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Minutes for SB348 - Committee on Ways and Means
Short Title
Increasing reimbursement rates for providers of home and community-based services under the intellectual or developmentally disabled waiver.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 12, 2020
Chairperson McGinn opened the hearing on SB 348. David Fye, Legislative Research Department, provided an overview of the bill.
Matt Fletcher, Interhab, spoke in favor of the bill. There is a multiyear effort to bring the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) service system back in line with where it should be to just keep up with inflation. They recently surveyed their members and the results showed difficulties in recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce. People can work in the fast food industry for as much, if not more, money than people working with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mr. Fletcher responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 6)
Colin McKenney, CEO of Starkey, testified in support of the bill. Starkey has been in the Wichita area for 90 years to help people, some of whom just need a little help but others need constant and on-going care. We have a workforce crisis. His organization has about 450 positions and at any given time they are lucky to have 370 of these positions filled. Meanwhile they still have to figure out a way to cover the needs of people who could have a medical or mental crisis. This bill would allow for a $1 an hour increase in wages and he wants to be able to tell his employees that there is a multiyear plan in place to keep the amazing people they have. (Attachment 7)
Vicki Keffer, Sunflower Diversified Human Resources Director, stood as a proponent of the bill. Her organization has 140 employees and since January 2018 she has had 183 people leave because they couldn't make a living on what they make. Their employees are making life-saving decisions for $9-10 per hour and many are working 20-30 hours of overtime every week due to shortages in staffing. We need people to make this a career choice instead of a job. Ms. Keffer responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 8)
Kimberly Wright, TARC Direct Support Professional, spoke in support of the bill. She has worked in this area for nearly 20 years and she loves helping people become what they would like to be in life. The clients deserve to feel like they are part of this community. It's not easy but she loves her job although she has never been able to afford a home or new car. She would like the members to support this bill. (Attachment 9)
Kaela Harrington, TARC Direct Support Professional, testified in favor of the bill. She works with IDD, dementia, or alzheimers patients. She enjoys helping people maintain their independence and do things such as reading papers, practicing writing skills, looking at photos as well as helping with basic needs such as feeding and toileting. These people depend on them to get through each day. It is a struggle and sometimes, as a single mom, she has to choose between going to a doctor and paying a gas bill. (Attachment 10)
Diane Voss, Parent, spoke as a proponent of the bill. Her son lives in a group home and relies on direct support help. He has limited communication but can make his feelings and wants known so it takes a trained staff to understand him. He is usually very happy but it is difficult for him when there is so much staff turnover due to salary issues. As a parent, she feels these people deserve to have a better quality of life and are needed to provide a quality of life for people like her son. (Attachment 11)
Bob Ireland, Parent, stood in support of the bill. His son has autism and is nonverbal, which results in behavioral issues due to his inability to communicate. His son is a puzzle and you have to know the pieces of the puzzle to understand him. It takes one-on-one trained staff to know him and make him happy and complete. The staff love their jobs but they have to think of their families when it comes to salaries. His son needs routine and a structured environment. He is very vulnerable and he won't have a voice if others aren't there to care for him. (Attachment 12)
Bongi Wenyika, Parent, testified as a proponent of the bill. Her son is on the autism spectrum. He is verbal but has also has intellectual disabilities and is bi-polar so he needs routine and familiar surroundings. Change can upend his world. He had difficulties in school and ended up being secluded in a classroom by himself for two years. After a week of aggressive episodes he was suspended from school and ultimately the school said they could not provide support. He was transferred to his current school and is doing much better due to trained professionals and support. He will have to wait eight years to access support services due to wait lists. They have a limited social network for her son and the whole family and the lack of support has put their lives on hold. (Attachment 13)
Written testimony in support of the bill was submitted by:
Christine Schroeder, Mosaic (Attachment 14)
Lori Feldkamp, Big Lakes Developmental Services, Manhattan (Attachment 15)
Jerry Michaud, Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, Hays (Attachment 16)
Nicole Hall, CDDO of Butler County, Augusta (Attachment 17)
Doug Wisby, MCDS, McPherson (Attachment 18)
Deb Voth, Rainbows United, Wichita (Attachment 19)
Rachel Green, COF Training Services of Northeast Kansas, Ottawa (Attachment 20)
Jerry Henry, Achievement Services of Northeast Kansas, Atchison (Attachment 21)
Kathy Brennon, Prairie Ridge CDDO, Chanute (Attachment 22)
Kara Walters, Cottonwood Inc. Lawrence (Attachment 23)
Chad VonAhnen, Johnson County Developmental Supports, Lenexa (Attachment 24)
Kathy Walter, Flinthills Services, El Dorado (Attachment 25)
Stephanie Sanford and Kathy Lobb, Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas, spoke in opposition to the bill but are really neutral with serious reservations. This could transform their system but there is no plan for how this will be implemented. This bill does nothing to address the shortage of funding to address targeted case management issues. Also self advocates say they want real money and real jobs and they are not getting the kind of support they need. This funding could transform our system and we could move forward instead of plugging a broken system. They are just asking for a voice. (Attachment 26)
Steve Gieber, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, testified as a neutral conferee. His council agrees the system is chronically underfunded and experiencing a workforce crisis. They set up a system with our vocational rehabilitation service system that doesn't work very well for people intellectual and developmental disabilities. Even if we get people placed in jobs we don't have the system that actually supports them. (Attachment 27)
Mike Burgess, Disability Rights Center of Kansas, spoke as a neutral conferee. This could be transformational but we need to look at how we address this systemically. Many go on the waiver through crisis often when a person with IDD loses their parents. We really need to focus on employment so if we can catch people when they are younger and get them jobs they are shown to have better health outcomes. We need to look at best practices for increasing employment and should look at bringing in a national expert to look at rates. We can't build a business model around the structure we have. (Attachment 28)
Written testimony neutral to the bill was submitted by:
Amy Hyten, Grassroots Advocates for Independent Living (Attachment 29)
Craig Knutson, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (Attachment 30)
Barb Conant and Sean Gatewood, KanCare Advocates Network (Attachment 31)
Evan Dean, Kansas University on Developmental Disabilities (Attachment 32)
There being no further conferees, Chairperson McGinn closed the hearing on SB 348.
Chairperson McGinn adjourned the meeting at 11:55.am. The next meeting will be February 14, 2020.
