BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 873 (Hollingsworth and Garrick)
          As Amended  August 31, 2010
          2/3 vote.  Urgency

           SENATE VOTE  :   Vote not relevant
            
           SUMMARY  :  SB 873 is the spending plan that reflects the  
          Governor's 2010-11 May Revision proposal with some minor  
          adjustments to the Governor's proposal.  Appropriates $91.5  
          billion of State General Fund (GF).  SB 873 would make dramatic  
          reductions to almost every area of State government.  These  
          include:

          1)K-12 Education:

            SB 873 funds Proposition 98 for 2010-11 to $48.4 billion.   
            This funding level results in a total programmatic reduction  
            of roughly $3 billion in the budget year.  In terms of K-12  
            per pupil funding, when adjusted for the removal of child  
            care, the Governor's May Revision provides approximately  
            $7,154 per pupil.  When comparing prior year per pupil funding  
            levels, this level of funding is roughly the level provided in  
            2004-05.  Additionally this level of funding reflects a  
            reduction of approximately over $1,000 per pupil since  
            2007-08.

          2)Child Care and Development Programs:

            SB 873 eliminates state funds for the need-based, subsidized  
            child care programs, totaling $1.2 billion. Pre-School  
            programs are not included in this reduction. This proposal  
            would eliminate subsidized slots for approximately 142,000  
            children. SB 873 includes $594 million in federal funds for  
            78,000 slots.

          3)University of California:

            SB 873 provides $305 million restoration of one-time  
            reductions from prior year and $51.3 million for 2.5 percent  
            enrollment growth, 5,121 full-time equivalent student slots.   
            SB 873 acknowledges UC's fee increase of 15% for fall 2010  
            academic year.

          4)California State University:








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            SB 873 provides $305 million restoration of one-time  
            reductions from prior year and $60.6 million for 2.5%  
            enrollment growth, 8,290 full-time equivalent student slots.   
            SB 873 Assumes a 10% fee increase for fall 2010 academic year.

          5)California Community Colleges:

            SB 873 provides $126 million for 2.2% enrollment growth,  
            26,000 full-time equivalent student slots.  The bill reflects  
            a reduction of $23 million, or 0.38%, to reflect a negative  
            COLA for apportionments and categorical programs.  SB 873 also  
            shifts $10 million from Extended Opportunity Programs and  
            Services (EOPS) and Part-Time Faculty Compensation to fund the  
            Career Technical Educations.


          6)CalWORKs:

            SB 873 reflects the elimination of the CalWORKs program  
            effective October 1, 2010 for a savings of $1.6 billion.  With  
            the elimination of CalWORKs, the state would forego $3.5  
            billion in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)  
            funding in 2010-11, growing to $3.8 billion in 2011-12.  This  
            proposal would eliminate benefits for 500,000 to 600,000  
            families (including more than 1 million children and 1,451,200  
            individuals) who receive assistance from the program.   
            CalWORKs provides temporary cash assistance, job training,  
            education, child care, and employment programs to families who  
            are unable to meet basic needs on their own.  As part of the  
            CalWORKs elimination proposal, provides GF of approximately  
            $664 million for areas of the budget that had received federal  
            TANF Block Grant funds and assisted with meeting California's  
            Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement.  Without CalWORKs and  
            the federal TANF Block Grant that funds the program and these  
            other government services, GF is further required.

          7)In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS):

            SB 873 assumes $750 million in unspecified GF savings to the  
            IHSS program.  The program currently serves 489,972 recipients  
            with 385,074 providers and 2,330 county and state staff.

          8)Drug Medi-Cal:









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            SB 873 eliminates all Drug Medi-Cal programs with the  
            exception of the Perinatal and Minor Consent programs,  
            effective October 1, 2010, for a decrease of $53.4 million.   
            The Drug Medi-Cal program serves 270,598 recipients currently.

          9)SSI/SSP:

            SB 873 reflects saving from the adoption of legislation that  
            would reduce grants for individuals receiving Supplemental  
            Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP)  
            resulting in savings of $132.8 million GF in 2010-11.  SB 873  
            also eliminates the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants  
            (CAPI) and the California Food Assistance Program on October  
            1, 2010 resulting in revised savings of $116.4 million GF in  
            2010-11. 

          10)Medi-Cal:

            SB 873 assumes enactment of legislation to achieve $750  
            million in GF savings through cost containment measures in  
            Medi-Cal these measures would include:

             a)   Utilization controls ($90.2 million) including:

               i)     Elimination of specified over-the-counter drugs ($13  
                 million); 

               ii)    A maximum annual benefit on hearing aids at $1,510,  
                 durable medical equipment at $1,659, urological supplies  
                 at $6,435, and wound care supplies at $391 ($3.8  
                 million); and,

               iii)   Limit on prescriptions to six per month ($4.2  
                 million); and,

               iv)    Limit the number of physician or clinic visits to 10  
                 per year ($69.2 million).

             b)   Increased cost sharing ($218.8 million) with:

               i)     $5 co-payments on physician/clinic/dental/pharmacy  
                 visits ($118.2 million);

               ii)    $50 co-payments on emergency room visits ($41.5  
                 million); and,








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               iii)   $100 per day co-payments and $200 maximum for  
                 hospital stays ($59.1 million).

             c)   Other program changes ($213.7 million) including: 

               i)     Enrolling seniors and people with disabilities in  
                 managed care ($137.3 million);

               ii)    Reduce radiologist rates to 80% of Medicare ($10.5  
                 million);

               iii)   Freeze hospital rates at current level ($64.9  
                 million); and, 

               iv)    Cease paying for Medicare Part B premiums for  
                 beneficiaries whose income exceeds the Medi-Cal  
                 eligibility threshold by less than $500 per month ($1  
                 million).  This also reflects loss of $76 million in  
                 savings from not adopting various January proposals.

          11)Nursing Homes:

            SB 873 assumes a 3.9% rate increase to AB 1629 nursing  
            facilities, at a cost of $80 million, expected to be fully  
            offset by an increase in the quality assurance fee (QAF)  
            achieved by:

             a)   Assessing fees on currently exempted multi-level  
               retirement communities;

             b)   Decreasing Department of Public Health (DPH) licensing  
               and certification fees; and,

             c)   Using more recent data on which the fee is based.

          12)Managed Care Plan:

            SB 873 reflects a 3.7% rate increase to managed care plans, at  
            a cost of $174 million.

          13)Hospital Fee:

            SB 873Assumes the extension of the AB 1383 hospital fee for  
            two quarters resulting in $160 million savings in Medi-Cal,  








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            $700 million in increased fee revenue, and $1.1 billion in  
            federal matching funds.

          14)Medi-Cal Eligibility:

            SB 873 decreases Medi-Cal by $44 million due to a methodology  
            change in determining funding growth for County  
            Administration.


          15)Asthma Public Health Initiative:

            SB 873 shifts $11.3 million in Prop 99 funds, to backfill GF  
            in Medi-Cal, from the Asthma Public Health Initiative (APHI)  
            ($1.3 million) and the Expanded Access to Primary Care program  
            ($10 million).  This would eliminate the APHI, which currently  
            educates and supports an estimated 365,000 people,  
            approximately half the number of people served prior to 2009  
            Budget reductions.

          16)Healthy Families:

            SB 873 assumes increase monthly premiums in Healthy Families  
            for families between 200 and 250% of the Federal Poverty Level  
            (FPL) by $18 per child ($54 maximum per family with 3 or more  
            children) for increased funding to the program of $13.3  
            million.  This bill also assumes a reduction to Healthy  
            Families by $3.2 million by increasing emergency room  
            co-payments from $15 to $50 ($2.5 million) and adding hospital  
            inpatient services co-payments of $100 per day with a $200  
            maximum ($0.7 million).  SB 873 assumes a one-time increase of  
            $25.8 million from the state and local First 5 California  
            Children and Families Commission for children up to five years  
            old in the Healthy Families Program, between 200 and 250% FPL.  
             Total requested contribution for 2010-11 is $81.4 million.

          17)Mental Health:

            SB 873 shifts county mental health funding to county social  
            services programs, resulting in $602 million in GF savings and  
            the same loss in funding in mental health programs at the  
            local level.

          18)AB 3632 Mandate:









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            SB 873 Assumes the suspension of the AB 3632 mandate, for $52  
            million in savings.  AB 3632 mandates counties to provide  
            mental health services to children who need them in order to  
            succeed in school.

          19)Developmental Services:

            SB 873 adopts an additional 1.25% reduction to regional center  
            purchase of services and operation, resulting in an additional  
            reduction of $48.1 million ($25.3 million GF).

          20)Corrections and Rehabilitation:

            SB 873 achieves $811 million in savings by assuming the  
            Governor's proposal to reduce support for the Prison  
            Receiver's Medical Services Program to a per inmate medical  
            cost level that is comparable to other states' correctional  
            health care programs.  SB 873 also includes $244 million  
            unallocated cut to account for savings in lieu of the  
            Governor's "three-year to local" proposal.

          21)Courts:

            SB 873 adds $297 million GF to backfill revenue assumed from  
            the Governor's Automated Speed Enforcement proposal.  Does not  
            provide sufficient funding to ensure trial courts can avoid  
            one-day per month closure and loss of additional trial court  
            jobs.  SB 873 also reduces $13 million GF in 2010-11 to  
            reflect savings resulting from the implementation of  
            electronic court reporting and assumes $60 million in revenue  
            from a $15 increase to the fee for court security.

          22)Employee Compensation:

            SB 873 assumes various reductions to employee compensation  
            including:

             a)   $445.7 million GF and $349.8 million Non-GF associated  
               with implementation of a one-day-per-month personal leave  
               program for all state civil service employees from July 1,  
               2010 until June 30, 2011;  

             b)   $529.6 million GF and $278.5 million Special Funds  
               associated with implementation of a 5% across-the-board  
               salary;








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             c)   $405.8 million GF and $213.3 million Special Funds  
               associated with a 5% increase in employee pension  
               contributions;

             d)   $450 million in savings from the adoption of the  
               Governor's proposed 5% reduction to state agency personnel  
               budgets;

             e)   $200 million GF associated with anticipated savings from  
               partial reimbursement for reinsurance costs for early  
               retirees included in the Federal Health Care Reform Act,  
               passed in March of 2010; and,

             f)   $152.8 million GF and $64.6 other funds associated with  
               authorizing the state to contract for lower-cost health  
               care coverage either directly from an insurer or through  
               CalPERS. 

           COMMENTS  :  While SB 873 reflects the Governor's 2010-11 May  
          Revision budget proposal, there are some differences between  
          this bill and the May proposal.  SB 873 does not assume revenue  
          from the red light cameras for speed enforcement, Emergency  
          Response Initiative, water fees, or AB 32 fees, which were all  
          part of the original May Revision proposal.  The bill also makes  
          program reductions to Corrections in lieu of the May Revision  
          proposal to shift low-level offenders to local jails.


           Analysis prepared by  :   Christian Griffith / BUDGET / (916)  
          319-2099


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