HB2381 - 451R - House Bill Summary

House of Representatives

HB 2381

appropriation; developmentally disabled; mentoring

Sponsors: Representative Knaperek

dpa	Committee on Human Services
DPA	Committee on Appropriations
dpa	Caucus and COW	This bill as passed the House contains *an Appropriation clause.*
x	As Passed the House

HB 2381 appropriates $100,000 in each of the FYs 2001-02 and 2002-03 from the state general fund to the Department of Economic Security (DES) for the Mentoring Program for the Developmentally Disabled (Program).

History

Arizona Revised Statutes section 36-551, paragraph 17 defines the term developmental disability as either a strongly demonstrated potential that a child under the age of six years is developmentally disabled or will become developmentally disabled, as determined by a test performed pursuant to section 36-694 or by other appropriate tests, or a severe, chronic disability which:

(a) Is attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or autism.

(b) Is manifest before age eighteen.

(c) Is likely to continue indefinitely.

(d) Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity:

(i) Self-care.

(ii) Receptive and expressive language.

(iii) Learning.

(iv) Mobility.

(v) Self-direction.

(vi) Capacity for independent living.

(vii) Economic self-sufficiency.

(e) Reflects the need for a combination and sequence of individually planned or coordinated special, interdisciplinary or generic care, treatment or other services which are of lifelong or extended duration.

There are substantial similarities between the state and the federal definition of developmental disability. The most notable difference is that the state definition limits the diagnosis attributable to only mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or autism, whereas the federal definition is attributed to a mental or physical impairment or a combination of mental and physical impairments before the age of 22.

The latest Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities Annual Report to the federal government states that there are approximately 83,000 persons in Arizona deemed to be developmentally disabled per the state definition.

Provisions

· Appropriates $100,000 from the state general fund in each of FYs 2001-02 and 2002-03 to DES, Division of Developmental Disabilities (Division) to establish and administer a Mentoring Program for the Developmentally Disabled (Program).

· Stipulates the Program shall accomplish at least one of the following:

· General services to persons with developmental disabilities.

· Coordination of one-to-one mentoring relationships between persons with developmental disabilities and students with or without disabilities in middle school, high school and college.

· Coordination of one-to-one mentoring relationships between persons with developmental disabilities and community volunteers who have disabilities for the purpose of role modeling for successful independent living.

· Coordination of one-to-one mentoring relationships between persons with developmental disabilities and individuals communicating through the Internet.

· Requires all mentors to receive 10 hours of training in self-determination philosophy, self-determination and disability related community resources.

· Allows the Division to accept financial contributions from and coordinate its administration of the Program with the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities or other approved entities.

· Places a 10 per cent cap on administrative expenses.

· Defines the term developmental disabilities.

· Requires the Legislative Council to submit a report to the Senate President, Speaker of the House, and the Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees by June 30, 2002 and 2003 on the Program.

· Prescribes reporting requirements and requires DES to semiannually submit to Legislative Council the information needed to complete the legislative report.

HB 2381 was amended in the Human Services Committee as follows:

· Renames the program as the Mentoring Program for the Developmentally Disabled.

· Appropriates $100,000 from the state general fund in each of FYs 2001-02 and 2002-03.

· Requires the Governor's Council on DD to provide an additional $20,000 each FY to the Program.

· States that DES is responsible for establishing the Program and that the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities is responsible for administering the program.

· Establishes minimum guidelines for the Program.

HB 2381 was amended in the Appropriations Committee as follows:

· Appropriates $100,000 from the general fund in each of FYs 2001-02 and 2002-03 to DES, Division of Developmental Disabilities [Division] to establish and administer a Developmentally Disabled Mentoring Program [Program].

· Stipulates the Program shall accomplish at least one of the following:

· General services to persons with developmental disabilities.

· Coordination of one-to-one friendships between persons with developmental disabilities and students in middle school, high school and college.

· Coordination of one-to-one friendships between persons with developmental disabilities and community volunteers.

· Coordination of one-to-one friendships between persons with developmental disabilities and individuals communicating through the Internet.

· Allows the Division to accept financial contributions from and coordinate its administration of the Program with the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities or other approved entities.

· Prescribes reporting requirements and requires DES to semiannually submit to Legislative Council the information needed to complete the legislative report.

· Makes a technical change.

HB 2381 was amended in the Committee of the Whole as follows:

· Withdrew the Human Services Committee amendment.

· Adopted the Appropriations Committee amendment.

· Amended the Appropriations Committee amendment as follows: