Comments Document

I gave my testimony on January 5th, concerning funding for early childhood education in Virginia. I hope you will consider funding for us in the future in order for us to survive.

I am Kathleen Temple; for decades I have lived in and paid taxes in Rockingham County, Virginia. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Virginia prisons still use practices which are tantamount to what used to be called “solitary confinement”. Some years ago, I served as a community volunteer in our local jail and in that capacity, I myself “sentenced” persons to solitary confinement as a way of holding them accountable for various in-house offenses. This was before I understood that solitary confinement by whatever name is torturous, counter productive, as well as EXPENSIVELY barbaric and inhumane. We definitely do have alternatives to “solitary confinement”. We must abolish any and all inhuman treatment. Now, I am joining with the Virginia Coalition Against Solitary Confinement to call upon you to support the budget amendment and the legislation put forward by Senator Morrissey and Senator Vogel. I am also speaking as a member of our local Shenandoah Valley Justice Coalition and as a member of the Mennonite Church. This new legislation can end the use of long term solitary confinement in Virginia’s prisons. I believe that our Commonwealth of Virginia should spend whatever money might be necessary in the near term to stop the torture of our fellow Virginians in our state prisons. By doing so, we can save unfathomable suffering and --over the long term-- many hard-earned tax dollars.

I have attached my written testimony from yesterday's budget meeting. The topic is funding for early childhood education programs. Thank you, Amy Bowie

I am asking as I have done multiple times before for my state government to fund the Medicaid waivers to meet the needs of differently abled people and not brush them aside as though they are second class citizens. For these citizens to be on the waitlist for years is unthinkable and must be corrected immediately by our elected officials. My son received his waiver several years back and we are grateful for that, I'll mention it was after being on the priority list over six years. However, he has been without a DSP for a good part of that time because of low wages, no benefits and countless people have quite for better wages. At present he has been without a DSP for over nine months, we don't have the option of putting his needs on hold when he has no one! Among other medical and mental needs, he has diabetes type 2. Today I had to change his continuous glucose monitoring system and he asked me, his mom, a lady in her 70's "Who would change his CGM if something happened to Me?" I was unprepared for the question and did not know then, nor now, how to answer him. I think I blurted out; well, I hope you have a DSP by then who could help you. Sad to say, we are still waiting for our legislators to provide that answer, what say ye to my son's question?

My name is Roy Grier, and I live in Chesterfield County. I am the grandfather of 2 disabled boys, JP and Louie. They have a diagnosis called ATR-X, which leaves them totally dependent on others for their most basic needs. My daughter, Catherine, calls on me and her mother (my wife) to be attendants because it is extremely difficult for her to find anyone who is willing and qualified to work at the current Medicaid Waiver reimbursement rates. During the 2020/21 school year, I spent every school day at my daughter’s house helping her with JP and Louie, so that they could virtually access their education at Bon Air Elementary School. It was a labor of love for me, and a very special experience, but had I not recently retired and been physically capable, Catherine would have been left to juggle it all alone. I came on to help out when she was unable to secure an outside attendant or two. Just as we’ve learned to be the boys’ caregivers over the years, my daughter and I stepped up to be their Instructional Assistants. Every day for 9 months, from Labor Day to mid-June, starting at 7:45am and ending around 2pm, one of us had JP, the other had Louie. The boys cannot functionally or cognitively use a Chromebook, so we would help them to actively participate with their teachers and classmates by bringing the content off-screen, working with whatever materials we had on-hand. We fed them at lunch time and took them on walks at recess for some fresh air. We attended to their personal needs. We read to them. We helped them hand-over-hand with STEAM and Art projects. We tuned into the Music lessons, and we moved them around during PE. There is no way Catherine could have managed two boys on two separate Chromebooks and schedules by herself last year - and there’s no way she can sustain caring for them both long-term when their care requires 1:1 support. Even though school is back in person this year, the need continues after school, on weekends, and during seasonal breaks. My daughter and her husband will require help with JP and Louie for the rest of their lives, and my wife and I will not always be around to step in. The current Medicaid Waiver rate is $11.81, $.81 more than minimum wage. My daughter is paid $15/hour making soap part time at a local retail store, squeezing in hours while her boys are in school and on the weekends when her husband is home to take the lead with the boys. There is an obvious discrepancy of tasks between a retail job and caring for the intimate needs of someone who is disabled, and the compensation needs to reflect that difference. I urge you to increase the Medicaid Waiver reimbursement rate to a level that will attract qualified, caring people that our family can call upon to help care for our sweet boys, JP and Louie, and other Virginians like them who deserve a proactive and robust system of professionalized, accessible attendant care. Thank you.

Virginia's DD System has been UNDER FUNDED for too long. The families we serve depend on services and support for someone with a developmental disability. For these families the DD Waiver is a life saver and makes their lives possible. However, with years of waiting for services and no available providers, the system is dysfunctional because it cannot even serve those with the most urgent needs. With Virginia's wealth, there is no reason for the Commonwealth to continue to rank in the bottom quarter of state's for disability services. The DD waiver rate increases proposed in the introduced budget are a good start, but additional funding for home and community-based services is critically needed - and needed now. Please invest in the DD System Rescue Plan proposed by The Arc of Virginia and vaACCSES.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Gun violence across our country has gotten completely out of control. We need common sense legislation, and the establishment of a Center, whose focus is to track and collect data on gun violence in our Commonwealth, is a good first step. We can’t solve a problem, if we don’t have all the facts. This Center will help us identify the greatest weaknesses in our system, and how we might (you might) address them best. I am a gun owner, and I implore all of you to take a stand for common sense to protect all of us from increased gun violence in our state. Thank you!

Virginia's DD System has been UNDER FUNDED for too long. The families we serve depend on services and support for someone with a developmental disability. For these families the DD Waiver is a life saver and makes their lives possible. However, with years of waiting for services and no available providers, the system is dysfunctional because it cannot even serve those with the most urgent needs. With Virginia's wealth, there is no reason for the Commonwealth to continue to rank in the bottom quarter of state's for disability services. The DD waiver rate increases proposed in the introduced budget are a good start, but additional funding for home and community-based services is critically needed - and needed now. Please invest in the DD System Rescue Plan proposed by The Arc of Virginia and vaACCSES

Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its olbligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

Virginia's DD System has been UNDER FUNDED for too long. The families we serve depend on services and support for someone with a developmental disability. For these families the DD Waiver is a life saver and makes their lives possible. However, with years of waiting for services and no available providers, the system is dysfunctional because it cannot even serve those with the most urgent needs. With Virginia's wealth, there is no reason for the Commonwealth to continue to rank in the bottom quarter of state's for disability services. The DD waiver rate increases proposed in the introduced budget are a good start, but additional funding for home and community-based services is critically needed - and needed now.

Comments Document

DD System Rescue Plan and the need to be proactive in relieving the workforce crisis that affects children receiving waiver services. House and Senate patrons will be introducing language in the upcoming session that would enable parents like myself to be paid attendants for their children under the age of 18.

Healthy Communities connect our neighborhoods, communities and regions. A Healthy environment includes economic vitality for businesses promoting out- of- door amenities, safe transportation infrastructure for walking and bicycling and corridors for connecting people with place. Trails, greenways, sidewalks and streets with maintained edge lines help provide citizens a way to move safely for school, jobs, transportation and recreation. A healthy Commonwealth includes the lifestyle of its residents. Fund trails. Provide safe alternative transportation corridors for walking and bicycling. Connect or communities. Barbara Duerk, CONNECT NOW 2607 Rosalind Ave SW Roanoke, VA 24014 540-580-1621

The Arc of Virginia Feel free to use these comments as inspiration or copy and paste them. If you want a shorter version, just use the text in bold. • Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. • Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its olbligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

Greetings, As a parent of a child with a rare disease (Prader-Willi Syndrome), and significant disabilities (developmental and intellectual disabilities), I am respectfully requesting your consideration for the following: 1) extending the provision within Appendix K (DMAS) that has allowed parents to serve as paid providers for their minor children receiving waiver services. During the pandemic, this provision has helped our family as it has been a real hardship to find qualified providers to come into the home, as well as dangerous due to our child's immunocompromised status. My daughter's conditions require 100% supervision and assistance with all activities of daily living. If parents as paid providers for minor children can't be extended via Appendix K, please consider an amendment or bill to make this a permanent possibility. This is not adding any expense to the program because the hours that parents are providing would be billed by a provider (if one could be found) anyway. It is a major help for families because in a majority of cases when a family has a disabled child, they are unable to maintain a paid job outside the home due to the many demands of raising and caring for the child. Physician and therapy appointments, coupled with more frequent sickness, hospitalizations, etc. make it difficult to work. Parents are experts in their children's diseases, and needs, and have unlimited love for their children. This would be a win-win-win for the children, parents, and state of Virginia tax dollars. Other states had this provision for parents as paid caregivers before the pandemic so it is not unfathomable at all. 2) fund rate increases for Waiver Services. Virginia is still out of compliance with a 2011 DOJ ruling which found Virginia in violation of ADA due to its failure to provide services to people with DD in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. The lack of community capacity to serve these needs is due in large part to the inadequate pay rate for direct service professionals (DSPs). Rate increases for DD waiver services must be at an equitable percentile to those paid at state facilities because this has created an institutional and congregate bias in Virginia. 3) Eliminate the Priority One Waitlist. My daughter was on the urgent priority one waitlist for almost 9 years. Many have been waiting over 20 years! There are over 3,000 people in the Priority 1 category and this is a failure of Virginia to meet its obligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. 4) Invest in Innovation. Virginia has never built a Robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Innovation is needed to develop inclusive services and drastically expand community capacity. The last change to the waiver definitions did not take care of the issues. 130+ million is available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, which is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services. There are other items that I'd like to mention but I will end here. It is better for society to keep persons with disabilities in the community in their homes instead of being institutionalized. Please reach out to me if you have questions or would like more input. I have served on multiple state-level committees and would be honored to assist if needed. Respectfully, Catherine Childers

Please use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. This is the best budget opportunity to make that support available for the Virginia citizens who desperately need it. As a matter of justice and equity, the funding is long overdue. Thank you.

Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its obligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist. My daughter going on 25 was diagnosed with autism, severe learning disability, and language delay at the age of 4. She was immediately placed on DD Waiver program but on its wait list ever since in Priority 1. This does NOT make sense at all. Justice is this; that the most vulnerable and the needy are well cared for. Virginia certainly is not doing justice to her and people with disabilities like her. You have obligation to us the law-abiding good citizens who are struggling for years without end. Please consider rescuing DD Waiver program to eliminate all Priority 1 wait list!! Thank you.

Inadequate pay rates for Waiver Services in Western Virginia turn away potential employees that have a HEART, passion, and training to provide services to those with disabilities. Providers are discouraged, families are discouraged, individuals are left without support! Virginians deserve quality. Virginias with development disabilities deserve quality. Quality services, quality staff. Waiver Services are in demand of an increase in funding to supply the system's need - to support the community based services. To eliminate the YEARS of waiting. To be able to see the hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, to receive the support they NEED and DESERVE! Virginia has an obligation to support those with development disabilities.

Comments Document

Funding for Centers for Independent Living and Statewide Coverage for Centers for Independent Living respectfully request support of 1.6 million in funding so individuals with disabilities have access to critical services and information to remain in their communities living engaged lives.

My name is Michele Lester. I’m a parent in Waynesboro, Virginia and I’m here as a Promise Advocate with the Virginia Promise Partnership. I have three children and they are the reason I'm here as an advocate today. To change child care for them and future generations to come. Child care is essential to our communities. Quality child care programs allow parents and guardians to work and support their families while ensuring children are learning the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. However, child care is a broken market. Providers struggle to balance providing care that families can afford, while ensuring quality programming, recruiting and retaining staff, and complying with regulatory and safety standards that increase operating costs. As a result, child care programs operate on extremely thin margins. Meanwhile, families across Virginia struggle to find quality, affordable child care that meets their needs and preferences. This has forced many parents to reduce their working hours or leave the workforce altogether. And challenges facing families and providers alike have only gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, our child care system didn’t adequately serve Virginia families. In fact, a recent study from the Center for American Progress revealed that, in 2019, Virginia was the lowest ranking state in serving subsidy-eligible children – serving less than 6% of eligible children under age 6. We need to do better. The proposed 2022-2024 biennial budget includes important provisions to increase access and affordability, improve quality, and stabilize our child care sector. This includes: - Serving more children in private community-based settings through expansion of the Mixed Delivery Grant Program - Serving more at-risk children through expansion of the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) - Expanding access to child care subsidies through temporary flexibilities - Improving oversight and accountability for all publicly-funded early education classrooms - Reimbursing early education programs at rates and in formats that support the costs of quality service delivery - Enabling providers to attract new educators and reduce staff turnover in early education classrooms by increasing teacher incentives and supporting early childhood education degree programs and professional development While these provisions offer important steps forward, members of the General Assembly should continue to prioritize early childhood education and take bold steps to expand access to child care programs that work for Virginia families. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its olbligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

Greetings committee members and staff for this opportunity to share my priorities with you. I want to address renewable energy for Energizing Renewable Growth in Holston Valley and also education funding as a retired educator and school counselor and grandfather. Thank you for enacting the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund in 2021 (sponsored by Del. Kilgore). This act lays the groundwork for affordable renewable energy development on coal- and brownfield-impacted land. Funding this program will create opportunities in Southwest Virginia and other communities with brownfields to share in the employment benefits of the clean energy transition. Benefits of renewable energy are not currently reaching Southwest Virginia, where the decline in employment is profoundly disrupting rural communities. Over 71,000 acres of land in Southwest Virginia have been affected by coal mining, and there are thousands of brownfield sites across the state. These lands need to be reclaimed for productive use. Renewable energy development is an ideal option for repurposing these lands. However, these sites are 10-40% more expensive to develop compared to “greenfields.” Incentivizing renewable energy facilities on mined lands and brownfields will reduce community discord elsewhere in Virginia over conversion of valuable forests and farmland into large-scale solar farms as pointed out in today’s comments by Ms. Trabulsi. Companies will continue to avoid developing renewable energy projects on disturbed land unless the General Assembly funds specific incentives and enabling policies. [Please open the renewable energy door for SWVA.] The other priority I want to address is public education equity funding for rural and distressed urban schools. I will simply list four requests: Fully fund the Revised Standards of Quality Lift the Support Staff Cap, which impairs funding for school support positions Use the budget surplus to increase teacher and staff pay to salary levels competitive with other states Oppose voucher and tax credit programs that redirect public K-12 funding and have a history of hurting student outcomes Thank you committee members for this opportunity to hear the requests of ordinary citizens. Rees Shearer Box 117 Emory, VA 24327 (276) 944-5355

Honorable Delegate Torian and members of the Appropriations Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to address you today on behalf of the Partnership for Smarter Growth, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Richmond. I am before you today to ask that you prioritize growth and investment in places where we already have infrastructure – our cities, towns, and older suburbs. Ensuring that we maintain existing infrastructure first and making smart investments for the future will allow Virginia to both maintain the competitive advantage illustrated by our success in business attraction and retention, and to increase prosperity for all Virginians through greater housing affordability, transportation accessibility, and access to high-quality public services. Funding affordable housing initiatives and repairing our aging roads, bridges, transit networks, and schools before expanding outwards, consuming natural and agricultural lands, creates a win-win-win scenario for Virginia residents, businesses, and government finances through maximizing the value of our existing assets and facilitating economic growth without compromising on our social and environmental values. While the social benefits of this approach to infrastructure investment are clear, it is important not to lose sight of the massive economic benefits the Commonwealth and all who call it home would reap. Reducing the capital expenditures required to facilitate the growth we desire while maximizing the value of our existing roads, transit networks, homes, and services would result in less government spending and a better, more competitive economy – an economy that also provides much greater prosperity to those who have traditionally been left out. Thank you for your time, and thank you for your service to the Commonwealth. Sincerely, Sebastian Shetty Policy Coordinator | sebastian@psgrichmond.org Partnership for Smarter Growth

We support funding in the introduced budget to make Virginia’s Earned Income Tax Credit refundable. Improved household financial security has proven to reduce the risk factors for child abuse and neglect. Policies that strengthen family financial security can go a long way toward reducing childhood adversity and enhancing the relationships that help children thrive. When families face financial hardship, it sets the stage for more stress and less tuned-in interaction with children. Boosting family incomes through direct payments, and tax credits can relieve pressure, helping to head off childhood adversity before it happens. We support funding to boost salaries and hire additional child welfare caseworkers so that child-welfare and foster-care cases are managed appropriately and effectively. Children’s lives are at risk because the child welfare system is critically understaffed. High caseworker turnover rates (40% before 18 months) interfere with stability, safety, and permanency efforts for families and children. More caseworkers are required in local communities to protect children, reduce caseloads, and protect and supervise children who are no longer with their parents. We support amending the budget to add $3.5 million over the biennium to fund randomized controlled trials for CHIP’s evidence base. Virginia has been funding its own homegrown home visiting program, CHIP, for many years with great outcomes. Now is the perfect time to provide additional funding to help CHIP become an Evidence Based Program so that it can leverage its current Virginia funding with national funding streams.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

Good morning, my name is Catherine Rey, and I am a resident of Chesterfield County. I am here to give voice to the DD System Rescue Plan and the need to be proactive in relieving the workforce crisis that affects children receiving waiver services. House and Senate patrons will be introducing a budget amendment in the upcoming session that would enable parents like myself to be paid attendants for their children under the age of 18, and I ask that you support this bipartisan effort. I am the mother to two young boys, JP and Louie, both of whom have a rare genetic syndrome called ATR-X. They are physically and intellectually disabled. At 6 and 9 years old, they are dependent in ways beyond their typical school-aged peers. In fact, they are dependent in all of their activities for daily living. And I am not a typical parent like many of my own peers: I am a caregiver, and up until the COVID pandemic and the Appendix K flexibilities, my boys’ Medicaid waiver allowed me to hire attendants but not be a paid one myself. Attendant care is a great resource on paper, but has often been inaccessible to us due to the challenges in retaining competent, reliable care able to accept the unproportional $11.81/hour pay rate, which comes in just .81 cents above minimum wage. It is hard enough to secure one attendant, let alone two. I am often hiring someone to work with one boy, while I am still 1:1 with the other. I am both employer and co-worker though, historically, I have been paid for neither labor, and I have never been able to secure the consistent care necessary to work outside of the home. Instead, I have spent nearly a decade as my boys’ primary caregiver, at the expense of building a career and financial stability. The reality, too, is that I am an expert in my children and their needs and am best positioned and most passionate about caring for them. I intimately understand their non-verbal communication, how to transport their non-ambulatory bodies and support their incontinence needs, how to change out their g-tubes and manage their medical supplies, facilitate their therapies, and so on. My continuity of care and interdisciplinary knowledge is what best enables JP and Louie to thrive here in our community. The alternative is institutionalization, an antiquated model that is more expensive for the state and damaging to families. Institutional costs of care will only compound over time, too, as my boys age and grow into more complicated needs. It is both good policy and fiscally responsible to be proactive in paying parents from the start through the pre-existing Medicaid-funded waivers and attendant hours that they already qualify for. This Appendix K flexibility during the pandemic has been a game-changer for my family and feels like a sustainable way forward. We need to make this allowance permanent. Paying parents cannot be the sole solution, but it should at least be one of the many resources available. Families need stable resources, a range of options, and the autonomy to make these essential caregiver decisions. Please support the budget amendments that would empower families like mine and create a robust structure of care for home and community-based services. Thank you.

Comments Document

I am Keri Ayres, the owner of Moms In Motion, a HCBS Waiver Provider. We provide Service Facilitation (SF) to over 9,000 people with disabilities receiving Personal Care & Respite via VA Medicaid Waivers. SF is a unique service line to what you are used to hearing about/working with: It is a service that is exclusive to Medicaid. All of our revenue is from Medicaid. Without Medicaid Rate increases, we have no way to increase our revenue for this service. It is also unique in that it spans the DD and CCC+ waivers (like Personal Care and Respite (and now AT, EM, & EHBS) - the only services to span both waiver groups. Don’t use that as a reason to leave us out of Rate Rebases again as we were in 2016. I am asking that you Support the DD System Rescue Plan! As you are aware, the VA Medicaid Waiver System is in crisis! Without immediate action, thousands of Virginians with developmental disabilities who rely on a provider network for essential supports will be facing a loss of community-based services. Others who were recently approved for funding, will continue to go unserved due to lack of capacity as a result of the worsening workforce crisis. Providers across VA are not able to hire and retain staff at the current reimbursement rates and this is magnified further in Northern VA. Much work has been done recently to illustrate that the Medicaid Waiver System has been chronically and significantly underfunded in VA since its advent. To that end, the General Assembly in special session approved a temporary BRIDGE increase of 12.5% for community-based services. Thank you for that! The need for significant increases for all services is further supported by the Burns & Associates (B&A) study mandated by the General Assembly. Call To Action - We desperately need your support for: Rate Rebase – Provide funding to implement the recommended B&A study rates for ALL community-based services. If the recommended rates are not adopted, at a minimum, do not allow the temporary increase of 12.5% to be removed in July 2022. This was meant to be a stop gap measure until new rates were implemented. The Governor recognized the critical importance of increased funding for some services in his proposed budget, just 8 of the 30 DD services, but the DD system is a continuum of services, one affects another, they are inter-connected. The entire system is critical and needs immediate funding support. And I want to point out that Service Facilitation is unique in two more ways. It is one of the only waiver services to not receive an increase in rates since inception (pre 2010). This means we uniquely cannot: Attract and Retain qualified and dedicated staff. We cannot provide services at the level of quality people on the Waivers deserve. We cannot sustain this business. And 2, our service is the only one that is paid based on physical in-home visits to the individual. The current regulations allow no flexibility to provide this service in alternate settings, or periodically or exclusively via telehealth. Under current regulations we are only paid when we can physically drive to and get into the person’s home. This is the pre-2010, pre-Zoom, pre-Pandemic way of doing things. Please bring SF into 2022 with all the other services (Primary Care, OT, Case Management) and allow telehealth options for the delivery of our services. And allow us to hire and retain staff with sustainable and reasonable (and B&A recommended) 2022 rates.

Hello, Thank you for the opportunity to make public comments on this year's budget. I am writing to ask you to please consider supports for people with DD in this budget at adequate levels to finally bring an end to the care crisis in this state. The Arc of Virginia has a platform with which I largely agree, and this is why: 1. Funding rate increases for Waiver Services - is a move toward sustainability and equity. These seem like cornerstones for a civilized society, not to mention good for the economy and the social fabric. 2. Invest in Innovative Models - the system is so broken right now which makes this an excellent time to innovate and experiment with new ideas. If the system is already broken, you probably won't do harm by trying something new, and you might come up with some truly longlasting and excellent solutions. I'm all for public-private collaborations with proper oversight. Too many private facilities hide shameful conditions behind a false face. People with DD are ripe for exploitation and abuse (why The Arc advocates home-based services). 3. Eliminate the Priority One Wait List because this is a basic humanitarian issue. It's shameful that Virginia has dilly dallied and dragged its feet for so long on this. It's not that much money in the state budget. I think lawmakers overthink things too much and try to come up with a Final Solution for all time rather than just getting it done. Please get this done. It's simple. 4. Develop Core Services as a strategy to prevent the need for a waiver. We all know that preventive services save SO MUCH MONEY and stress. This is a longer term project than #3, but I hope Virginia will invest here as well. Thank you for your service in 2022-2024.

Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its olbligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

I've worked in the field for the past nine years and our direct staff are severely underpaid. Applicants are choosing to flip burgers at higher pay rates then work with individuals that truly need support. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Also, over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its obligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies and data to drive gun violence prevention legislation and policies. We need this center to determine the root causes of gun violence and begin to heal our State and keep us all safe.

Virginia has never built a robust Community Based System that serves the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities. Inadequate pay rates for DD services providers and staff has resulted in a a drastic reduction of available providers and staff. Use the $130+ million available from the increased Federal Match to the waiver program, that is REQUIRED to be re-invested in HCBS Services, to address the crisis in providing Community-Based services. When fast food and retail stores pay more than DD services providers, there’s a huge problem. You criticize why families can’t find care, that is why! People make more money taking care of clothing than they do taking care of humans. Do you not see a problem with that? We have struggled for well over a year to find sufficient caregivers for our two sons and chances are we won’t anytime soon. You say you want people kept out of nursing facilities. That’s not going to happen when families can’t find caregivers. And the saddest part is, if one of your family members needed care, this wouldn’t be an issue. Please don’t treat our families like less. Over 3,000 people in urgent need of services are on the Priority 1 waiver waitlist. People wait years for a waiver. This is a failure of Virginia to meet its olbligation to support citizens with developmental disabilities. Fund sufficient waivers to eliminate the Priority One waitlist.

Comments Document

I thank you for the opportunity to speak about the Virginia General Assembly 2022 Legislative Session Priorities for the American Federation of Teachers Virginia. My name is Tyvon Bates, and I am the Political Director with American Federation of Teachers - Virginia. I proudly represent more than 5,000 members from Fairfax County and the cities of Norfolk and Hampton. I would like to share some of our union’s priorities for the 2022-2024 Biennial State Budget. First, we stand with the Fund our Schools Coalition and share their 5 priorities: ● Fund the Fund Our Schools Coalition’s 2022 legislative priorities: ○ Fully fund the Virginia Board of Education’s revised Standards of Quality. ○ Lift the support staff cap that has limited funding for support positions including psychologists and social workers since 2009. ○ Make bold investments to start providing adequate teacher and staff pay. Provide funding to school divisions to support a substantial raise for educators so that Virginia can reach the national average for teacher pay as soon as possible. Virginia currently has the steepest teacher wage penalty of any state and is more than 10% below the national average for teacher pay despite being in the top 10% of median household income. ○ Invest in school infrastructure ○ Stand against cuts and repurposing of K-12 public schools funding. Avoid vouchers and tax credit programs that would direct money away from Virginia’s public schools. ● Ensure that all school divisions can take advantage of state money for educator raises by lifting the requirement for districts to match the remaining amount of the state raise before paying the LCI-determined state-portion. In districts like Fairfax County where the LCI requires the local government to fund around 82% of school staff raises, the requirement to fund the remaining amount before receiving the state portion has meant that districts like Fairfax have not been able to take advantage of state money at all. We urge the General Assembly to pass a bill that would allocate the LCI-determined amount for educator salaries to each school division regardless of that division’s ability to fully fund the remaining amount. ● Continue to hold districts harmless for enrollment losses as we are dealing with the impacts of the 3rd school year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. ● Oppose repealing the grocery tax, which would negatively impact localities’ ability to fund necessary public services including education. ● Support Delegate Coyner’s bill to develop a statewide literacy plan for Virginia aligned with the science of reading.

Comments Document

Good Morning, Please see attached for testimony. Respectfully, Misty Jewell, Child Care Aware of VA

From: Rodney Shepherd Vice Mayor Mount Jackson January 5th 2022 House & Senate Appropriations Committees Virginia General Assembly Richmond, Virginia Thank you for the opportunity to express my support for expanding and funding the Shenandoah Valley Rail to Trail project. I urge you to support the Governor's proposals in the 2022-2024 Biennium Budget for these rail to trail projects. I am a cyclist, a resident of Mount Jackson, and Vice Mayor of Mount Jackson. Tourism is a strong economic engine in our valley communities. The proposed rail trail from Front Royal to Broad is a great opportunity to welcome visitors to our area. I’ve ridden the High Bridge Trail in Farmville several times. And the trail there is a proven asset. That trail is an excellent template of what we want to accomplish here in the Shenandoah Valley. When Mount Jackson built our new town hall in 2002, we purposely designed it to accent the adjunct railroad and serve as a visitor center in the hope that ‘something’ would happen along the railroad. Additionally we have several sites within the town that will support easy trail access and parking for a rail-trail. Mount Jackson town council and virtually all the towns along the line have endorsed this potential project. Mount Jackson is ready for a rail-trail! Please do not let this opportunity escape Virginia. Warm regards, Rodney Shepherd Vice Mayor Town of Mount Jackson

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

I strongly support funding to establish the center and to collect data on firearm death and injuries in Camelot

We have a responsibility to protect our community from those who cannot make good decisions. We should not provide privileges to those who think of only themselves and not the consequences of their actions. We need to support this bill.

i encourage you to support the proposed budget item for $27 million to address gun violence in Virginia. It is important to create the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention to create a safer commonwealth!

I strongly support budgeting $27.4 mil to form a Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention. Firearms contribute to a huge proportion of injuries and deaths across our commonwealth, and it is important that we collect and share data in the interest of public health and safety. Data collection should be supported by all Virginians--responsible gun owners included. Let's look at the data, and then use it to make informed decisions to prevent gun violence!

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

Thanks for reading, I support the $207+ million allocated to the General fund for trails. I also support the 5 million for Green Pastures, the 25 million for (in part) the development of the Northern Shenandoah Rail Trail. These initiatives are economic drivers for our part of the Commonwealth; The continued development of trails will positively impact community health. If you have ever read the CHA’s in the Valley, you will see the need for more trails. There are instances in Wisconsin and North Carolina where spending on trails was offset multiple times from decreased in spending on health- providing easy access decreased morbidity and mortality and the states saved more than they spent. This took time, but was a positive net. Investing in the health of our communities is one of the best uses of our common wealth. Thanks again for reading.

For 3 long years I lived in fear of a repeat violent felon who obtained a firearm via a "straw man" purchaser, a relative, who knew well the danger he was contributing to. Despite law enforcement awareness of the situation, sadly, one of the bullets I believe was meant for me shattered the leg of a five year old, another narrowly missed her brother's head as they huddled in terror behind a locked bathroom door. Stories like this are all too common and they can be prevented but only when adults have the political courage to take a stand for public safety. We all know of brave law enforcement officers, soldiers, sailers, and Marines suffering post traumatic stress from gun battles. Imagine the impact on an innocent child. Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Thanks goes to Senator Jennifer McClellan and Delegate Marcia Price for submitting legislation to establish the center.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

As Director of Marketing & Development/Special Projects Coordinator for the Town of Broadway, I am writing to express the Town of Broadway’s support of the proposed funding for regional trail planning, development and construction. The Shenandoah Valley Rails to Trails project will provide significant economic benefits to the Town of Broadway and the greater Shenandoah Valley region. As the southern start to the trail, Broadway would experience a significant increase in economic and community development activities to include a boost for our tourism related businesses and entrepreneurship opportunities for visitor friendly and outdoor recreation compatible businesses. Additionally, the trail would inspire the revitalization of our Main Street community by bringing back to life historically significant structures for a variety of uses that benefit both residents and visitors. Lastly, as a family-focused community, the trail would increase the quality of life for our residents by providing additional outdoor recreational amenities, retail and dining establishments, and valuable health benefits they can enjoy 365 days a year.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center. Thank you, Kirsten King

VOCAL is a peer-driven, statewide organization that supports the community of people recovering from challenges in behavioral health. We believe in transformative personal recovery, and that people can achieve their personal best when affordable, accessible community supports and services are available. Please prioritize funding for community-based, effective, and timely services to ensure that citizens have access to appropriate mental health care.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

Please support the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms.

As a citizen and a worker for the CSB as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, there needs to be an increase in the reimbursement rate which is below 30.00 per hr. for Medicaid reimbursement services. Georgia has 60.00 per hour for high school graduates and West Virginia is the same for all adults. We need to increase the reimbursement rate from below 30.00 per hour to at least match W. Virginia and Georgia and not fall behind as the service demands increase for CPRS's and Family Support Partners (FSP's) increase all across the state at an impressive rate to help individuals in needs of mental health and/or substance use disorder.

Please support the proposed budget item for $27.4 million to address gun violence in Virginia. The funds will establish the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention at the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which will work across public safety and public health sectors to collect data and publish reports on violence caused by firearms. The information will be shared with state and local agencies, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals and other medical care facilities, and community-based organizations. The center will also establish model policies for law-enforcement personnel. Senator Jennifer McClellan is submitting legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center.

I am writing to express my support on the $14 million over two years allocated to ensure the Department of Forestry can help localities and residents protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s tree canopies. The items are: $4 million for the Trees for Clean Water program; $6 million for Urban and Community Forestry which helps localities plant and maintain trees; $2.89 million to bring the New Kent nursery back online (it produces hardwood seedlings for the nursery industry and riparian buffers); and $1 million for water quality grants . Trees provide numerous public benefits like cooling urban environments thus reducing energy bills, mitigating air pollution, absorbing stormwater, and sequestering carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Virginia loses approximately 47,000 acres of tree canopy per year, and this funding is critical for reversing this detrimental trend that has adverse effects on our budgets, our health, our infrastructure, and our environment.

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