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CONGRESS PASSES OMNIBUS FY2018 FEDERAL SPENDING PACKAGE
As the March 23 deadline for the latest short-term extension for the FY2018 federal budget drew near, Congress approved, and President Trump signed, an omnibus spending package good through the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year. A full analysis of the FY2018 omnibus budget can be found at www.naco.org.
The overall $1.3 trillion omnibus bill represents the highest level of funding for the federal government since FY2011. Counties saw several significant measures in the final FY2018 plan, including an additional $350 million to the Centers for Disease Control to advance the understanding of the opioid overdose epidemic and increase states' prevention activities, and another $1.1 billion in new funding to support the work of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in substance use prevention and treatment activities. A new Rural Communities Opioid Response program is funded at $130 million, while drug and addiction-focused programs under the Department of Justice also receive significant increases.
Further, the FY2018 budget includes a $300 million increase in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and a $412 million increase in HOME Investment Partnerships. Also of note, the U.S. Department of Agriculture receives $5 million for control and eradication of the spotted lantern fly and $600 million for a new rural broadband pilot program. The Chesapeake Bay Program is level funded at $73 million, after the President originally called for the funding to be eliminated entirely.
In addition, the spending package includes $380 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding to states for election security improvements, including enhancing election technology. Counties have called for state and federal funding support to address ongoing voting system replacement needs as a 2018 priority.
Finally, the omnibus package also included another short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program, the latest in a series since the program's reauthorization expired in September 2017. Congress now has until July 31, 2018 to enact a long-term solution.
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HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET HEARING HELD
The PA Senate Appropriations Committee wrapped up its budget hearings on the Governor's FY 2018-2019 proposal, with a March 27 meeting with the departments of Health, Human Services and Drug and Alcohol Programs rescheduled from several weeks earlier due to snow. Among the issues raised during the hearing, committee members discussed the Governor's plan to consolidate several state agencies, including the restructuring of the current Health and Human Services agencies into the Department of Health and Human Services. Unlike his FY 2017-2018 proposal, this restructuring would not include the departments of Aging or Drug and Alcohol Programs.
Former Berks County commissioner Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) noted that several county nursing homes are exploring privatization because of increasing costs and uncertainties related to the implementation of Community Health Choices (CHC). Department of Human Services secretary Teresa Miller indicated that CHC implementation should support budget predictability and reduce long-term costs. Schwank also noted that Medicaid rates have been flat for many years and have not kept up with increasing costs, and discussed the importance of maximizing federal funds to ensure efficient operation of nursing homes.
The committee also discussed the opioid crisis, with Department of Health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine noting that the agencies are working on prevention, rescue and treatment, including a warm handoff clinical pathway, expanded treatment with an emphasis on medication-assisted treatment and the Centers of Excellence. Dr. Levine further shared that funding from the federal 21st Century Cures grant will help to provide training and build a capacity of treatment professionals. Preventing substance abuse and drug overdose is a county priority for 2018.
As the budget process goes forward, counties' top priority for 2018 remains advocacy for human services funding, recognizing that county capacity to meet service needs has been compromised by a steady decrease in funding over more than a decade, at the same time that mandates and service needs continue to increase.
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GOV. WOLF ANNOUNCES ELECTION REFORM PLAN
Gov. Wolf recently announced an election reform plan focused on voting rights, campaign finance and redistricting.
Citing barriers to voter participation, the Governor advocated for several legislative efforts, including same-day voter registration to allow eligible Pennsylvanians to be able to register to vote on election day at their polling place. In addition, the proposal recommends that eligible Pennsylvanians who get a license from PennDOT or register for a public service be automatically registered to vote unless they opt out, and further recommends the current absentee ballot system be changed to a "no-excuse" absentee ballot that would allow citizens to vote absentee if it is most convenient to them to do so. Current law allows the use of an absentee ballot only if an individual is in the military or overseas, has an illness or physical disability, or is otherwise unable to attend his polling place in person the day of the election.
In addition, the Governor's plan seeks to enact new campaign finance laws that would limit contributions to candidates as well as implement aggregate limits for races, place restrictions on political action committees, and enhance reporting and disclosure requirements. The reforms also include support for legislation to create an independent, bipartisan redistricting commission. All of the initiatives would require legislative action to amend existing statutes.
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AGENCY SECRETARIES CONFIRMED
In late March, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to confirm three acting agency leaders to serve full-time in their respective posts. Jennifer Smith received the unanimous vote of the Senate as secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, while Teresa Miller and Dr. Rachel Levine were confirmed by a 49-1 vote as the respective heads of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health.
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SENATE PANEL HOLDS HEARING ON STATEWIDE RADIO NETWORK
On March 26, the Senate Law and Justice, Communications and Technology, and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees held a joint hearing to discuss the Pennsylvania statewide radio system and the rollout of the Project 25 (P25) network across the commonwealth. Erie County director of public safety John Grappy and Warren County public safety director Todd Lake discussed their experiences working with the Pennsylvania State Police and ongoing transition challenges related to technology upgrades.
Venango County commissioner Albert Abramovic also submitted testimony to the committees, explaining that his county's current system would be reaching its end of life in the next few years. Although the county saw promise in partnering with the state on the P25 system to achieve the necessary updates, upfront costs remain a concern. Many areas of the county struggle to maintain radio coverage, and shared tower sites could address these shortfalls while allowing the county to be more interoperable on a regional and statewide level as well.
The full testimony provided by Commissioner Abramovic is available at www.pacounties.org by clicking Legislative Testimony on the Legislative Action Center page.
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COUNTY CODE REWRITE MOVES FORWARD
The Senate Local Government Committee recently gave its unanimous approval to legislation that will update and combine the County Code and Second Class County Code into a single, comprehensive statute.
Senate Bill 1005
, introduced by former CCAP member Sen. John Eichelberger, is the result of a multi-year effort, coordinated by the Local Government Commission, to bring counties' core statutes governing county operations, last amended in the 1950s, up to date with current need and practice. Although most changes are of a technical or conforming nature, it also makes substantive changes to the extent needed to incorporate case law or to delete obsolete language. The final product reflects the collaborative partnership and thoughtful input of both the legislature and local government partners.
The committee also adopted two clarifying amendments, one offered by Sen. Eichelberger to allow the chief ranking deputy sheriff to petition the court to designate someone to carry out the office's functions in the event of a vacancy, and the other offered by former Lancaster County commissioner Sen. Scott Martin to maintain provisions related to convention centers in third class counties in the event a county classification changes to second class.
Senate Bill 1005 is now before the full Senate for review.
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COUNTY PRIORITIES STATUS REPORT AVAILABLE
In January, CCAP members identified seven priority issues for the year, including human services system reform and funding, preventing substance abuse and drug overdose, and maintaining the shale gas impact fee, among others. An update on the status of these priorities and the related legislative, communications and grassroots activities that have occurred so far in 2018 is available at www.pacounties.org by clicking Priorities under the Government Relations tab.
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CCAP RESOLUTIONS PROCESS
Throughout the month of June, CCAP policy committees will be holding their annual conference call meetings to consider resolutions amending the PA County Platform, in anticipation of a membership discussion and vote in conjunction with the CCAP Annual Conference in early August. County officials are encouraged to begin reviewing the Platform now and to send any proposed resolutions to CCAP Government Relations staff at [email protected], or to discuss them with CCAP policy committee chairs.
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