Comments Document

Comments and Testimony that I presented are attached. Thank You for the opportunity to speak.

Good morning, I am Frank Stephens. I am here this year to share with you more barely believable tales of the effect of inflation on life in the wild, wild world of Northern Virginia. Why, just last week I set out to seek a COVID test. As we approached the area, we could see the long line of backed up cars stretching for miles along Lee Highway. It took us two hours to turn the corner and realize we were in line at a Starbucks drive-through at rush hour. By then, inflation had increased the price of coffee so much that the lady in front of me was trying to cancel her gym membership so that she could afford an iced quad shot, caramel macchiato with extra cream. Oh, the horror. It was a NOVA version of Sophie’s Choice – gym or latte, gym or latte – what to do, what to do? I promise you this is not the kind of inflation problem that people on waivers are facing. They are, however, suffering from skyrocketing prices in construction and electronics costs and having difficulty finding qualified installers for small jobs. It has become extremely difficult to fund a meaningful project like installing ramps, or modifying bathrooms, or incorporating smart home tech with the five thousand dollar limit on waiver assistance in each of those areas. These are the things the Assistive Technologies, Environmental Modifications, and Electronic Home-Based Supports assistance dollars were meant to encourage. I understand that it would be a big ask to increase the limit in each of those areas, so we are asking merely that the three limits be combined into a single fifteen-thousand-dollar limit covering any project in any of the three areas. This would allow for truly meaningful assistance in our lives without busting the budget. Thank you.

My heart broke a little when my son came home from school on the second Friday in December and said, “Let’s do something fun tonight. Something Christmasy.” Even before COVID, a Christmas outing, and most other outings were out of the question for our family. We can’t do fun like regular folks. My name is Andrea Carpenter, and I will be speaking about respite care. My husband Geoff and I are longtime VA residents. We adopted our daughter in 2008 and our son in 2010. Lila, our daughter, has a host of disabilities that began to present in force when she was three, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, debilitating anxiety and a depressive illness called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Strong emotions – negative and positive –as well as unfamiliar environments and anything unexpected can send her into a rage. Lila has been on the waiver waitlist for almost 9 years. Lila is a good soul who wants to please and do the right thing, but her behavior is not always within her control. Geoff, our son, and I have been hit, kicked, pinched, body slammed, pegged with shoes, and had our hair yanked on innumerable occasions. For years, the violence was daily. We went out only when absolutely necessary. Regular respite care would have gone a long, long way, but special needs caregivers are not free, and our money was needed for physical, speech, occupational and behavior therapy. As much as I wish otherwise, I’m not a supermom. I couldn’t manage Lila’s appointments and extreme mood swings plus our son and the house along with a paying job. I’ve been out of the workforce for years. My mom lived nearby when the kids were young and could handle them for a few a few hours with liberal use of screen time for Lila, but she was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. We do not have other local family support. After years of trial and error, a persistent psychiatrist found a medication combo that helps Lila keep her cool most of the time in places where she feels safe and comfortable, like our house and her small classrooms at school. She can learn and succeed when her days are routine, predictable and come with clear expectations. But all bets are off when we’re out in the community or with friends and extended family. She tries, but often can’t hang more than half an hour without becoming overloaded. The lack of social opportunity and ability to be out and about isn’t healthy. Our son is devastated when Lila melts down in public. Geoff and I have both suffered clinical depression. We are lucky we haven’t become a special needs parent divorce statistic. Thank God Lila likes to swim. We can hit the neighborhood pool at off times and spend a few hours on a beach if we set up before the crowds. I’d be completely off my rocker without a little touch of summer. Regular respite care would still go along way and its within reach if you take the 2021 working group recommendation to provide core services to everyone on the waiting list. Though we’ve had some recent success with short, novel outings, we’ve also had some violence, reenforcing our belief that there are many things that the four of us will never do together. We would love to leave Lila home with a trusted attendant and take our son hiking or snowtubing, on an Old Town ghost tour, or into the district to see the Zoo Lights and the Constitution. But special needs caregivers are still not free. So, we wait for services and our lockdown continues.

Hello my name is Ben King and I live in Fairfax. I used to live in a group home, but it was not what I needed. I couldn’t find a good home for me, so during the pandemic, I moved back home with my parents. I tried a group home again. The staff couldn’t help me and I couldn’t find other housing options. Now I’m getting ready to move out of Northern Virginia for the first time. My sister is quitting her job to be my care provider in Richmond. We need to pay more for our Waiver providers and fund new housing options. I should have more choices. Please support the DD Rescue Plan. Thank you.

Thank you for your time today. My name is Melissa Chabot, I’m here to ask that you fund the core services waiver. Our current, outdated care system of only supporting individuals once they reach a crisis point would be much improved by supporting families on the DD waitlist with core services. I am asking you to help address the acute needs of the rapidly growing number of individuals and families in the depths of crisis related to severe autism. This is a personal issue for me and my family. My son, Owen, is autistic. We received his moderate to severe autism diagnosis in May of 2020 and we’re going through the process of getting my son on the DD waiver waitlist. Did you know that over 14K people are on that list, only receiving assistance when their loved one is in crisis? Shouldn’t special needs families get help to prevent a crisis situation? 14K individuals and their families need help right now, and that’s why I’m here asking for your support in funding the core services waiver. I want to outline the huge impact that funding these services would do for my son Owen. First, we would receive regular ongoing care funded on a weekly basis. Second, we could receive 480 annual hours of respite to use when we run out of weekly hours (e.g. school breaks, summer). This kind of care and support helps families manage safety, stress, and work. Third, we would be connected to coordinators who would help us line up services and make a plan to get all Owen all he needs. I am struggling to stay organized and advocate for Owen. As my son grows older and transitions to high school and beyond, I can say with 100% confidence that I will absolutely need help navigating the system. Fourth, Funding for Assistive Tech to help Owen interact with the world. The research is clear; AAC devices greatly improve quality of life by improving cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral skills because non speaking individuals are able to communicate their needs. Finally, Medicaid would reduce or eliminate medical copays. My family pays over 10K per year in copays, and that’s with health insurance. These costs, plus the waitlist for services and daytime availability of providers means that many, many children are not getting early intervention services. In conclusion, special needs families in Virginia, like mine, need support before a crisis occurs. Funding core services has the potential to make people’s lives better. Please support Owen and all the other children and adults with disabilities that deserve help before a crisis. Thank you.

My name is Marissa Goldsmith (and if she’s not in school, I’ll introduce Anna). Anna is a bright and happy child who enjoys school, and is eager to learn. With her physical disability, she requires constant care, attention, and close supervision. Both my husband and I work full time. Even though we can work from home during this pandemic, unlike other families, we do not have the option to let her play or attend virtual school in one room of the house while we work in another room. We need to always be by her side. I am self-employed, so luckily, I had the flexibility to go down to part-time, but I have no leave or vacation time. When I don’t work, I don’t earn. For the first 3 months of the pandemic, we decided it was best not to let anyone in the house. And so I’d care for her during the day while my husband worked. In the afternoon, he’d care for her while I worked as much as I could. Despite the fact that we never left the house, my husband and I hardly saw each other. After those 3 months, we decided it would be safe to have a caregiver enter the house and give us some relief. It took us almost 3 months to find someone, even when we shifted from consumer-directed to agency. There was an extreme shortage of health professionals available, and that shortage persists to this day. We spent nearly six months, day-and-night, as Anna’s attendants. While we love taking care of our child, we were so exhausted it made it extremely difficult to relate to her as our child instead of our patient. During this time, it was so important that we were able to get paid for providing her care. That is why I urge you to keep this flexibility, so that parents can provide health services to their children, and get paid for it, just the same as a healthcare professional would. Lastly, it is absolutely imperative that we increase the pay rates for in-home providers. As we stare down the barrel of Omicron, it’s more likely than ever that we may need to remove our vulnerable children from crowded schools and return to virtual learning. We’ll be right back where we were in 2020, with no qualified caregivers to support our children.

In the past year, businesses like Amazon, Target, and McDonalds substantially raised wages in order to retain and attract workers. These businesses acted quickly. Severely disabled people in group homes and disabled individuals have no chance to hire or retain direct care workers because the DD waiver wages are so low. I beg the legislators to act as quickly as Amazon did. Announce a rate hike. Losing direct care workers is disaster and there is no time for debate. Thank you, Nancy Tishman

My name is Carol Skelly and I am a member of the Arlington County Community Services Board. The General Assembly has committed to rebasing developmental disabilities Medicaid waiver rates this year, and commissioned Burns and Associates to provide a detailed analysis of over 100 individual DD waiver rates -- the average increase needed to make them competitive is 52 percent. We support the Burns rate increases, which are needed to address the desperate state of services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The rates, which have not been rebased since 2014, were not competitive at the start of the pandemic. But what were serious problems in early 2020 have turned into a major service crisis due to the current workforce shortage. For example, day support providers who were paying direct care workers $12-13/hour pre-pandemic must now pay at least $18 to compete with companies like Walmart -- hence the 50-percent differential. Arlington CSB clients are currently receiving about half their pre-pandemic client hours at day programs, due mainly to staffing shortages. Our residential programs are teetering on the brink of significant health and safety issues. We urge you not to support Governor Northam’s proposal to raise rates selectively. The Governor’s “winners and losers” approach includes no increases for traditional day support programs. These programs served 160 Arlington clients pre-pandemic, but are now serving only about 130, many on a two-day a week schedule. The Governor’s budget also has no increases for group homes of more than 4 individuals. This means that half of Arlington’s 12 group homes would receive no increase. We understand the advantages of moving to smaller-size homes but, in Arlington, real estate costs are a major barrier to adding more homes – as would be required to continue to serve the same number of clients. Arlington has two 5-person group homes that were established in 2016 for severely disabled residents leaving the Northern Virginia Training Center. These homes have faced particular challenges during the pandemic, so it is very distressing to have their needs overlooked in the Governor’s budget. Thank you for your continuing service to Virginia in this difficult moment. We appreciate your consideration of our position.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege to deliver the following comments via the joint hearing on Zoom earlier today. I’m Kent Keyser. I vote in Arlington County. I am an advocate with the United Spinal Association for equal access to health care for people with disabilities. Delegates and Senators, thank you for your public service. I hope you will vote yes to amend the Virginia’s Medicaid budget to cover customized power and manual wheelchairs which are medically necessary and are prescribed by a physician to meet the daily needs of residents of skilled nursing and long term care facilities. Not only do these customized wheelchairs prevent medical complications, like bed sores, aka Pressure Injuries, which can cost over $150,000, studies overwhelmingly agree that these customized wheelchairs, prescribed by physicians--improve the physical health, mental health, and overall independence of people living with disabilities. Let me give you an example. These customized wheelchairs include components that are known as complex rehabilitative and seating technologies. For people like me who have a spinal cord injury, or for others with traumatic brain injuries or strokes, these medically prescribed components allow us to be able to use a wheelchair. Let me explain. I still need someone to help me in and out of bed, mornings and nights. But because my spinal cord injury limits my trunk control, my ability to hold myself back in my wheelchair, I have a complex rehab component on my wheelchair that allows me to tilt back so I can function independently all day. Without that tilt function, long ago, I would have rotted away by being bedridden. Instead for fourteen years that tilt function and the customized cushion I sit on have helped keep me healthy – fourteen years and no pressure wounds – fourteen years and no spinal cord injury related hospital readmissions. Fourteen years of earning a living and fourteen years of paying Virginia taxes. Please vote to close this critical gap. Every Virginian prescribed medically necessary equipment should have equal access to the technologies available to meet their health and safety needs regardless of where they live in Virginia.

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 the proud owner of several weapons to include high caliber weapons. However, i strongly support gun regulations for: 1. Waiting period 2. Stiff restricting on assault rifles 3. Background checks (mandatory is all exchanges involving the exchange of currency/money). This should exclude family members exchanging or gifting weapons to each other or the inheritance of weapons.

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity, My name is Zeina Hutchison and I am a mother to two kids, a wife, a student and a passionate advocate for human rights among other very important issues. We at the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights are requesting a budget amendment to fund a JLARC study of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board (VIAB’s) standing as an Advisory Board. As a Virginian and as an immigrant woman of color who actively advocates for the rights of minorities, the underserved and marginalized, I appreciate that Virginia has a system that encompasses Advisory Boards. It strengthens the fabric of the Commonwealth and it helps diverse Virginia constituents advocate for and represent their respective communities’ interests and concerns. I am alarmed that VIAB, a taxpayer funded lobby group, one that represents the interests of foreign wealthy government is getting preferential treatment under the label of Advisory Board, which I contend it is not and I will explain why. While the Latino Advisory Board serves the interests of the Latino-American community of Virginia. The Asian-Advisory Board serves the interests of the Asian-American community of Virginia. The African American Advisory Board serves the interests of the African American community of Virginia. The Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB), however, is the only “Advisory Board” that represents the interests of a foreign state. From their own website: “The Virginia Israel Advisory Board is a government agency that helps Israeli companies build and grow their US operations in Virginia.” In addition, these Advisory Boards’ importantly “provide advice and counsel to an executive branch agency.” However, in 2018, VIAB was singled out from the 36 other Advisory Boards listed on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website and moved from the Executive to the Legislative branch. VIAB, representing a foreign government agency, whose employees are given full benefits and paid expenses, also have direct access to our legislators highlighted by the fact that they are given an office in the Pocahontas building. Moreover, the many foreign governments that do business with Virginia, do so through the Virginia Economic Development Program (VEDP). VIAB represents the business and economic interests of a foreign government, yet, again unlike similar entities, it is quietly nestled within our legislature conveniently avoiding existing oversight and accountability regulations. Hundreds of thousands of unaccountable Virginia taxpayer dollars go to empower this foreign state agency, while many local initiatives and groups are continuously having to crowdfund and spend time on calls with legislators lobbying for a fraction of the budget given to VIAB. This is unfair and should be concerning to all Virginians. Therefore, again, we are kindly requesting a budget amendment to fund a JLARC study of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board’s standing as an Advisory Board. Thank you for your time.

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.

I am Pat Victorson and live in Woodbridge, Prince William County, where I volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Today I opened the Washington Post to read that a retiring sheriff in Alexandria asks our incoming governor to fully fund the needs of our state mental health system. I would like to echo that request. One in five Virginians is affected by a mental health condition. STEP Virginia is the plan created by the state to address mental health needs, but it has never been adequately funded. During the COVID pandemic, needs have increased but services have deteriorated, including the closure of 255 state hospital beds over the past year. Workforce support and development, including subsidies for licensing expenses, higher Medicaid reimbursement rates, and facilities improvement are essential. In addition, the success of Marcus Alert legislation, the new federal 988 response system, and the decriminalization of mental health to divert individuals from our courts and jails depends on funding regional call centers, local crisis receiving and stabilization units, supportive housing, and recovery services. Now that Virginia has strong revenues, it is time to address these long neglected needs. Virginia is ranked “best for business.” It is time to make Virginia best for its people, including those with mental health needs. Thank you for this opportunity to comment and for your commitment to serving all Virginians.

Good morning/afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Camille Burden and I am an ESOL teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools. I am also a proud member of my union, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, AFT 2401. 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: Fully fund the Virginia Board of Education’s revised Standards of Quality. Lift the support staff cap which limits funding for school support positions. Make bold investments to start providing adequate teacher and staff pay. Invest in school infrastructure. Stand against cuts and repurposing of K-12 public schools funding. As an employee of Fairfax County Public Schools, I also want to bring to your attention an issue that uniquely impacts Fairfax educator salaries. Last year when the General Assembly passed a 5% raise for teachers, FCPS educators never saw this increase. This is because the Local Composite Index determines a ratio of around 82% to 18% in local vs. state responsibility for state-budgeted raises in Fairfax County and we only see the state’s portion if the local government funds the full remaining amount. This left the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the hook for over $100 million that they said they couldn’t afford to match and so they initially budgeted for another year of frozen salaries, what would have been the 6th year FCPS salaries were frozen since 2009. In the end we were able to fund 2% while we watched the majority of Virginia districts fund 5% or more. We are asking the General Assembly to fund the state portion of the budgeted raise for educators regardless of the locality’s ability to match the rest. This would mean that even if local districts can’t afford the full match, their educators could still see the state portion. Finally, I ask that the General Assembly oppose a repeal of the grocery tax. Local governments rely on these taxes to fund essential services to their communities including public education. In Fairfax, the public schools’ budget is by far the largest portion of the county budget and it’s the first place the Board of Supervisors makes cuts when the budget is tight. This decrease in tax revenue would be a significant blow to FCPS funding. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s public schools have been called on to address inequities and gaps in public services that go far beyond the scope of our practice. Public schools provide so many services to our communities, but we need the staffing and funding to be able to meet our students’ needs. In a time when educators are leaving the profession in never-seen-before numbers, it is time for Virginia to invest boldly in ensuring that our public schools are staffed at the recommended ratios and that our educators are valued and adequately compensated for their expertise and the critical role they play in our communities.

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.

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.

Hello. My name is Libya Doman. I am an art educator who has taught in Fairfax County Public School's for 18 years. I am proud to share that I was last year's VAEA Art Educator of the Year as well as Virginia's Elementary Art Educator of the Year. I stand with the Fund our Schools Coalition and share their 5 priorities: 1. Fully fund the Virginia Board of Education’s revised Standards of Quality. 2. Lift the support staff cap which limits funding for school support positions. 3. Make bold investments to start providing adequate teacher and staff pay. 4. Invest in school infrastructure. 5. Stand against cuts and repurposing of K-12 public schools funding. Since 2009, my fellow colleagues and I have experienced 6 salary freezes in the last decade. This impacts my current as well as my retirement income. This impacts my ability to own a home within my school district. This makes me feel my field is undervalued. My union, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers shared: "Last year when the General Assembly passed a 5% raise for teachers, FCPS educators never saw this increase. This is because the Local Composite Index determines a ratio of around 82% to 18% in local vs. state responsibility for state-budgeted raises in Fairfax County and we only see the state’s portion if the local government funds the full remaining amount. This left the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the hook for over $100 million that they said they couldn’t afford to match and so they initially budgeted for another year of frozen salaries, what would have been the 6th year FCPS salaries were frozen since 2009. In the end we were able to fund 2% while we watched the majority of Virginia districts fund 5% or more. We are asking the General Assembly to fund the state portion of the budgeted raise for educators regardless of the locality’s ability to match the rest. This would mean that even if local districts can’t afford the full match, their educators could still see the state portion." As a member of my union, I stand with the Fund our Schools Coalition and share their 5 priorities: 1. Fully fund the Virginia Board of Education’s revised Standards of Quality. 2. Lift the support staff cap which limits funding for school support positions. 3. Make bold investments to start providing adequate teacher and staff pay. 4. Invest in school infrastructure. 5. Stand against cuts and repurposing of K-12 public schools funding. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Rooting for us, Libya Doman

I am a quadriplegic nursing home resident in Arlington With Virginia Medicaid. I was paralyzed six years ago this month. For the first two years I was primarily bedridden, With little to no mobility or independence, due to pressure sores from a gifted but ill fitting motorized wheelchair. During my third year As a quadriplegic, donations from my high school graduating class allowed me to purchase a used/floor model Motorized wheelchair from a CRT approved, ACHC accredited Wheelchair vendor (REP, Inc. In Alexandria) . Due to various complications fitting me appropriately to the used power chair, it took the better part of 18 months to get me better seated in the chair, variety a back rest and seat cushions were Used together with modifications to the arms, power controls and legs, until The chair fit me properly. This involved the time and out of pocket expense for dozens of appointments and countless hours on the part of technicians. All I want for Christmas is A motorized wheelchair designed and fitted to me that is paid for by Medicare and Virginia and Medicaid, Just as it is for all my fellow quadriplegics who are living independently and apart from nursing home or long-term care facilities. Nursing homes are not personally invested in providing DME to meet my specific needs. This includes motorized wheelchairs and just as significantly, Circulating air mattresses, to help prevent skin breakdown and pressure sores. My independence and quality of life have been affected by sores from both ill fitting wheelchairs and Poor quality air mattresses. I do not want to be bedridden and warehoused in a nursing home. I want to be an active and engaged member of my community outside of the walls of the facility I reside in. In order to be independent, motorized wheelchairs, circulating air mattresses and other DME are necessary and needed to enhance the quality of my life and improve my ability to be a contributing member of society.

Comments Document

it is imperative that DD waiver reimbursement level is increased to insure equal or better and that the ALL waiver reimbursed staff can be fairly compensated since they are a vital resource to my brother’s well being-safety and security as well as many others. Specifically residential and day staff need to be fairly compensated so well trained individuals can be attracted and retained.

January 4, 2022 James P. Lynch 8263 Oakwood Drive King George, VA 22485 Finance and Appropriations Cmte, Virginia Senate Appropriations Cmte, Virginia House of Delegates (Submitted online) Dear Senators and Delegates; In 1942, the US Navy constructed a railroad to move weapons into and out of the Navy Base at Dahlgren in King George County. As time moved on the eastern part of the railroad was abandoned. This railroad is now the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail or DRHT. The trail was built and is maintained by the Friends of DRHT. It is in private hands but open to the public. Our goal and our request to you is to incorporate this wonderful trail into the Virginia State Park system as an addition to Caledon State Park. Several points of interest about the trail: 1. The trail is used for individual and group recreational pursuits, including bicycle commuting to work at Dahlgren. 2. Several trail races are held every year with the help of professional race directors, community volunteers and the county. These are among the most popular events held in King George. 3. We were awarded a grant by the Community Foundation to improve parking at one or more of our trailheads. A project at the Indiantown Road parking area has been completed. 4. Recently one of our community churches that borders the trail offered the use of it’s parking lot for trail users. This is a very generous and community spirited gesture. 5. We have been able to improve the suitability of the trail for our wheel chair users with generous donations and a grant from the Keep Virginia Beautiful foundation. This involves placing wheel-chair capable boardwalks across a few boggy spots. 6. King George County participated in a feasibility study for a regional greenway. The DRHT is the backbone of the King George segment. The greenway will extend the trail to the eastern end of the county and to the new Nice/Middleton Potomac River Bridge. 7. We continue to work with a variety of entities to move the trail out of a local church cemetery. This project is being facilitated by the trail owner, the church, a generous neighboring landowner and the Virginia Outdoor Foundation. Once that is accomplished, we will be able to restore the cemetery to its pre-1942 configuration. This will be a landmark day in the history of King George! 8. We are working with the county, VDOT, and neighboring landowners to provide off-road connecting trails for the quarter-mile between the trail and Caledon. In short, the DRHT is a premier recreation and active-transportation resource. It will be a great addition to Caledon! Please let me know if you have any questions about the trail. Or better yet if you’d like to come for a visit. Sincerely, Jim Lynch, President, Friends of DRHT jplynch@crosslink.net 540-775-7002

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.

In the absence of comprehensive federal data collection and analysis of America's gun violence problem it is incumbent upon each state to provide the best information they can about the nature of this epidemic to their citizens. (We lose over 100 people a day to gun violence as a nation and 2/3 of those are by suicide, particularly by members of the military and young people.) The Commonwealth of Virginia has continued to see a rise in gun violence, particularly among young people where the rate of death by firearms is second only to that from motor vehicle accidents. It is also imperative that we understand the distribution of gun violence by locality and other socio-economic or racial demographic features. Without good data our policies and laws lack the footing to withstand attacks of shifting political winds. An educated electorate deserves good data. Thank you for fully funding the newly proposed (by former Gov. Northam and Del. Simon) Center for Firearm Intervention and Prevention. Thank you on behalf of all families in Virginia.

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 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. I’m delighted beyond words that Senator Jennifer McClellan supports legislation with Delegate Marcia Price to establish the center. Please support this important budget item. Thank you.

I am a Virginia Tech alum and a retired high school teacher. I lost two students to suicide by a firearm. This issue is close to my heart. 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.

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.

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 quadriplegic. I depend on my powered wheelchair to get around my house and my community. I live in a home with my family, my wife and our three year old son. Recently my friends at United Spinal Virginia were made aware that people released into a skilled nursing facility in the commonwealth of Virginia are unable to receive medical equipment beyond what is considered the most basic for most people in nursing facilities. I have been in and out of rehabilitation programs over the years since I was paralyzed in high school. I am dependent upon custom mobility equipment to be independent. This includes my powered wheels on my wheelchair, my custom wheelchair suited to my positioning needs, my bed, which has the control to raise my head and feet, and other equipment. Without this equipment I would be dependent upon others to push me around, take care of many of my needs, and would be completely dependent. Thanks to my family and friends I have been able to enjoy the independence of living in community for my entire adult life. I have never had to live in a skilled nursing facility except for my initial rehab. I am on the Medicaid waiver for the Commonwealth. It is sad for me to realize other people who receive similar funding and are in a similar state simply because they live in a skilled nursing facility cannot receive this same equipment and enjoy the same level of independence. I encourage you to amend the budget to include funding for durable medical equipment for people in skilled nursing facilities who have advanced mobility requirements. Thank you

As a Virginia voter, I thank you for the gun safety legislation drafted, passed and signed into law over the last two sessions. Taken together, they create a foundation of security for individuals and families in our communities. That is why I support the budget item creating the Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention and for funding positions. I understand the data collected and studied by the Center will be shared with public safety and public health agencies to help inform their actions. I think we all want our families and communities to be places where people can thrive in safety. Learning more about what we can do to prevent gun violence is an important step towards that goal. Please keep Item 408, lines M and N in the budget. Thank you.

My name is Dennis Brown and I am a retired professional in the field of developmental disabilities with over 45 years’ experience, including work at the Northern Virginia Training Center, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and as a consultant for numerous nonprofit service providers within Virginia. I am concerned about the current labor crisis facing our provider network in Virginia and the devastating consequences on individuals and families who are desperately waiting on long wait lists for Medicaid funded services. I believe that the critical first step to mitigate this crisis is to immediately approve a long overdue rate revision to Medicaid Waiver reimbursement rates for services to individuals with developmental disabilities. While I appreciate the rate increases proposed in Governor Northam’s budget, they do not include the critical Group Day and Group Supported Employment Services which many Virginians use to successfully participate in our community. These two services are often chosen by the individuals themselves as their preferred services yet they were not included in the proposed budget item within the Governor’s budget. I agree with advocacy from the Virginia Network of Private Providers and vaACCSES which support additional Waiver rate increases, noting that professionals base their calculations for rate increases on the Burns and Associates study commissioned by DMAS and DBHDS. I ask for your support for a 25.62% rate increase for Group Day services and a 21.86% rate increase for Group Employment services. These would be in addition to other services already identified in the Governor’s budget—I strongly encourage you to add funding for these increases to the budget rather than reduce the percentage increases for other services proposed by Governor Northam for other Waiver services. While the U.S. D.O.J. apparently does not consider Group Day and Group Employment services as “desirable”, they are nevertheless essential services which are, especially in the workforce shortage we are currently experiencing, absolutely necessary. Furthermore, these services are chosen by individuals and their guardians and we must support personal choice by Medicaid recipients. On behalf of thousands of Virginians unable to speak for themselves about this critical issue, I seek your assistance to support these urgently needed rate increases for these services so we can continue to ensure the integrity of the public private partnership of providers, CSBs and DBHDS. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. Dennis Brown Dbrown8302@gmail.com

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. From the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: "CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) has been the nation’s leading public health authority on violence and injury prevention for nearly 30 years. Firearm violence has tremendous impact on the overall safety and wellbeing of Americans. Using a public health approach is essential to addressing firearm violence and keeping people safe and healthy. CDC’s approach to preventing firearm injuries focuses on three elements: providing data to inform action; conducting research and applying science to identify effective solutions; and promoting collaboration across multiple sectors to address the problem." Let's guarantee that Virginia will be a leader in the effort to protect the safety and wellbeing of our citizens!

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 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 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 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 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, 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, Ruthann Litchford Warrenton VA

Testimony for 2022 Public Hearings on the Introduced Budget Dear Senators and Delegates: My name is John Horejsi. I ‘m the Social Action Linking Together (SALT) Founder & Coordinator. SALT has 1,300 members supporting SALT’s goal to help shape public social policies that support human services in Virginia. We urge your support for: SALT TANF Legislative Priorities. Thank You for the opportunity to speak. First, thanks for the General Assembly Mandate to close the TANF Gap by increasing assistance annually until the standard of Assistance (SOA) equals 50 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for a family of three. This federally funded benefit will help thousands of Virginians make ends meet and boost Virginia’ s economy. SALT 2022 TANF Priority #1: - is Adjusting the TANF Income Disregards—to “Make work pay” patroned by Senator Favola:  Allowing TANF families to retain a larger share of their earnings, is a positive step to self-sufficiency;  Currently the Virginia TANF disregards lack meaningful incentives to leave TANF;  So, adjusting the current “disregard formula” rewards work by allowing TANF families to keep more of their earned income. Our Second Issue: is to Reform the TANF Time-Limits into a continuous five years (Not the current 2 years). The Elimination of the 2-year cliff –would make it possible to better provide TANF parents with opportunities for job training -- by patron, Senator Favola. The goal of TANF Time-Limits Elimination is to: convert welfare from a “ dead-end job factory” into “ a Second Chance “ for Virginia families. Our Third TANF Issue – (Supplantation) is to use TANF money exclusively for the TANF Core Purpose of helping families to move from Welfare dependency to economic self-sufficiency. Please pause “TANF Programming” funding, at least, until 50 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for a family of three is achieved. Unfortunately, with too few controls on “TANF Programming,” Virginia is using TANF for “everything under the sun” --as Welfare Reform Architect, Ron Haskins put it in the Washington Post. For example, in FY 2022, $59 million went to “TANF Programming,” and another $31 million to other Block Grants, instead to meeting the basics of housing and food subsistence for needy families that TANF is meant to benefit. Additional information & Fact Sheets regarding 2022 SALT legislative priorities is also available now via our web site: SOCIAL ACTION LINKING TOGETHER (SALT). With thanks for your service and wishing for you a most successful session. John Horejsi & SALT jhorejsi@cox.net

Comments Document

The attached document is submitted on behalf of the Prince William County Community Services Board to request funding for a Crisis Receiving Center, additional staff, and local inpatient psychiatric beds.

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 saving stages(which was ok!) saving camps/next summer(that was fine!) and the rerf stuff(that was cool!!) plus virtual support(that was schweeet !!!) now about that virtual support we ned too keep it please thanks also get that dd rescue plan on going ok??? aka part this aweosme plan for psecial folks like me! https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/thearcofva/pages/32/attachments/original/1641190542/2022_Toolkit_%281%29.pdf?1641190542

My name is Bob Stewart. I serve as the Social Action Linking Together (SALT) Coordinator of Public Affairs. With respect to justice for those incarcerated in Virginia, SALT is a community of advocates working with other organizations opposed to extreme punitive practices, especially the use of solitary confinement. We are in agreement with the February 28, 2020 statement from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner: “Solitary confinement may only be imposed in exceptional circumstances, and ‘prolonged’ solitary confinement of more than 15 consecutive days is regarded as a form of torture.” SALT, in solidarity with the United Nations, religious leaders nationwide and internationally, and the Virginia Coalition on Solitary Confinement, supports what should be the aim of the penal system, namely rehabilitation and successful reentry of the incarcerated into society after release. SALT’s Criminal Justice Legislative Priorities for 2022 are: • Limiting and ending solitary confinement—referred to at different times as restrictive housing, local control, administrative segregation, special housing units, and management control units. We do not have a bill number at this time; Senator Morrissey is the patron for this legislation. • Eliminating the use of attack dogs in guarding and controlling the incarcerated. • Placing a moratorium on private prison (for profit) facilities and establish a plan to end the private sector management and operation of the only Virginia operated for-profit prison at Lawrenceville. We do not have a bill number at this time; Senator Ebbin is the patron for this legislation. • Addressing the cost of commissions—a regressive tax the causes genuine financial strain on vulnerable families--collected by the VADOC on purchases made by the incarcerated. We do not have bill numbers at this time. Legislators carrying this legislation for the price-gouging by the VADOC will be Delegate Hope and Senator Boysko; for the jail price-gouging, it will be Delegate Shin and Senator Morrissey. • Heading off hunger for the incarcerated before they leave prison. Additional information is also available now via our web site--this site provides fact sheets support SALT's legislative priorities: https://salt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=400:salt-2022-legislative-priorities&catid=2:uncategorised.