ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
appropriations; health
programs
Purpose
Appropriates
approximately $8.7 million in each of FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003 from three
funds for three health related programs administered by either the Department
of Health Services (DHS) or the Department of Economic Security (DES).
Background
The DHS Teen Pregnancy
Prevention Program began receiving $2 million per year beginning in FY
1996-1997 for abstinence programs in 17 local communities. DHS reports that teen births in Arizona are
at the lowest rate since they began tracking this data in 1950. However, the majority of out-of-wedlock
births are not to teenagers. The National Center for Health Statistics reports
that birth rates for women in their 30s and 40s are at the highest level in 30
years and are increasing.
In
1994, the Legislature enacted the Children and Families Stability Act, also
known as Success by Six, which included the Health Start, Healthy Families and
Family Literacy pilot programs. Goals
of the DHS Health Start Program are to increase prenatal care, reduce and
eliminate early childhood diseases and reduce the incidence of low birth weight
in infants. The goal of the DES Healthy
Families Program is to reduce child abuse and neglect. The Office of the
Auditor General published an evaluation of the Healthy Families Program, dated
February 2001. The evaluation report
concludes that child abuse rates for program participants were not
significantly different than for the comparison group, but the program has been
successful in providing health referrals, promoting safety and improving
positive parent-child interactions.
With the passage of
legislation to implement Proposition 204, these three programs were allocated
funding from the tobacco settlement.
However, the anticipated fiscal impact of this legislation has
significantly increased since its passage, to over $70 million annually. During the recent Second Special Session,
appropriations for the three health related programs were vetoed by the
Governor.
The proposed legislation
appropriates approximately $8.7 million in each of FY 2001-2002 and FY
2002-2003 for the DHS Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancy Prevention, DHS Health Start and
DES Healthy Families programs from a combination of three funds.
Provisions
1. Appropriates approximately $8.7 million in each of FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003 from three funds to two state agencies as follows:
|
FY / Fund |
DHS out-of-wedlock pregnancy prevention |
DHS Health Start |
DES Healthy Families |
Totals |
|
2001-2 State General Fund |
|
1,206,500 |
|
1,206,500 |
|
2001-2 TANF Block Grant |
2,514,500 |
|
4,750,000 |
7,264,500 |
|
2001-2 Child Abuse Prev. Fund |
|
|
250,000 |
250,000 |
|
FY 2001-2 Subtotal |
|
|
|
$ 8,721,000 |
|
2002-3 State General Fund |
|
1,211,200 |
|
1,211,200 |
|
2002-3 TANF Block Grant |
2,518,600 |
|
4,750,000 |
7,268,600 |
|
2002-3 Child Abuse Prev. Fund |
|
|
250,000 |
250,000 |
FY 2002-3 Subtotal
|
|
|
|
$ 8,729,800 |
|
$ 5,033,100 |
$ 2,417,700 |
$10,000,000 |
$17,450,800 |
2. Exempts the appropriations from lapsing.
3. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
February 8, 2002