Day 35 - March 27, 2008

The legislative pace continues to move steadily along as legislators anticipate Sine Die.

This afternoon,  the Senate and House approved an adjournment plan for the 2008 Session.  The 40^th Legislative Day will be April 4, 2008.  Legislators will return to the Capitol tomorrow, Friday, March 28, 2008 for Day 36 and recess over the weekend with Days 37-39 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.  They will recess on Thursday, April 3, 2008, for printing and conference committee activities ad return on Friday for their final day of work.
 
The Senate passed several bills for interest today. HB 1031 cleared the Senate today. The Bill will require each public high school in the State, which has an interscholastic athletics program, to have at least one functional automated external defibrillator on site at such school at all times for use during emergencies. HB 984 adds a new licensure category of facilities, through the Department of Human Resources, for children and youth services known as "children's transition care centers." These centers will "provide a temporary, home-like environment for medically fragile children, technology dependent children, and children with special healthcare needs, up to 21 years of age, who are deemed clinically stable by a physician but dependent on life-sustaining medications, treatments, and equipment and who require assistance with activities of daily living to facilitate transitions from a hospital or other facility to a home or other appropriate setting. Such centers are designated sites that provide child placing services and nursing care, clinical support services, and therapies for short-term stays of one to 14 days and for longer stays of up to 90 days to facilitate transitions of children to homes or other appropriate settings. Extended stays of up to 12 months may be approved by the Department by waiver."
 
The Senate Finance Committee passed the FY 09 budget this morning.  The bill contains important changes to the House version including funds for the assessment centers for victims of child sexual exploitation and a restoration of approximately $17,222,000 in TANF funds for child care subsidies.