ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session

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HB 2904: human services; budget reconciliation; 2020-2021

Sponsor:  Representative Bowers, LD 25

House Engrossed

Overview

Contains budget reconciliation provisions relating to human services needed for implementing the FY 2021 budget.

History

The Arizona Legislature adopts a budget for each fiscal year (FY) that contains general appropriations. Article IV, Section 20, Part 2, Constitution of Arizona, requires the General Appropriations Act (feed bill) to contain only appropriations for the different state departments, state institutions, public schools and interest on public debt. Statutory changes necessary to reconcile the appropriations made in the feed bill and other changes are drafted into separate bills know as Budget Reconciliation Bills (BRBs). These BRBs are prepared according to the subject area.

Provisions

1. Allows monies in the Special Administration Fund to pay for domestic violence and prevention and cost-effectiveness study client services. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to screen and test each adult recipient who is eligible for temporary assistance for needy families and who DES has reasonable cause to believe engages in the illegal use of controlled substances. (Sec. 2)

3. Provides that any recipient who is found to have tested positive for the use of a controlled substance that was not prescribed for the recipient by a licensed health care provider is ineligible to receive benefits for one year. (Sec. 2)

4. Requires the Arizona Auditor General, by September 30, 2021, to provide to the Governor, the Legislature and the Directors of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning, a report regarding the Arizona Department of Child Safety's practices for classifying and locating runaway or missing children. (Sec. 3)

5. Provides that the report must compare the program to best practices and recommend improvements, as appropriate. (Sec. 3)

6. Repeals the report requirement on January 1, 2022. (Sec. 3)

7. Requires DES, during the state of emergency declaration period for COVID-19, under the direction of the Governor to provide: an exemption from the state time limits for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) assistance; and a general waiver of the work requirements for TANF. (Sec. 4)

8. Allows the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to authorize payments to providers of behavioral health services and providers of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and individuals who are elderly or have physical disabilities in order to ensure that providers maintain capacity to continue to provide services during the state of emergency. (Sec. 5)

9. Provides that AHCCCS must implement payments to providers in a manner that ensures federal financial participation eligibility for the expenditures and is within AHCCCS's expenditure authority for FY 2020. (Sec. 5)

10. Provides that AHCCCS must implement payments to providers in a manner that ensures federal financial participation eligibility for the expenditures and is within AHCCCS's expenditure authority for FY 2020. (Sec. 5)

11. Contains a retroactivity clause. (Sec. 6)

12. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

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                        HB 2904

Initials IG         Page 0 House Engrossed

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