NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Minutes of the
BUDGET COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Roughrider Room, State Capitol
Bismarck, North Dakota
Representative Clara Sue Price, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
Members present: Representatives Clara Sue Price, William R. Devlin, Gary Kreidt, Vonnie Pietsch, Louise Potter, Robin Weisz; Senators Bill L. Bowman, Richard Brown, Tom Fischer, Joel C. Heitkamp, Aaron Krauter, Judy Lee, Harvey Tallackson, Russell T. Thane
Members absent: Representatives Jeff Delzer, Alon Wieland
Others present: See attached appendix
It was moved by Senator Bowman, seconded by Senator Brown, and carried on a voice vote that the minutes of the previous meeting be approved as distributed.
HUMAN SERVICE CENTER STUDY
Ms. Yvonne Smith, Deputy Director, Department of Human Services, said representatives of human service centers and private providers would summarize how clients are served at the human service centers.
Mr. Harry Miller, Developmental Disabilities Program Administrator, Badlands and West Central Human Service Centers, provided information on developmental disabilities and vocational rehabilitation services. Mr. Miller provided an example of the educational and employment services provided an individual with developmental disabilities. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Barbara Murry, Chief Operations Officer, Pride, Inc., Bismarck, provided information on the services provided by Pride, Inc. Ms. Murry provided an example of the support services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities to assist them to maintain employment. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Senator Lee asked whether fewer resources are available for job coaches. Ms. Murry said due to reductions to the Department of Human Services budget, there is less funding available for job coaches this biennium.
Ms. Beth Gravalin, Admissions Unit Supervisor, Southeast Human Service Center, Fargo, provided information on the services provided by the human service center to individuals with mental illness and substance abuse. Ms. Gravalin provided an example of the services provided by the human service center to treat an individual with mental illness and substance abuse. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Senator Bowman asked how individuals with an addiction to methamphetamine are best treated. Ms. Gravalin said treatment services for these individuals are most appropriately provided in the community because issues that the person with the addiction needs to deal with are at the local level.
Senator Heitkamp said the public is concerned that individuals known to be users of methamphetamine are in the communities. Ms. Gravalin said the human service centers provide intensive case management services for these individuals with the intent of breaking the cycle of substance abuse. She said these treatment services have been successful in treating individuals with these types of substance abuse problems.
Senator Krauter asked if the human service centers have an adequate number of case managers to provide appropriate treatment services. Ms. Gravalin said additional case managers are needed. She said the Southeast Human Service Center needs two additional case managers.
Senator Krauter suggested that the Department of Human Services be asked to provide information to the committee on the caseload status of case managers involved in mental illness and substance abuse services at the human service centers and to comment on the need for additional case managers at human service centers. Chairman Price said this information would be requested from the department for the committee's next meeting.
Ms. Deb Bingeman, registered nurse and case management liaison, Northwest Human Service Center, Williston, provided information on child welfare services. Ms. Bingeman provided an example of the range of services provided by the human service center and other organizations for children and their families who are involved in the child welfare system. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Representative Price asked why in some cases it takes so long to intervene in families with child welfare issues. Ms. Michon G. Sax, Williams and McKenzie County Social Services, said that although county social services attempt to intervene appropriately, there are a number of rules and regulations that may limit the county's ability to intervene.
In response to a question from Representative Price, Ms. Sax said the Legislative Assembly may wish to consider reviewing the rules and regulations relating to child welfare interventions.
Ms. Smith presented information on the full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the human service centers, including position descriptions, duties, and vacant positions. The schedule below presents the authorized FTE positions and the vacant positions at each human service center.
| FTE Positions | Vacant FTE Positions | |
| Northwest Human Service Center | 50.00 | 3.00 |
| North Central Human Service Center | 114.78 | 7.83 |
| Lake Region Human Service Center | 62.00 | 2.00 |
| Northeast Human Service Center | 137.90 | 5.80 |
| Southeast Human Service Center | 183.20 | 9.93 |
| South Central Human Service Center | 88.00 | 3.38 |
| West Central Human Service Center | 120.00 | 5.00 |
| Badlands Human Service Center | 78.00 | 3.20 |
| Total | 833.88 | 40.14 |
Ms. Smith said the only employees of the human service centers who do not provide direct care services are the administrative/support positions at each center.
In response to a question from Senator Krauter, Ms. Smith said current turnover rates for employees at the human service centers are similar to previous years.
Senator Thane suggested that the Department of Human Services be asked to provide a comparison of the human service center employees during the 2003-05 biennium to the 2001-03 biennium by position and to explain major reasons for position changes. Chairman Price said the department will be asked to provide this information for the committee at its next meeting.
Representative Price asked the Department of Human Services to provide the titles of the vacant positions at each human service center and those that are difficult to recruit.
Ms. Brenda Weisz, Fiscal Administration Director, Department of Human Services, presented information on Department of Human Services contracts by type of service and by human service center since the 1997-99 biennium. Ms. Weisz said the department's contracts in total have increased from $18.79 million during the 1997-99 biennium to $19.25 million projected for the 2003-05 biennium. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Weisz provided a schedule of the department's third-party revenue collections projected for the 2003-05 biennium compared to the 2001-03 biennium. Ms. Weisz said revenue collections are projected to increase by approximately $700,000 during the 2003-05 biennium compared to the 2001-03 biennium. She said the comparison reflects an adjustment relating to the privatization of the Manchester House in Bismarck which will result in a reduction of approximately $1 million of collections during the 2003-05 biennium.
Ms. Weisz said medical assistance collections comprise approximately 83 percent of the human service center third-party collections with the remaining amounts generated from other insurance companies and private pay individuals. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Representative Weisz asked if the rates charged by the human service centers provide for the full cost of services. Ms. Weisz said the rate structures of the human service centers are based on the actual costs incurred by the human service centers.
Mr. Gene Hysjulien, Disability Services Director, Department of Human Services, said that as of January 2004 the developmental disabilities services caseload totaled 3,791 and the vocational rehabilitation services caseload totaled 4,499. He said 146 individuals were receiving both developmental disabilities and vocational rehabilitation services at this time. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Smith said the Department of Human Services is in the process of collecting information on waiting lists for services at the human service centers. Ms. Smith said preliminary conclusions indicate that most waiting times for appointments do not exceed 10 days. She said emergency services are provided immediately. She said the department will provide more complete information on waiting lists to the committee at its next meeting.
The Legislative Council staff presented a memorandum entitled Human Service Center Reporting Format. The Legislative Council staff said the memorandum includes a list of suggested data for human service centers to report to the Legislative Assembly and to interim legislative committees. The Legislative Council staff said the approval of this type of format would not preclude legislators or legislative committees from requesting other data or the human service centers from providing additional information. It is intended to provide a consistent and comprehensive reporting basis for major human service center programs and to provide consistent reporting among human service centers.
The Legislative Council staff said the majority of the information would be presented for the current and two previous bienniums. The Legislative Council staff said the information would be provided for each human service center in total; by major program--administration, child welfare, disabilities services, older adult services, and mental and substance abuse services; and for statewide or unique programs of the human service center.
Chairman Price asked the committee members and others to review the information and contact either the chairman or the Legislative Council staff with suggestions. She said the committee would consider this again at its next meeting.
Chairman Price asked the Legislative Council staff to provide a copy of the memorandum to the Appropriations Committees chairmen.
Ms. Smith commented on the proposed human service center reporting guidelines. She said the department is interested in providing information that is useful to the Legislative Assembly and its committees.
STUDY OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Mr. Mike Schwindt, Child Support Enforcement Director, Department of Human Services, provided information on the administrative functions and administrative costs of child support programs.
Mr. Schwindt said a number of entities are involved in the administration of child support in North Dakota, including the Department of Human Services, regional child support enforcement units, county social service boards, and the courts. He said the Department of Human Services was appropriated $6.8 million, of which $1.7 million is state funds, for the 2003-05 biennium for child support. He said these amounts exclude child support collections paid to families and $1.8 million of federal incentive payments to counties. He said the department is authorized 38 FTE positions for child support enforcement. In addition, within the Division of Information Technology of the Department of Human Services budget, he said, $1.4 million relates to computer system costs for the regional child support enforcement units.
Mr. Schwindt said the child support enforcement units employ approximately 120 employees and the units spent approximately $5 million in calendar year 2003. He said funding for the units is from property taxes and federal incentive funds.
Mr. Schwindt reviewed the performance of child support enforcement in North Dakota compared to other states. Mr. Schwindt said North Dakota's performance exceeds national averages; however, he said, South Dakota's child support enforcement performance exceeds North Dakota's.
Senator Fischer suggested that the committee ask the Department of Human Services to provide information to the committee at its next meeting on the structures of other states' child support enforcement systems that have successful results, including South Dakota. Chairman Price said the committee would request the information.
Representative Devlin suggested that the committee ask the Department of Human Services to provide its recommendations on the structural changes that should be considered for the child support enforcement system in North Dakota.
Mr. Terry Traynor, Assistant Director, North Dakota Association of Counties, presented information on the county administrative functions and administrative costs of child support programs. Mr. Traynor said the staff of regional child support enforcement units are employed by the eight host counties across the state. He said costs of the units are paid by the property tax collections of the counties included in each region, with the exception of the federal incentive dollars. He said the costs for each regional child support enforcement unit are allocated to individual counties based on a formula developed by the counties of each region. He presented a schedule showing the regional child support costs paid by each county. Statewide, he said, counties pay $5 million per year for the operating costs of the regional child support enforcement units. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Kathy Hogan, Cass County Social Services Director, Fargo, presented information on county administrative functions and administrative costs of child support programs.
Ms. Hogan said the North Dakota County Social Service Directors Association has established a child support task force targeted to strengthening current programs by increasing collaboration and problem solving. She said the task force will be reviewing the current cooperative agreements describing the various duties and responsibilities of the parties involved. Ms. Hogan presented a schedule showing child support enforcement costs for fiscal years 2002 and 2003. She said costs for 2003 totaled $5.3 million compared to $5.1 million for 2002. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Mr. Vincent Gillette, Director, Sioux County Social Services, Ft. Yates, presented information on county administrative functions and administrative costs of child support programs. Mr. Gillette said Sioux County is totally encompassed within an Indian reservation. He said state courts lack any jurisdiction on Indian reservations to establish orders, establish paternities, execute withholding orders, or anything else associated with child support. He expressed concern that even though the state has no jurisdiction on Indian reservations, Sioux County is required to pay its share of the regional child support enforcement unit's cost. He said other counties in the region have agreed to reduce Sioux County's allocation of the costs from $120,000 per year to $35,000 per year. He said the $35,000 is still a burden on Sioux County which receives $82,000 per year from its social services levy.
Mr. Gillette suggested exempting Indians living on Indian reservations from child support, removing them from the client count used to determine the county's share of child support enforcement unit costs, and reexamining how child support services are delivered in North Dakota. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
In response to a question from Senator Bowman, Mr. Gillette said it is his understanding that South Dakota courts do have jurisdiction on Indian reservations based on a decision that all states made in the 1950s authorized by federal Public Law 280. He said it is his understanding that North Dakota chose at that time not to accept responsibility for jurisdiction on the Indian reservations.
Mr. Edward Forde, County Social Services Director, Ramsey, Benson, and Towner Counties, Devils Lake, provided information on county administrative functions and administrative costs of child support programs.
Mr. Forde said the location of two major Indian reservations within the Lake Region Child Support Unit's area results in a much larger caseload for the unit. Mr. Forde said the two reservation counties represent 85.9 percent of the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) caseload of the seven counties served; therefore, he said, these counties believe that 85.9 percent of the regional unit's expenses should be paid by the state on their behalf.
Mr. Forde said an additional concern of these counties is that tribal lands are not taxable by counties. He said because the counties are required to provide services to the reservation that does not contribute to the county's tax base, an unfair tax burden is placed on local taxpayers. He said funding services to reservations should be the responsibility of the state or federal government.
Mr. Forde suggested the state Child Support Enforcement Division enter into a cooperative agreement with the tribes to address the jurisdictional issues with the reservations. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
The committee recessed for lunch at 12:20 p.m. and reconvened at 1:05 p.m.
Mr. David Zentner, Medical Services Director, Department of Human Services, provided information on the administrative functions and administrative costs of the children's health insurance program.
Mr. Zentner said federal law limits the amount states can claim for administrative costs for the children's health insurance program to no more than 10 percent of the cost of providing medical services to eligible children for each federal fiscal year of operation. He said for the 2003 federal fiscal year, the administrative expenditure limit was $719,141. He said the department spent $79,677 for administrative expenses during that year.
Mr. Zentner said the department is looking for direction to determine if the Healthy Steps eligibility process should remain a state office function or be transferred to the county social service boards. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Representative Price asked for the positive and negative effects of transferring the eligibility determination function from the state to the counties. Mr. Zentner said a positive effect would be that the eligibility process would be more seamless since the counties already determine eligibility for the Medicaid program. He said the negative effect would be that many more people would be involved in the eligibility determination process across the state.
Mr. Zentner provided information comparing the number of Medicaid-eligible persons and the number of Medicaid-eligible persons actually receiving services during each of the last five fiscal years.
Mr. Zentner said the number of Medicaid-eligible individuals has increased from 41,953 in fiscal year 1999 to 53,134 in fiscal year 2003. He said during this same time period, the number of unduplicated recipients has increased from 31,725 in fiscal year 1999 to 38,324 in fiscal year 2003.
Mr. Zentner said in fiscal year 1999, 75.6 percent of Medicaid-eligible individuals received services compared to 72.1 percent in fiscal year 2003. He said the reduction is primarily due to more children being enrolled in the program in 2003 compared to 1999. He said children generally receive fewer services than the elderly and disabled individuals in the program. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Hogan provided information on annual funding for county social services programs since 1997. Ms. Hogan said the counties have compiled summary information regarding social services expenditures; however, she said, the amounts may not be completely accurate because of accounting and funding system differences between counties. She said the information collected indicates that funding for human services programs of the counties has increased from $38.4 million in 2000 to $46.9 million in 2002.
Ms. Hogan said the counties and the Department of Human Services have also compiled summary information regarding county social services costs for fiscal years beginning in 2002. She said this information indicates that counties spent $43.5 million in fiscal year 2002 and $45.1 million in fiscal year 2003.
Ms. Hogan said that the 1997 "swap" agreement has resulted in counties paying an estimated $3.7 million less for economic assistance related costs. She said this is an estimate based on summary information. She said a detailed analysis of the state and county cost changes from the "swap" agreement would require a major time commitment for developing mutual definitions of what to include or exclude in both program and administrative costs. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Mr. Doug Wegh, Hettinger County Social Services Director, Mott, presented information on county-funded home and community-based services. Mr. Wegh said 44 of North Dakota's 53 counties provide county-funded home and community-based services. He said 42 counties provide a homemaker program, 39 provide a personal care program, 5 provide a chore services program, 11 provide a respite care program, and 4 provide transportation services.
Mr. Wegh said 38 counties determine eligibility for the county-funded programs using the same asset test as the service payments for elderly and disabled (SPED) program and 40 counties use the SPED income guidelines.
Mr. Wegh said that based on a survey of counties, 66 potential clients chose not to participate in the SPED program and 71 individuals discontinued or reduced services as a result of the fee schedule that the Department of Human Services implemented to comply with provisions of Senate Bill No. 2083, approved by the 2003 Legislative Assembly. He said 11 counties reported that they were supplementing clients whose fees for services were increased because of the fee schedule.
Mr. Wegh said that when determining eligibility for the county-funded programs, 29 county social service offices consider activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. He said 10 counties require an individual to be impaired in one or more of the activities, 6 counties require two or more, 10 counties require three or more, and 3 counties do not have a firm policy in place, but impairments are considered. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Diane Mortenson, social worker, Stark County Social Services, Dickinson, provided information on the activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living for eligibility for the county-funded programs. Ms. Mortenson said counties use these tools to determine the impairment of a person in determining eligibility for services. She said the SPED program also uses this tool and requires an individual to be impaired in at least four activities of daily living or five instrumental activities of daily living to be eligible for the SPED program.
Ms. Mortenson said activities of daily living are those areas of a person's life that are usually done daily and include bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring. She said instrumental activities of daily living are those areas of a person's life that are important for living independently but not done daily and include meal preparation, housework, laundry, shopping, taking medications, mobility, transportation, money management, and using the telephone. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Hogan provided a listing of county directors who also provide direct client services. She said 23 counties have full-time directors, 4 have part-time directors, and 26 have shared directors. She said of the shared directors, one serves a four-county unit, three serve a three-county unit, and eight serve a two-county unit.
Ms. Hogan said of the 23 full-time director positions, three have full-time administrative responsibility. She said 33 counties have directors that provide some type of direct client services. She said 28 provide social services and 17 provide economic assistance services. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Representative Devlin asked for more information on the specific types of services that county directors are providing. Ms. Hogan said she would gather that information and provide it to the committee members.
Mr. Joe Belford, Ramsey County Commissioner, Devils Lake, commented on human services programs. Mr. Belford stressed the need for more alcohol and drug education in schools to reduce the use of methamphetamine and other drugs and alcohol. He expressed the concern that the curriculum being used in public schools as a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act does not allow enough time for schools to provide students alcohol and drug education.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
Mr. John Hougen, Public Assistance Director, Department of Human Services, provided information on the status of the TANF reauthorization, the status of changes made to the TANF educational provisions, expenditures to date compared to projections, and caseloads.
Mr. Hougen said the federal TANF program is currently authorized through March 2004 pursuant to a continuing resolution. He anticipates Congress will continue the program beyond March under the current rules by again approving a continuing resolution.
Mr. Hougen said the Department of Human Services changed its TANF education policy in 2003 in anticipation of federal changes to the program. He said all three versions of the TANF reauthorization severely limit education. He said the department had been approving education activities for a full year; however, because the department anticipated TANF would be reauthorized last year, the department did not want to approve TANF recipients for a full year of education and subsequently have to rescind the approval because of new TANF provisions. Instead, he said, the department adopted a policy on educational limitations that is common to all three versions of the reauthorization. Although the reauthorization has been delayed, he said, the department does not believe that more flexibility will be provided for education. He said the current department policies will be consistent with what the department anticipates will be the final rules for education under the reauthorized TANF program. He said the department has been flexible in applying the education rules for Job Corps and vocational rehabilitation clients who have been allowed to continue their education; however, the department will not be able to continue this practice under reauthorization unless changes are made in the federal legislation.
Mr. Hougen said through December 2003 the department has spent $7 million for TANF benefits, which is slightly less than anticipated expenditures. He said although the average number of cases per month has been 3,186, which is 37 more than anticipated, the average cost per month per case has been $366, which is $19 less than estimated. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Senator Brown expressed a concern with the educational changes made by the Department of Human Services. He said a number of TANF recipients have been forced to discontinue their education as a result of these changes.
Representative Price expressed a concern regarding the educational changes made by the Department of Human Services. She believes the 2003 Legislative Assembly did not intend for the department to make any educational changes until the federal government required the changes to be made.
Ms. Hogan provided information on the Cass County TANF pilot project. Ms. Hogan said the Cass County pilot project includes five major components--employment, education, mental health, case management, and sanctions. She said the focus of the Cass County pilot project is on employment and self-sufficiency. She said each client has a support team consisting of staff from Job Service, the human service center, and county social services to address specific areas of the plan.
Ms. Hogan said the pilot project has resulted in positive outcomes for the clients involved. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Sax presented information on the Williams County TANF pilot project. Ms. Sax said Williams County implemented its TANF pilot project in 2000. She said the primary goal of the project is to help clients achieve self-sufficiency, allowing them to discontinue the program as soon as possible. She said the pilot project addresses employment, education, sanctions, case management, and mental health. She said the pilot project utilizes a mentor who works closely with the TANF client to eliminate any barriers to obtaining self-sufficiency. Ms. Sax provided examples of the positive outcomes resulting from the pilot project. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Ms. Sax stressed the importance of continuing education opportunities available under the TANF program.
Ms. Sandy Bendewald, Director, Region VI Children's Services Coordinating Committee, Jamestown, provided information on the status of "refinancing" funds generated and the uses of the funds for the 2003-05 biennium to date. Ms. Bendewald presented the following schedule showing the funds generated and the funds spent during the first six months of the biennium. She said the amounts generated and the amounts spent are not the same due to the time delay in receiving the federal funding claims.
| Description | Amounts Generated | ||||||||||||||||||
| Children's Services Coordinating Committee (5%) | $26,821 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Department of Human Services (10%) | 53,643 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Participating agencies (50%)1 | 268,215 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Local children's services coordinating committees (35%) | 187,750 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $536,4292 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Local Funds Spent | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grants | $232,413 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Expenses | $180,4743 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1Participating
agencies include schools, courts, and public health.
2Seventy-five percent of claims are submitted. 3
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Mr. Paul Ronningen, Children and Family Services Director, Department of Human Services, reported on the status of "refinancing" activities. Mr. Ronningen said a recent federal departmental appeals board decision involving the State of Missouri and its use of federal IV-E foster care dollars will have a substantial negative effect on North Dakota's ability to claim federal IV-E dollars under the "refinancing" system. Mr. Ronningen said the appeals board decision results in a negative effect to North Dakota because the appeals board concluded that agencies claiming federal IV-E dollars need to be supervised by the Department of Human Services or involved in the placement and care of children.
Mr. Ronningen said under North Dakota's "refinancing" system, agencies including juvenile courts, schools, and public health units, claim administrative reimbursement under the federal IV-E program but are not supervised by the Department of Human Services nor are they responsible for the placement and care of children; therefore, based on the appeals board decision, the Department of Human Services believes that the activities of these agencies are nonreimbursable under federal Title IV-E foster care. As a result, Mr. Ronningen said, the Department of Human Services will be discontinuing the "refinancing" initiative with the Children's Services Coordinating Committee effective June 30, 2004. Mr. Ronningen said the department and the other agencies are assessing the impact of this decision on their current budgets and will inform the committee when completed. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Mr. Hysjulien provided a listing of departmental contracts with developmental disabilities services providers by the type of service and funding for the 2003-05 biennium. Mr. Hysjulien said the services provided include residential, family support, day support, extended, and infant development. A copy of the report is on file in the Legislative Council office.
The Legislative Council staff distributed the minutes from the Developmental Disabilities Reimbursement Work Group meetings from October and December 2003. Copies of the minutes are on file in the Legislative Council office.
Mr. Bob Zent, Stark County Commissioner, Dickinson, commented on the potential impact of the reduction in the "refinancing" funds through the Children's Services Coordinating Committee. He said the Sunrise Youth Bureau in Dickinson received approximately $50,000 in "refinancing" funds for providing counseling for children at risk. He expressed concern that without the "refinancing" funds available, the bureau will have difficulty raising the funds needed for its operation.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Senator Lee suggested the committee receive information on federal Public Law 280 relating to state jurisdiction on Indian reservations. She suggested the committee consider options for better collaboration between the state and the tribes relating to child support enforcement.
Senator Brown suggested the committee consider options for extending educational opportunities under the TANF program.
Senator Bowman suggested receiving information on preventive measures that may reduce the use of methamphetamine, including options for providing more drug and alcohol education in schools. Ms. Carol K. Olson, Executive Director, Department of Human Services, said the Attorney General is chairing a task force on this issue and the committee may wish to ask the task force for an update on its activities.
Senator Fischer suggested the committee ask Dr. Elizabeth Foust, Southeast Human Service Center, to provide information on treatment for drug addictions, including methamphetamine.
Chairman Price said the committee will ask the Department of Public Instruction to provide information at the next committee meeting on the effect of the federal No Child Left Behind curriculum and schools' abilities to provide drug education to their students.
Senator Thane suggested the committee receive information from the Department of Human Services on possible administrative changes for determining eligibility for the children's health insurance program and from county social services on their ability to provide this service.
Senator Brown suggested the committee receive additional information from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Human Services on the impact on families of individuals incarcerated for the use or manufacture of methamphetamine.
The committee adjourned subject to the call of the chair at 3:50 p.m.
___________________________________________Allen H. Knudson
Assistant Legislative Budget Analyst and Auditor
___________________________________________
Jim W. Smith
Legislative Budget Analyst and Auditor
