HB 612 -- Persons with Disabilities:  Community First Act

Co-Sponsors:  Ladd Baker, Graham

This bill establishes the Community First Commission, whose
duties include helping state agencies accomplish recommended
objectives of the Temporary Home and Community-based Services
and Consumer-directed Care Commission of 2000; assessing how
institutionalized persons with disabilities move into community--
based settings and evaluating the success of such settings in
keeping persons with disabilities out of institutions; and
developing recommendations for legislative and administrative
action.  The commission will have 21 members:  11 public members
appointed by the Governor; 5 directors of agencies; the
Lieutenant Governor; 2 members of the House; and 2 members of
the Senate.  The Lieutenant Governor will act as co-chair along
with a public member chosen by the commission.  The commission
will meet at least twice a year and will report by January 31 of
each year to the Governor and General Assembly on the state's
compliance with a recent U. S. Supreme Court decision (Olmstead
v. L.C.) that prohibits requiring a person to be
institutionalized in order to receive benefits and recommended
statutory and regulatory changes.  The Department of Social
Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation must
permit Medicaid funding to follow the disabled individual as the
individual hires, fires, and supervises personal care staff.  A
one-time transition grant for institutionalized persons who want
to move back into the community will be limited to a maximum of
$1,500 and will be administered by the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation in consultation with the Department of Social
Services.  The 2 agencies will also cooperate to seek federal
and private grant moneys for this purpose; the moneys will not
limit the appropriation of state moneys for the grant.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:03 pm