ISACo News and Views Newsletter for September 9, 2019

September 9, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter announces an upcoming water and wastewater utility management regional collaboration summit in Springfield, includes information about Illinois receiving almost $38 million in federal funding to combat the Opioid epidemic, links to a story about additional state funding for county court costs, urges county officials to contact their members of Congress to urge support for federal legislation amending the Medicaid inmate exclusion policy, announces an extended deadline for a funding opportunity to assist local governments with their 2020 census counts and invites counties to join ISACo.

2019 Spring Session Resources

ISACo's summary of the major legislative issues addressed during the 2019 Spring legislative session is available via this link.

ISACo's 2019 Public Acts - 2019 report is available via this link. (Updated)

Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information.

Water and Wastewater Collaboration Summit

The Rural Community Assistance Partnership and Great Lakes Community Action Partnership are holding a Regional Collaboration Summit in Springfield, IL on October 9-10.

The Summit will engage stakeholders that include elected and appointed government officials, state and federal agency staff and others that play a role in water and wastewater utility management.

A variety of speakers will examine the benefits of regionalization and shared services, impediments and barriers to its implementation and potential incentives and programs offered.

The summit agenda and registration information are available via this link.

Illinois Receives Federal Funding to Combat Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced more than $1.8 billion in funding to states to continue the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis by expanding access to treatment and supporting near real-time data on the drug overdose crisis.

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that HHS awarded Illinois almost $38 million through the State Opioid Response Grant Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Overdose Data to Action Funding Program.

The press release announcing the funding for Illinois is available via this link.

Additional State Funding for Illinois Courts will Benefit Counties

The Southern published an article by Capitol News Illinois ( available via this link ) about a $405 million state budget appropriation to the Illinois Supreme Court. This revenue will allow for the reimbursement of county governments for salaries and probation services.

Counties have not been fully reimbursed for certain court costs for many years. This revenue will allow for full reimbursement.

NACo Federal Issue Highlight - Amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy

Current federal law prohibits the use of federal funds and services, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), for health care provided to inmates of a public institution – a category that includes our local jails. The policy, known as the Medicaid inmate exclusion, was originally enacted under the Social Security Act of 1965 and intended to prevent state governments from shifting inmate care costs to federal programs. However, this practice has had an unintended consequence of cutting off federal health benefits to local jail inmates who are awaiting trial.

Congress is currently considering legislation that would amend the Social Security Act to allow pre-trial jail inmates to keep their federal health benefits while awaiting trial – and restore the federal, state and local partnership in funding and delivering health services to individuals involved with the justice system.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Michael Turner (R-Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Medicaid Reentry Act ( H.R. 1329 ), that would restore Medicaid benefits to inmates for the 30-day period prior to their release from jail. Also in the U.S. House, Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) introduced the Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act ( H.R. 1345 ), which would remove limitations on Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for pre-trial inmates of jails, detention centers and prisons.

In the U.S. Senate, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) drafted a proposal with support from the National Association of Counties (NACo) in recent months that would improve care coordination by requiring states to suspend – rather than terminate – Medicaid benefits for inmates.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Urge your members of Congress to support and co-sponsor the Medicaid Reentry Act (H.R. 1329) and the Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act (H.R. 1345). The Senate legislation does not yet have a bill number.

2020 Census Funding Opportunity

EXTENDED DEADLINE

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to maximize Illinois' success in the 2020 Census. IDHS will award grants to eligible community organizations and local governments to encourage a complete count in the 2020 Census. The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to September 13, 2019, at 5:00 pm CT.

The full IDHS press release is available via this link.

The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!

Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?

ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.

ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.

Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.

If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. Thank you for your consideration.

News and Views is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.