Agenda - 04-15-2014 - 5e - Laserfiche WebLink

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20 for county health expenses. The state has backfilled state budget cuts in childcare and other human services programs with federal dollars once designated for direct county programs. County budgets must be protected as the state continues to grapple with anemic revenue growth, and as fewer federal dollars are made available for community-based human services. HHS-4: Restore local autonomy to LME/MCO governance structure. Seek legislation to restore local autonomy to LME/MCO governance structure, to ensure that each county be allowed to appoint, at a minimum, one county commissioner to its local LME/MCO Board. 5191, enacted in the 2012 legislative session, sets maximum size limitations of 21 members on LME/MCO boards, and stipulates board membership composition for 10 of these members to specific consumer, health, insurance and finance disciplines. Counties participating in an LME/MCO with at least 12 county members cannot be assured of appointing one of its county commissioners to represent its interests and that of its constituents on the LME/MCO governance board. LME/MCOs with population catchment areas of 1.25 million or more are exempt from these limitations. HHS-5: Oppose weakening of smoke free restaurant and bars law. Oppose any bill or amendment that weakens current statutory regulations requiring smoke-free restaurants and bars. The 2004 General Assembly enacted a comprehensive ban on smoking in all restaurants and bars and set up a regulatory framework to ensure compliance with the smoke- free requirements. HHS-6: Increase Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee membership flexibility. Seek legislation to provide greater flexibility in the membership of Nursing Home Community Advisory Committees. Per G.S. 131E-128, every county having a nursing home within its boundaries must establish a nursing home advisory committee to monitor nursing home care and resolve grievances of nursing home residents. As a part of its monitoring responsibilities, each advisory committee must visit each nursing home within its jurisdiction at least four times per year. Counties with four or more nursing homes must appoint NHCA subcommittees to manage this on-site workload. Advisory committees and subcommittees cannot include any members who are persons or family members with a financial interest in a home served by the committee, an employee or governing board member of such a home, or an immediate family member of a nursing home resident. These exclusions limit the number of interested parties wishing to serve on an NHCA, and counties throughout the state are having difficulty identifying persons to serve on these committees. HHS-7: Increase childcare subsidies to reduce waiting lists and support funding for Smart Start and NC Pre-K. Support an increase in childcare subsidies to ensure access to affordable childcare and support funding for early childhood and pre-kindergarten programs. Continuing state budget challenges have diminished state resources to backfill one-time federal dollars for childcare expenses and offset state cuts in childcare subsidies Smart Start and N.C. Pre-K. As of July 2012, nearly 37,500 children were waiting for childcare services, likely preventing their parents from remaining in, or joining, the workforce. Smart Start and N.C. Pre-K faced 20 percent state budget cuts in 2011, despite continued growth in the Pre-K population.