Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council

Policy and Legislative Committee Meeting Minutes

Monday,March19th, 2018

9:30am– 11:00 am

Present: Kevin Nelson, Jody Harlan, Wade Walters, William Ginn, Katie Woodward, Audrey Farnum, Tim Yeahquo, Linda Jaco and Carolina Colclasure

P&L Report / Discussion

  • Jody Harlan shared the highlights of Disability Awareness Day:
  • There were 528 people that Checked In
  • There were 226 Walk ups
  • 236 people were a No Show, meaning they registered online but didn’t attend the event
  • For a Total Attendance of 754 people, the goal was 760 so there was a shortage of 6 people.
  • There was a total of 990 people registered before the event.
  • The biggest challenge is the location for the events like the Rally and the DRS Awards, and this year the Awards were held outside and with Oklahoma’s weather this is not a guarantee.
  • The process for next year already started and again the main challenge will be the location, DRS was told that the Halls to have the Awards and the Rally are not going to be available, so this process will need more coordination than previous years. The tentative date is the second week of March 2019.
  • DRS is waiting for the survey results to determine how many people were able to talk to their legislators to advocate and share their stories.
  • As a new goal for ORC,Linda Jaco presented the idea to the Committee for next year to have the PMgo to the Capitol with at least 5 clients from the Success Stories and advocate to Legislators as a way to make sure their stories are heard. The idea is to schedule the meetings in advance to know the Legislators are available and willing to speak to the Clients.
  • Kevin Nelsonwent over the Legislative Update. The Bills affecting DRS are:

  • HB1244, by Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, creates the Jeri Cooper Act. It requires, subject to the availability of funds, the State Department of Rehabilitation Services to: establish a program to broaden the availability of support service providers in the deaf-blind community;and

  • SB1054, by Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Ardmore and Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, grants the Department of Rehabilitation Services immunity from liability for monetary damages to licensed individuals or their subcontractors.

  • Budget: General Revenue Fund collections for FY2019 are estimated to increase $425.3 million. With appropriations for the current fiscal year from the Rainy-Day Fund, agency revolving funds and re-appropriations are figured into the calculation, lawmakers are facing a $118.7 million hole to fill the FY2019 budget. A majority of lawmakers hoped that this would be filled by the Step-Up Oklahoma budget and reform plan, but not the ¾ supermajority needed to pass the necessary tax increases. As a result, the legislature and Governor have passed across the board cuts to agencies to stabilize DHS, Mental Health and OHCA budgets, and are now trying to figure out what they can do to address the looming issues of the budget and teacher and state employee raises.
  • HB1020XX, by Rep. Dennis Ray Casey, R-Morrison, Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, Sen. Eddie Fields, R-Wynona, and Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, modifies general appropriations for the FY2018 fiscal year. The bill implements 0.66 percent cuts across-the-board (DRS: -$189,506). It has been signed by the Governor.
  • SB1011, by Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate and Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, authorizes agency directors to place a moratorium on pass-through funding during a fiscal year when the agency's total appropriations are less than the prior fiscal year's total appropriations. The bill defines the term "pass-through funding" to mean appropriated state dollars which have been historically allocated to any entity or organization as part of an annual budget and which are not matched by federal funds or set out as a line item in any appropriations bill or legislation.
  • Disability: There are not as many bills affecting disability as there have been in years past, and most of these bills have no common theme. The only exception is Medicaid reform.
  • Medicaid has been the hot topic of the session so far with a number of bills imposing a work, training or volunteer requirement in order to receive benefits. The governor recently issued an executive order directing the Oklahoma healthcare authority to proceed with a waiver imposing the work requirement. While they stated motivation is to save the state money and avoid able-bodied persons taking advantage of the Medicaid program, there is a definite undercurrent of frustration with the growth in the program and the OHCA.
  • HB2932, by Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa and Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, prohibits an individual from being eligible to participate in Medicaid unless they are: working 20 hours or more per week, averaged monthly; participating in and complying with the requirements of a work program 20 hours or more per week; volunteering 20 hours or more per week; meeting any combination thereof or participating and complying with the requirements of a workfare program.
  • SB0972, by Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Ardmore and Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to examine the feasibility of a state plan amendment to the Oklahoma Medicaid Program for diabetes self-management training (DSMT).
  • Government reform has been a hot topic in light of the Health Department. There is an effort to allow the Governor to appoint the major agency directors. Thankfully it does not include DRS. The bills we are watching for their effect on DRS are:

  • HB1027XX, by Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City and Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, authorizes the governor to appoint the directors of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Office of Juvenile Affairs, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Health, Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Department of Tourism and Recreation. It makes the governing boards for those agencies advisory boards to the directors. It establishes procedures for determining compensation according to statute. Not DRS.
  • State Employees: The state employee bills are a mixed bag with many from the Health Department perspective.
  • HB2767, by Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond and Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, changes the name of the Oklahoma Personnel Act to the Oklahoma Career Service Act. The bill rewrites the state's personnel act. It includes eliminating specific agency unclassified authority in favor of a gradual ratio of classified to unclassified employees, starting at 70% classified in 2020 to 90% in 2022. It has a one year probationary period and a new grievance and appeal procedure.
  • HB3138, by Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow and Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, prohibits any state employee from receiving a salary which is greater than 90 percent of the salary paid to the chief executive officer of the agency, board, commission, department or program in the executive branch of the state government to which the employee is employed.It exempts medical professionals.
  • HB3280, by Rep. Chris Kannady, R-Oklahoma City and Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, modifies leave benefits under the Oklahoma Personnel Act by increasing state employee leave accumulations:
Cumulative Years of Service / Accumulation Limits
0-5 / 45 days
5-10 / 78 days
10-20 / 80 days
Over 20 / 85 days
  • HB3303/SB1171, by Rep. Harold Wright, R-Weatherford and Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, creates the Work-based Learning Program under the purview of the Governor's Council on Workforce and Economic Development. It establishes the program to develop and maintain a work-based learning program to be focused on increasing the number of registered apprenticeships and internship programs in the state to at least an aggregate of twenty thousand positions by the end of the calendar year 2020.
  • The next deadline is March 15 to report bills off the floor. But the next major weeding out of bills comes from the committee deadline to report bills from the opposite house on April 12th.
  • There are 4 Success Stories ready and the PM will start scheduling more after the CSAVR Spring Conference. Tim Yeahquo has 4 from Tribal VR.
  • The PM showed the Committee the information packets the DRS and ORC representatives will take to the Hill Visits coming up on April 10th.
  • ABLE Act: the Oklahoma STABLE program was presented on March 9th at the Capitol. The program will start in the spring, there is no launch date yet but it is very close to happening. The program encourages people with disabilities to start a savings program without having to worry about losing their Social Security benefits. The account can be accessed by the owner, parents or guardians, and can be used to pay for any expense related to daily living or their disability.There will be more information available once the program is launched.

  • Strategic Plan Update:
  • Goal 4
  • Objective 1.1: Met. The ABC posters were disseminated through the DHS mail office, so every office got one.
  • Objective 1.2: Ongoing. PM met with Chris Bruehl and ORC will reach out to SILC to get the name for the new SILC representative.
  • Objective 1.3: Ongoing
  • Objective 1.4: Ongoing
  • Activity 1: Ongoing
  • Activity 2: Met.
  • Activity 3: Met.
  • Activity 4: Ongoing
  • Activity 5: Met. Linda Jaco presented ORC’s letter at the Oklahoma Hearing.
  • Activity 7: Ongoing. PM attended the March 9th meeting.
  • Activity 8: Met.
  • Activity 9: Ongoing
  • Activity 11: Ongoing.
  • The next Committee meeting will be on June 12th at 9:30am.
  • Adjourn