Bill Number: S.B. 1687

            Fann Floor Amendment

            Reference to: printed bill

            Amendment drafted by: Leg Council

 

 

1.    Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES), during the federal declaration of emergency related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and at the direction of the Governor, to provide:

a)    an exemption from prescribed time limitations for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families cash assistance (TANF CA); and

b)   a general waiver from TANF CA work requirements.

2.    Permits the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to authorize payments to behavioral health service providers, providers of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and providers of services to the elderly and individuals with physical disabilities to ensure that providers maintain a capacity that allows for the continuation of services during the declaration of a public health emergency associated with COVID-19 and stipulates that such payments must be implemented in a manner that maintains federal financial participation eligibility.

3.    Permits DES and AHCCCS to temporarily adjust provider reimbursement rates to individuals with IDD for services included in a member’s service plan in order to provide additional funding for increased overtime expenses and loss experiences by service providers associated with COVID-19.

4.    Adds a retroactivity clause.

 

Fifty-fourth Legislature                                                     Fann

Second Regular Session                                                  S.B. 1687

 

FANN FLOOR AMENDMENT

SENATE AMENDMENTS TO S.B. 1687

(Reference to printed bill)

 

Page 2, after line 27, insert:

"Sec. 4.  Temporary assistance for needy families; waivers

During the state of emergency declaration period for coronavirus disease 2019, the department of economic security, under the direction of the governor, shall provide:

1.  Notwithstanding section 46‑294, Arizona Revised Statutes, an exemption from the state time limits for temporary assistance for needy families cash assistance.

2.  Notwithstanding section 46‑299, Arizona Revised Statutes, a general waiver of the work requirements for temporary assistance for needy families cash assistance.

Sec. 5.  Arizona health care cost containment system; provider payments; temporary adjustments

A.  The Arizona health care cost containment system administration may authorize payments to providers of behavioral health services and providers of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and individuals who are elderly or have physical disabilities in order to ensure that providers maintain capacity to continue to provide services during the state of emergency for the coronavirus disease 2019.  The administration shall implement payments to providers in a manner that ensures federal financial participation eligibility for the expenditures and is within the administration's expenditure authority for fiscal year 2019‑2020.

B.  The department of economic security and the Arizona health care cost containment system may temporarily adjust provider reimbursement rates for services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are in a member's individual service plan within the department's expenditure authority for fiscal year 2019‑2020 in order to provide additional funding for increased overtime expenses that service providers experience due to the loss of staff during the state public health emergency for the coronavirus disease 2019 during fiscal year 2019‑2020.

Sec. 6.  Retroactivity

Sections 4 and 5 of this act apply retroactively to from and after March 10, 2020."

Amend title to conform

 

 

KAREN FANN

 

 

 

1687FloorFANN

03/19/2020

4:32 PM

C: MH