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JBC amends Long Bill footnote for community corrections, directs RFI on rate adjustments
Summary
Committee adopted staff-recommended changes to Long Bill footnotes for community corrections: the table—s daily rates will be the default and the General Assembly intends the Division of Criminal Justice to adjust rates as needed; the committee also requested an RFI on any rate changes.
The Joint Budget Committee amended Long Bill footnotes related to community corrections and directed a request for information (RFI) asking the Division of Criminal Justice to report how it adjusts per-diem rates.
Justin Brackie, Joint Budget Committee staff, told the committee the key change on page 17 would make the daily rates shown in the table the default rates and add language stating that "it is the General Assembly's intent that the division adjust these rates on an as-needed basis." Brackie said the footnote change would give the Division flexibility to tweak per-diem rates if facility payment policy changes affected providers.
Committee members relayed concerns from community-corrections providers who said eliminating facility payments could cause providers to fill fewer beds. Brackie replied that providers could offset lost facility payments by increasing occupancy marginally and that giving the Division flexibility to adjust per-diem rates should provide an offset. A committee member said the only way to ensure the Division responds is to codify it in statute; the committee instead agreed to add an RFI requiring the Division to report whether and how it adjusted rates.
The vice chair moved the staff recommendation as amended by committee discussion to revise the Long Bill footnotes and add the RFI. The motion passed 6-0. Committee staff said they would draft the amended footnote language and the RFI for the committee—s comebacks.
