Navigator) - $750,000

Child Fatality Review Teams - $200,()OO

• The Subcornmiuee denies the Executive's proposal to close {In OCFS community

residential home in Gloversville. III line with this rejection the Subcommittee restores

$256,977 for the operations of the facility.

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• The Subcommittee amends the Executive's proposal by rejecting the increase ill the

maximum daily fine for child day care providers. In line with rejecting the increased fine

the Subcommittee restores $56.000.

• The Subcommittee concur s with the ExecLlt ives proposal to authorize the Department of

Health, on the advice or the Office of Children and Family Services, to apply for and

implement a waiver of certain provi sion s o f the Medicaid program to permit children in

foster care with health and mental health needs to obtain medical services not currently

available.

• The Subcommittee recommends the followinu'-- reductions:

$1.8 million for non-personal services for the Central Administration Program

$50U.000 for the Medicaid Waiver

Office ofTernporary and Disabilitv As sistancl' Wi-v:.'J!- f/ ,-o: ~

'r lJ C~

• The SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget provides $5 .2 billion in All Funds support. a

decrease of $103 .6 mill ion or 2.0 percent.

• The Subcommittee recommends the restoration o f funding for the following:

LOC<l1 lnnovarions for Non- T ANF Eligible Persons Program - $765.000

Displaced Homemakers - $3 ,000 .000

• Th e Executi ve Budget provides $794.R million for the State's share of public assistance

benefits, a decrease of $20 million due to a projected decrease in the public assistance

casel oad. The Subcommittee agrees thai (here w ill be J decrease in the public assistance

cascl oad hut believes the casel oad will he even lower and reestimates the caseload to

produce two year savings of$60.9 million.

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• The SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget proposes to incorporate all T ANf funding not used

for required public assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and State Operations into

the $ [.025 billion Fle xible Fund for Family Services (FFFS). The Subcommittee accepts

thi s proposal but urges the Executive to work with Legislature to ensure that dedicated

funding is available for Ch ild Care. Summer Youth Employment, Transportation.

Domestic Violence Screening, and many other important programs .

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Exe cu ti ve' s request to authorize the entire welfare

grant to be withheld if the head 01 the household does not fulfill his or her employment

obl igat ion .

• The Subcommiuee concurs with the Executive's request to step-down the amount of

earni nas an individual may retain while recei ving public assistance based upon the length

of time <In individual has been on welfare.

• The Subcommittee -concurs with the Execuiives request to reduce the personal needs

allowance provided to Safety Net rec ipient s in drug and alcohol residential facilities.

• The Subcornmiuec concurs with the Executive's request to recogni ze the presence of

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients when determining the grant level of a

public assistance household .

• The Subcommincc concurs with the Exec u ti ve' s request to create a "Strengthening

Families through St ron ger Fathers" initiative.

• The Subcomm ittee concurs with the Ex ecuti ve' s request to provide additional funding to

local social services di stri cts that meet the 50 percent work participation rate for their

entire publi c assistance population.

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State Office for the Aging

• The SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget provides $218 .7 million in All Funds support, (111

increase of $14.3 mill ion or 7 percent.

• The Subcommittee recommends additional funding for the following:

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) - $1,000,000

Neighborhood NORCs - $1.000.000

Sell ior Bene f ts Prog rarn - $25 .noo

• The subcommiuee recommend s extend ing the Expanded [J)- H orne Services for the

Elderly Pro gram (EISEP) local share reduction enacted last year by the Leui slature, until

September 30. 2007. This provision reduces the local share of EISEP funding by 10

percent and is set 10 expire September 30 2006.

Department of Lilbor

• The SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget provides $4.7 billion III All Funds support . a

decrease 01'$64.4 million or 1.4 percent.

• The Subcommittee recommends the restoration of fundi nz fo r the following:

Dislocated Worker Assistance Program - Utica - $6 82.000

UA W American Axle Perry 's lee CreC1111 - $1.000.000 ($500,O()0 increase)

NYS AFL-CIO workforce Development Centers - $99 5J)OO ($45.000 increase)

Senate Labor Initiatives - $2, 150.()OO ($400.000 increa se)

• The Subcommittee recommends add itional funding of' ~2S0,OOO for the Western New

York Council 011 Occupational Safety and Health.

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• The Subcommiuee recommends restoring funding for the following programs if funds are

available :

Consortium for Workers Education Workplace Education - $455,000

Consortium for Workers Education Workplace Literacy - $200,000

Chamber On-the-Job Training - $1,00 1,000

New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health - $300,000

• The Subcommittee recommends the following reductions: l\ I ~ /. t ~} J

~

$9 mi II ion for U nemployment Insurance Imerest and Pena Ity ,~,. < .

$3.5 million for Unemployment Insurance Administration l{ 1(,. f ' (J . :JJ.

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Executive 's request {O incre a e the asbestos handling

license renewal fee from $300 to $500 .

The Subcommiuee concurs with the Executive's request to transfer radiologic health

services from the Department of Labor to the Health Department.

Division for Vc'terans' Affairs

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Executive's request of $14 .9 million . an increase of

$243.000 or 1,7 percent.

Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Execuiives request of $2.7 million. an increase of

$73 .000 or 2.8 percent.

Division of Human Hights

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Executive' s request of ~ 19.3 million , an increase of

$307.000 or 1.6 percent.

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\\'orker's Compensation Board

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Executive ' 5 request of $190 million, an increase of

$5.9 million or 3.2 percent.

• The Subcommittee recommends the Execurives proposal to reform the Worker's

Compensation insurance and benefits system be held pending negotiation.

Office of the Welfare Inspector General

• The Subcommittee concurs with the Executive 's request of $1.2 million, an increase of

SI04.000 or 9.2 percent.