Joint Finance Executive Session Recap

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has met four times the past two weeks and have voted on numerous important state budget provisions that will be beneficial for people throughout the state of Wisconsin. Here is a recap of select items from the past sessions:

Last Week

Education Communications Board

The JFC voted to restore $1,647,3000 annual funding for the ECB, which will retain 8.6 positions for field engineering, operations center, administration, and Wisconsin Media Lab, and to continue paying for the system that is used for Amber Alerts.

Environmental Improvement Fund
The JFC voted to approve an increase in general obligation authority of nearly $5.5 million for the safe drinking water loan program. This increase is based on estimated federal funding of $37.7 million over 2 years.
JFC also voted to expand eligibility for financial assistance under the safe drinking water program. It now includes private owners of a community water system for a municipality and prohibits the DNR and DOA from awarding principal forgiveness to private owners of a community water system that doesn't serve a municipality.
 

Department of Health Services -- Institutions and Mental Health
With bipartisan support, the JFC voted to allow crisis assessments to be performed over the phone or via telemedicine technology. This is extremely helpful for hospitals in rural areas that may not be near a mental health facility.
Also, the JFC voted to ensure that the Department of Health Services consults with the WI Counties Association and other mental health stakeholders prior to developing a method for distributing mental health service funds. DHS must then have their proposal approved through the JFC passive review process, at which time the JFC may approve or modify the proposal.

This Week

Department of Health Services -- Senior Care

The JFC voted in favor or protecting  SeniorCare ensuring it will be maintained at the current level. Specifically, JFC voted to eliminate the governor's proposal to require SeniorCare participants to purchase a Medicare Part D drug plan and rejected the  governor's proposal to reduce SeniorCare funding by nearly $94 million over the biennium.

The JFC froze the program's enrollment fees and co-pays at the current levels.

Department of Health Services
• Provide $5,000,000 ($500,000 GPR and $4,500,000 FED) in 2015-16 for procurement and implementation of an advanced analytics system for the purpose of minimizing provider and beneficiary fraud in the state's MA program, or for the purposes of verifying the identification of MA and Medicare claimants prior to utilization of services.
• Requires DHS to annually submit a report to the JFC that contains the following information from the prior fiscal year: 1) total amount of revenue collected by eligible ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) under the ASC assessment, 2) the amount each eligible ASC paid under the assessment, 3) the total amount of money received by each managed care organization, if money was received, from the assessment, 4) the total amount each managed care organization paid to ASCs, and 5) the total amount of revenue returned to eligible ASCs under the assessment.
• Requires DHS to allow an ambulance service provider to staff an ambulance at the paramedic level with one paramedic and one emergency medical technician of any level if specified criteria as detailed in the motion apply.
 

WEDC/WHEDA and DFI/DSPS mergers

Following the Governor's request, the Joint Finance Committee removed the WEDC/WHEDA merger and the DFI/DSPS merger from the budget. In particular, there were a few motions passed that will greatly help North Central Wisconsin

Positives for North Central Wisconsin

• Increases funding for and expands the enhanced dental services reimbursement pilot program to include Marathon County.

• Provides $150,000 GPR to WEDC for a grant to the Northcentral Technical College to be used to purchase commercial stoves, ovens, and other equipment for its Culinary Arts program and business incubator facilities. This was the result of a Budget Buddy request.
• Provides $100,000 GPR to WEDC for a grant to the Marathon County Economic Development Corporation to be used for a revolving loan fund to support minority-owned businesses in Marathon County.
 

Education: Our Number One Priority

Next on the Budget Agenda

Here's a look at what is on the agenda for next week's Joint Finance Executive Sessions:

Administration -- Transfers

Blood Withdrawals -- Intoxicated and Reckless Flying Violations

Building Commission

Building Program

Health Services -- Long-Term Care Services

General Fund Taxes - Income and Franchise Taxes

General Fund Taxes -- Sales and Excise Taxes

Natural Resources -- Departmentwide

Program Supplements

Revenue -- Departmentwide

Revenue -- Tax Administration

Sport and Entertainment District

Tourism -- Office of Marketing

Transportation -- Departmentwide

UW System

Workforce Development -- Worker's Compensation

Workforce Development -- Unemployment Insurance

Memorial Day

Memorial day is a time set aside to reflect and commemorate the men and women who so courageously dedicated their lives to preserving our freedoms. Those who have died in defense of our nation are the true testimony of honor and devotion.

I hope that we always remember the cost of fighting for peace and justice and we always treasure the value of liberty. Remember to honor our fallen heroes.

Spring Survey

Have a good weekend and stay warm!

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