FISCAL YEAR 2009 BUDGET

The Rhode Island General Assembly enacted a FY 2009 budget in the amount of $6.919 billion. The enacted $6.919 billion budget is a 1% decrease from the $6.997 billion enacted for FY 2008. $3.276 billion of the budget is state general revenue, $1.997 billion is federal funds, $152.5 million is restricted receipts, and $1.492 billion is other funds. The 2008 Rhode Island General Assembly had to close an estimated budget deficit of $450 million for FY 2009. The legislature used $90 million dollars in personnel savings, $67 million in Medicaid program reductions, $9 million in community service grant cuts, $37 million in revenue increases and $222 million in other cuts and savings to close the deficit.

Rhode Island State Budget Guide for Fiscal Year 2009
As part of Rhode Island’s State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has prepared three documents to assist those interested in children’s issues to navigate the budgetary process: Rhode Island Budget Snapshots For Fiscal Year 2009, Budget Advocacy Tips, and Budget Glossary of Terms.

PAST HEARINGS

DATE: Monday, March 10, 2008
TIME: 1:00 P.M.
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: HUMAN SERVICES CLIENT SERVICES & ARTICLES FY 2009 (08-H-7390)
Article 16- Repeal of the Family Independence Program (FIP), replacing it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act of 2008.
Article 17 – Rhode Island Medicaid Reform Act of 2008 (reforming Medicaid services for parents currently enrolled in RIte Care, adults with disabilities, and elders)
Article 20 – Children’s Health Account
Article 21 – General Public Assistance - Hardship
Article 24 – DCYF Residential Placements (capping out of home placements at 1,000, excluding foster homes)
Article 25 – Delinquent and Dependent Children (requiring LEAs to reimburse DCYF for educational services and/or testing)
Article 26 – Supplemental Security Income
Article 28 – Early Childhood Education / Head Start (eliminating funding for 400 state funded Head Start seats and eliminating funding for the Comprehensive Child Care Services Program)

DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 2008
TIME: 1:00 P.M.
PLACE:  Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: HUMAN SERVICES CLIENT SERVICES & ARTICLES FY 2009 (08-H-7390)
Article 18 – Hospital Rate Payments (Medicaid)
Article 40 – Cost of living adjustments for Nursing Homes
Article 27 – Child Care Subsidies (eliminate requirement for biennial market rate survey and eliminate scheduled rate adjustment to licensed child care centers and certified family child providers)
Article 31 – Licensing of Hospital Facilities
Article 10 – Substance Abuse Prevention Act
Article 12 – Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime Program
Article 19 – Hospital Uncompensated Care
Article 39 – Newborn Screening Program

DATE: Thursday, March 13, 2008
TIME: 12:00 P.M.
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH- FY 2009
COMMITTEE: House Committee on Finance, Environment, Health & Advocacy

DATE: Thursday, March 13, 2008 - CANCELED
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Room 211 - State House
SUBJECT: FY2008 Supplemental/FY2009 Budget Hearing:
                 Department of Human Services
                 Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals
COMMITTEE: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Human Services 

DATE: Friday, March 14, 2008
TIME: 12:00 P.M.
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION AND ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - FY 2009
COMMITTEE: House Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Education

DATE: Monday, March 17, 2008
TIME: 1:00 P.M. (NEW TIME)
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES-FY 2009
COMMITTEE: House Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Human Services

DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
TIME: 12:30 P.M.  (NEW TIME)
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES - FY 2009
COMMITTEE: House Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Human Services

DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Senate Lounge - State House
SUBJECT: FY2008 Supplemental/FY2009 Budget Hearing: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
COMMITTEE: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on General Government and Education

DATE: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
TIME: Rise of the Senate (4:00 p.m.)
PLACE: Senate Lounge - State House
SUBJECT: FY2008 Supplemental/FY2009 Budget Hearing:
Department of Human Services
Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals
COMMITTEE: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee Human Services

NEW DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
TIME: Rise of the House (4:00 p.m.)
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: House Bill No. 7204 SUB A (Governor)
Introduced by Representatives: Mumford, Ehrhardt, Story
ENTITLED, AN ACT MAKING REVISED APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2008
Article 9 – FIP: remove 1600 child only cases from program
Article 10 – RIte Care: remove 2,800 non-citizen children, including 1,300 legal permanent residents from program
Article 11 – RIte Care: remove 7,400 parents from program by reducing income eligibility and remove 2,300 families from program by increasing premiums.
Article 14 – RIte Care/Child Care: Remove 825 adults and children from health insurance program by eliminating eligibility for family child care providers and child care center staff.
Article 13 – Training School – would cap the population of the RITS.

DATE: Thursday, April 3, 2008 [CANCELLED]
TIME: 1:00 PM
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
SUBJECT: FY 2009 BUDGET (08-H-7390)
ARTICLE 17 (GOVERNOR'S BUDGET AMENDMENT)
Article 17  is the Rhode Island Medicaid Reform Act of 2008 reforming Medicaid services for parents currently enrolled in RIte Care, adults with disabilities, and elders.

DATE: Tuesday, June 3, 2008
TIME: 2:00 P.M.
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
House Bill No. 7162
BY Costantino, Fox, Slater, Mumford, Shanley
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
01/22/2008 Introduced, referred to House Finance
06/03/2008 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL HEARING ONLY. NO TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN.

DATE: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
TIME: 1:00 P.M.
PLACE: Trainor Hearing Room (Room 35) - State House
House Bill No. 7390 (Governor)
BY Watson, Gorham, Story, Ehrhardt, Mumford
ENTITLED, AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2009