Hello, my name is Danielle Brown. I currently work as a case manager for Consumer Directed Services in Virginia. My current rate of pay is $23.00 and is labeled as 'piece rate'. Piece Rate means that I only make $23.00 per client per month no matter how long I serve that client. My current clients are having lots of issues with the insurance companies and fiscal agencies which is causing issues with attendants getting paid. I spend hours and hours on each client a month making sure they get the services they need. I believe several things could be changed to help serve these clients much better and cut our time as case managers down. 1. I believe that if I can see my therapist online every week via an online video platform, we as case managers should be able to see our clients via an online video platform monthly and then go and see client in-home every 6 months, or after coming out of hospital or rehab. Our visit only consist of updating medical records and level of care via questions, not by completing hands on test. It is so imperative that Telehealth or video methods be allowed for some components of CD Services, allowing for some visits to be conducted virtually. 2. I believe that our job can be done with out the needed degree requirement. The current company I work for can't find qualified individuals to do the job. It is a major issue not having case managers to complete the paperwork to ensure clients don't lapse in services. 3. I would also like to see a pay raise for case managers. I understand that the majority of the money that is reimbursed to the company I work for stays with the company to pay for others to help make this process easier. I really would like to see them get a raise for rate reimbursement so that they can pass down the raise to us. I have worked for this company for 6 years without one pay raise. Thank you for you time and consideration in this manner.

I am making a plea for the guardrails put by DMAS towards parents of disable children to be stop. They are discriminatory and unreasonable. Please look into them, we have the Arc of Virginia advocating for us. I am making a plea for my family and many other families affected by this guardrails. We parents should have the choice to keep being our children caregivers and not to be consider the last resort and had to be put through all this hardship.

I am making a plea for the guardrails put by DMAS towards parents of disable children to be stop. They are discriminatory and unreasonable. Please look into them, we have the Arc of Virginia advocating for us. I am making a plea for my family and many other families affected by this guardrails. We parents should have the choice to keep being our children caregivers and not to be consider the last resort and had to be put through all this hardship.

Comments Document

Good morning. I am Kristy Somerville-Midgette, Superintendent for Brunswick County Public Schools and President of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Firstly, I want to express my gratitude for the consideration given to K-12 education in the biennium budget proposal. We thank you for teacher pay raises over the past few years, the work to remove the support cap, and the much needed flexible funding to support learning loss in schools. In addition, we thank you for supporting the bill for the VRS Break in-Service reducing time a teacher must sit out from a year to six months. While the recommendation of the 1% bonus in FY25 and 2% increase in FY26 are appreciated in the Introduced Budget, we must acknowledge the importance of our educators. Our teacher salaries, to attain the national average, need to increase by 8% over the biennium. Our teachers are the backbone of our educational system, and they deserve compensation that reflects the invaluable role they play in shaping the future of our nation. As legislators, you are undoubtedly informed about the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) recommendations, having undergone a formal presentation on these guidelines and the proposed work group. Given your awareness, it is important to express our concern that the Introduced Budget does not address these recommendations. As stewards of the public trust, it is our duty to ensure that our policies are informed by the best practices and insights provided by expert bodies such as JLARC Hence, I strongly urge you to reassess the budget and incorporate these recommendations to strengthen our education system. In line with VASS legislative priorities, I emphasize the need to remove the Support Cap and continue support of the At-Risk Add on. The success of our educational system hinges on equitable opportunities for all students. By addressing the challenges faced by at-risk students, we can bridge the gap and ensure that every child has the chance to reach their full potential. This is not just an investment in education; it is an investment in the future prosperity of our state. As we continue, I must express my concern about the removal of funds from the Literary Fund intended for much-needed school construction to support the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). While the supplementation to VRS is important, this diversion is unacceptable, as it continues to compromise the condition of our educational facilities. The Literary Fund's original purpose is to enhance education through investments in infrastructure, and we must uphold this commitment to our students and educators. In addition, we request that you reconsider the rebenchmarking calculations. With the removal of the ESSERS funds and one time flexible funding from the calculations that has been used to support critical needs for divisions, the state share for educating our students is reduced which is not acceptable as our students' needs have increased since the pandemic. In conclusion, let us collectively champion a budget that prioritizes education by including substantial teacher salary increases, addressing school construction needs, and meeting legislative recommendations. By doing so, we send a powerful message about the value we place on education, the dedication of our educators, and the future success of our students. Thank you for your time, consideration, and unwavering dedication to the betterment of Virginia's education system.

I ask the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees to Support funding for: 1) Electric vehicle rebate. Virginia established a fund to administer the most progressive electric vehicle rebate in the country in 2020 – including funds for used vehicles and more money for low income purchasers. But this year there is no money in the fund! 2) Low-income energy efficiency programs. Governor Yougnkin continues his attempt to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) but offers no replacement funding for critical energy efficiency programs that save Virginians money, fight climate change and reduce pollution. 3) Rural electric vehicle charging stations. Virginia is going electric but we need to make sure our network is equitably distributed. Right now, we need to invest in charging stations for rural and low income communities. Currently this is not funded at all in the budget. 4) Flood resilience. Without RGGI funds, we risk falling way behind on our flood resilience goals for all of Virginia. Governor Youngkin proposes only $100 million for flood resilience for 2025 and nothing for 2026. This is an embarrassing fraction of what is required to keep Virginians safe from flooding; and much less than what yearly RGGI auctions have provided. And to Oppose funding for: 1) Road expansion. Governor Youngkin put in at least $220 million for a slush fund for politically favored road projects. This takes away funding from low-carbon transportation modes like transit and pedestrian infrastructure. Supporting Comments: I strongly urge this committee to amend this budget to include vastly more resources for flood resilience and preparation. As climate change increases the frequency of 100 and 1000 year storms and heightens sea level rise, we are seeing floods rip through communities across Virginia. The Governor insists on attempting to remove us from RGGI - foreclosing hundreds of millions of dollars in future funding for flood resilience for our state. And yet in this budget he proposes only 100 million dollars for 2025 and no funding for 2026 to protect our communities. This is an embarrassing tiny fraction of what we would have received with RGGI funds. It is irresponsible to not plan for floods we know are coming.

Ann Mallek Albemarle County I ask the VA Genera Assembly to create a Wildlife Corridor and Crossing Grant Fund and fund connectivity projects supported by the Virginia’s adopted Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. 5M in state funds would leverage tremendous federal resources available in 18 USDOT grant programs to fund wildlife crossings. These crossings would prevent loss of human life as well as wildlife and considerable financial costs associated with loss of property, hospitalizations, and lost productivity. The pilot deer crossing on Rt 64 in Albemarle County resulted in more than 90% reduction in deer-vehicle collisions and a savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I support budget for: Electric vehicle rebate. Virginia established a fund to administer the most progressive electric vehicle rebate in the country in 2020 – including funds for used vehicles and more money for low income purchasers. But this year there is no money in the fund! Low-income energy efficiency programs. Governor Yougnkin continues his attempt to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) but offers no replacement funding for critical energy efficiency programs that save Virginians money, fight climate change and reduce pollution. Rural electric vehicle charging stations. Virginia is going electric but we need to make sure our network is equitably distributed. Right now, we need to invest in charging stations for rural and low income communities. Currently this is not funded at all in the budget. Flood resilience. Without RGGI funds, we risk falling way behind on our flood resilience goals for all of Virginia. Governor Youngkin proposes only $100 million for flood resilience for 2025 and nothing for 2026. This is an embarrassing fraction of what is required to keep Virginians safe from flooding; and much less than what yearly RGGI auctions have provided. I OPPOSE any budget for: - Road expansion. Governor Youngkin put in at least $220 million for a slush fund for politically favored road projects. This takes away funding from low-carbon transportation modes like transit and pedestrian infrastructure.

My name is Marta Keane, CEO of Jefferson Area Board for Aging, and President of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging. I speak today on behalf of over 1.4 million older Virginians and their families. The Area Agencies on Aging serve every locality in Virginia helping older Virginians stay in their homes as they age. The costs of AAAs services are supported by a combination of federal, state, local, and private dollars. While Virginia’s total population is expected to grow by 22% by 2050 (1.9 million) our senior population (age 60 and over) will double over the same period. Growing from 20% of the state’s population in 2020 to 31% in 2050. Virginia’s most at-risk and vulnerable population (those 85 and older) will more than quadruple by 2050 (157,882 in 2020 to 653,049 in 2050). The growth in the age 65 and over population through 2050, coupled with inflation, will result in a projected tripling in total expenditures for Virginia’s Medicaid enrollees and a doubling of expenditures per capita and numbers of enrolled beneficiaries. Not only is staying in their homes preferred by older Virginians it the most cost-effective use of resources. Virginia’s 25 Area Agencies on Aging are your front line in supporting our older residents who want to remain in their homes or the homes of family members. An investment in the Area Agencies in Aging Network and programs that “Elevate Aging” is cost savings for the Commonwealth. It is also an investment in the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers living across Virginia. The AAA’s will be seeking support for a budget amendment requesting an additional $5 million that will support the array of unmet needs of core services across the AAA network. Across the network, the need varies, from Home care, Personal care, transportation, and nutrition – to home-delivered and congregate meals. We are requesting $5,000,000 to be available across the network, distributed equally, for any of the core AAA services so individual AAAs can meet the specific needs of the area served. This is $200,000 per Agency, to meet the growing needs and the growing demographics. Additionally, we support the funding necessary for an Executive Director of the Commonwealth Council on Aging. This is one more important piece of our efforts, along with Secretary Littel and former Senator Mason to “Elevate Aging.” Thank you for your consideration.

Someone I love is one of the over 40,000 Virginians that utilize Medicaid Waiver Services! To make these services sustainable and build the provider network available to those who want it, including the many people who will get those DD waiver slots in the coming years, the following things MUST happen: 1) Consumer Directed Service Providers must get a significant rate reimbursement increase. 2) The degree requirement for Service Facilitators needs to be removed. 3) Telehealth or video methods should be allowed for some components of CD Services, allowing for some visits to be conducted virtually.

My daughter is one of the over 40,000 Virginians that utilize Medicaid Waiver Services! To make these services sustainable and build the provider network available to those who want it, including the many people who will get those DD waiver slots in the coming years, the following things MUST happen: 1) Consumer Directed Service Providers must get a significant rate reimbursement increase. 2) The degree requirement for Service Facilitators needs to be removed. 3) Telehealth or video methods should be allowed for some components of CD Services, allowing for some visits to be conducted virtually.

Hello my name is Anna Thomas and I work as the Outreach Manager for Moms In Motion and At Home Your Way. I also am the aunt of a nephew who has severe autism and am advocating for his rights as a CCC+ Medicaid waiver recipient, and someone who is on the DD Waiver waitlist. It is wonderful that the governor plans to fund all of the priority 1 DD Waiver slots in his new budget. Unfortunately, if we do not also address provider capacity, simply awarding those slots will not solve the problem of people being able to access services. Consumer-Directed services have existed since 2005. It gives people the ability to choose how and by whom their services will be delivered. As of the end of 2023, unfortunately, these services have become unsustainable, with many providers closing their doors. The more than 40,000 people in Virginia that use these services WANT to continue to have this choice. In order to make these services sustainable and build the provider network available to those that want it, including the many people that will get those DD waiver slots in the coming years, the following things MUST happen: 1) CD Service Providers must get a significant rate reimbursement increase 2) The degree requirement needs to be removed. 3) Telehealth or video methods should be allowed for some components of CD Services. I'd like to go into more detail about the only one of those 3 pieces that needs funding: 1) The MOST important change that has to happen is that the General Assembly MUST fund a significant CD provider rate reimbursement increase. Consumer-Directed (CD) services have not had a significant increase since the inception of the services in 2005. Do you know that the minimum wage in Virginia in 2005 was $5.15/hr? Today it is $12/hr, which is a 133% increase. Two years ago, the General Assembly had temporarily given all providers a 12.5% increase. When it came time to make permanent changes, almost every other DD provider saw a much more significant increase, even more than the Burns & Associates recommended 50th percentile rates. CD services, though, were left at 12.5%. This is the one and only increase we have seen since 2005. How should CD providers use a 12.5% increase to cover a 133% increase in minimum wage??? Last session, we got bipartisan agreement in both the house and the senate to put our Burns & Associates recommended 50th percentile rate increase into the budget. Unfortunately, during the course of budget negotiations, once again our rate increase was stripped out of the budget. We cannot function on 2005 rates! 12.5% is not enough! It does not make CD services a sustainable choice for Virginians with disabilities! I'm here today to ask you to fund a significant CD Services Provider Rate Increase. It needs to be at least the 50th percentile of the BLS, as recommended by Burns & Associates in the most recent rate rebase study, which is based on 2019 data. That is still not enough to get us to 2024 minimum wage, but at least it would be enough to make these services sustainable and bring CD Services to the same level as all other DD Waiver providers. In addition to the rates, removing the requirement that Service Facilitators have degrees and allowing some portions of our services to be done using video conferencing methods would go a very long way toward Consumer-Directed provider capacity, which will sustain the services that so many Virginians want and need.

As Director of Youth and Family Services of a the Middle Peninsula Northern Neck CSB, I want to express my thanks and appreciation for your support of the CSB in the last General Assembly. I am requesting that you support the increase in funding for Early Intervention Services which are critical services for infants and children born with developmental disabilities. Early Intervention is a cost-effective way to make a huge difference in the outcomes of these most vulnerable individuals. Our CSB has supported this program for multiple years in deficit status due to the difference it makes in the lives of the individuals within our community. The earlier the interventions the greater the outcomes! We provide home based services to our youngest clients and their families across a 10 county catchment area. Our highly skilled professionals, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and Physical therapists, meet the individuals and families where they are and we are the only home-based developmental services in our catchment. Supporting this additional funding would help sustain this much needed program. Thank you in advance for all your support!

For environmental and social reasons we need to transition away from car-centric infrastructure. For work, social, and personal outings, I and thousands of Virginians depend on transit; it's not an exaggeration to say that transit is what is keeping me in Virginia. Rather than invest $220 million into politically favore road projects (as the Governor requested), please invest that money into transit and infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. Thank you.

My name is Eduardo Alvarado. I live in Chesterfield County with my family. Thank you for your time today to hear about the needs of my son Jeremy, who is on the DD Waiver Waiting List, and thanks for your past support of the Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program. My wife and I are the parents of 3 adult children who all have disabilities. Two of my sons have developmental disabilities. One son, Christopher, waited 10 years to get a Developmental Disabilities Medicaid Waiver. My other son, Jeremy, has been on the Waiting List for over three years. Jeremy has multiple emotional disorders. He has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and 3 more additional disorders. I am 88 years old, and due to serious digestive issues my health, weight and strength have been steadily declining. These health conditions are affecting my ability to care for my son Jeremy; and these conditions will get worse as time goes on. Jeremy is in need of a DD Waiver NOW and he is on the Priority One Waiting List. Please support Governor Youngkin's proposal for 3,440 new DD Waivers to be funded over the next two years; and also, please support The Arc of Virginia's Legislative Agenda so that Priority Level One is funded. Thanks again for your consideration of my requests.

Comments Document

Thanks to the governor for funding all of the priority 1 DD Waiver slots in his new budget. Unfortunately, if we do not also address provider capacity, simply awarding those slots will not solve the problem of people being able to access services. Consumer-Directed (CD) services give people the ability to choose how and by whom their services will be delivered. As of the end of 2023, unfortunately, these services have become unsustainable, with many providers closing their doors in recent years. In order to make these services sustainable and build the provider network available to those that want it, the following things MUST happen: 1) A significant CD Provider rate reimbursement increase MUST happen (see attachment for details). Last session we had agreement in both the House and Senate for an amendment to address this, but these were stripped out in final budget negotiations and CD service rates we re once again left out of the budget. Please do not leave us out again this session! 2) Please remove the degree requirement for CD Providers, much the same way you did for state employees last session. This will enable providers to pull from a wider pool of candidates to be able to fully staff our teams. 3) Please allow for some portions of CD Provider services to be conducted via virtual/video method in order to make our visits less invasive for families, less expensive for employers, and more desirable for workers, thereby attracting more people to do this work. In the PDF attached, please find details for each bullet referenced above. Thank you for all of the hard work that you do! We appreciate you listening to our concerns and needs!

Good Morning Members of the General Assembly, As Executive Director of a the Middle Peninsula Northern Neck CSB, I want to express my thanks and appreciation for your support of the CSB in the last session of the General Assembly. I am requesting that you continue to support of the Funding Package that supports the Workforce Development Package. Our rural agency continues to not be able to fill critical positions; positions that make a difference in the lives of so many individuals. At a time when there is an increase in behavioral health challenges, our agency is unable to meet those needs due to position vacancies. For years, our agency has "grown" our own clinical staff through internships and offering clinical supervision for licensure. We have found that providing internships for our community members who want to pursue a career in behavioral health has served us well. Paid Internships in tandem with scholarship programs and student loan repayments would make a difference in many of our "budding" behavioral health professionals. Secondly, I am requesting that you support the proposed increase in Early Intervention Services. Early Intervention Services are critical services for infants and children born with developmental disabilities. It can save funding 7:1 if these young people can receive the services as infants vs the cost in later life. Last year, this program at our agency was in deficit status, Serving children in 10 rural counties with skilled professionals, i.e. Physical, Speech, and Occupational Therapist is expensive especially as services are provided in the home. Supporting this additional funding would only help sustain this critical program. On behalf of the parents of children with disabilities, I thank you for your support of this increased funding. Again, my thanks for your continuing support of Community Services Boards and the many individuals we serve. Please know that the General Assembly's support this past year has begun to make a difference. For the first time in a very long time, I feel optimistic about the future of the critical services we provide our communities. Linda Hodges, Executive Director MPNN Community Services Board

Comments Document

I represent the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Coastal Virginia local affiliate within your district. We are one of the largest grass roots organizations with the goal to bring awareness of the issues and inequities of mental health care for individuals, families, and caregivers. We provide free educational programs throughout the community for those seeking support. We are pleased that Governor Youngkin is overhauling the state Mental Health program through his “Right Help-Right Now” 3-year plan. We need your continued support to ensure all these initiatives remain on track for full funding and implementation. Additionally, we seek your legislative support: 1. Increase our mental health workforce through incentivizing 2. Increase the statewide number of mobile crisis response teams (MCRT). MCRT have proven to reduce the number emergency service calls that lead to incarceration. 3. Increase the number of affordable and attainable housing units for those living with mental health conditions. Please let us know, where you stand on increasing funding for mental health services? What Mental health legislative actions do you plan to champion during the upcoming General Assembly session?

Members of the Virginia General Assembly, I am the parent of an adult daughter with developmental disabilities who lives in the city of Richmond. Homelessness, victimization, physical abuse, hospitalization and lack of employment is what she has dealt with for years because she has not been able to get a developmental disability waiver. She is on the Medicaid waiver wait list and is in desperate need of supports and services. I have suffered along with her as a daddy watching as she has been taken advantage of and turned to the street time and time again all because she doesn’t have the mental faculties to live a normal life on her own. She needs help that I am not able to provide and I find it shameful that people with these needs are being put on waiting lists and left to suffer. My request to you are the following: Fund the 3,440 waivers proposed by the Governor. Build the services needed to meet the needs of people with disabilities and their families by funding initiatives that will build capacity of Virginia service providers. Continuing to kick the can down the old only creates bigger and more expensive problems as proven by the constant growth of the DD waiver list and lack of qualified service providers. My daughter would love to work and she like many others will be excellent employees if they have the waiver support they need. Medicaid work eligibility gives people with waivers the ability to work and earn without losing benefits. In short, please support the ARC of Virginias legislative priorities that will help bring solutions to long standing, growing and festering issues in Virginia. Please accept my appreciation for your time and attention. Thank you Tommie Mitchell a very worried daddy.

I'd like to add my voice to those supporting the establishment of a permanent Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund. These corridors will be beneficial to motorists by reducing the risk of wildlife/vehicle accidents. But in addition, they will also support biologic diversity and resiliency of ecosystems. Animals in habitats that are isolated are more likely to die out as they are subject to various pressures with no way to re-seed the population. Linking habitats has been shown to provide protection against this effect. Wild places are important for our human connection to the natural world, and we should do what we can to support them in a time of increasing environmental challenges.

Thank you for your time this morning – and congratulations on your recent election victory. My name is Ashley Grant – I am a resident of Chesterfield County, a mother of one of your most fragile constituents – a special needs child, and a state-wide waiver provider, specifically the I/DD Director for Toddlers To Grandparents. There are many cracks in the Virginia Medicaid Waiver system – but it is my hope that collectively between you, the participants and other stakeholders, we can work together to refine, and ultimately fill those cracks with gold. Employers in the commonwealth are facing a staffing crisis. It is at critical alarm level that providers are facing a lack of ability to retain staff due to low reimbursement rates. More specifically, Consumer Directed Services Facilitation is facing a staffing/reimbursement crisis that is both unadjusted and unprecedented for over a decade. A previously entry-level position, has grown into an education-required, credentialed, professional position. The even shorter version: WE ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS BY THE DOZENS. Many providers are losing staffing at a rate higher than they can complete an intake and maintain a new or current case. In addition to being arguably the most person-centered service, CD Services are the most immediate, efficient and direct point of entry into waivered services for most recipients. CD Services are the truest form of person-centered, self-directed, dignity of self-determined care available to recipients, offering a dignified alternative to nursing facility or nursing-level care needs. We often hear “rates have increased” – but service-wise, maintaining only a DMAS provider enrollment, and providing services for both DD and CCC + waiver recipients, CD Services Facilitation providers frequently fall between the cracks of these rate adjustments. The workload has increased, credential/educational requirements have been implemented, and managing entities/partners have at least tripled, wihle the provider rates (minus a small COVID adjustment) have remained untouched, without equitable pay relief or consideration thereof, for over a decade. You can corroborate this information by reviewing both the 2016 and 2020 rate assessment completed by Burns and Associates, which asserted that there was an at least sixty percent disparity between CD Services Facilitation and other waiver service provider reimbursement rates. In 2022, members of the GA and various committees recognized the disparity and agreed upon a rate increase for the service providers of CD Services Facilitation, although the publicly purported “ both sides of the aisle”, agreed upon budget, once again rescinded the included amendment and overlooked the budgeted provider rate increase. What does this mean for Governor Youngkin’s intent to provide waivers to all priority one waiver waitlist members? It means that you have para-professional attendant caregivers, who in some parts of the state, make as much if not more, than a credentialed service facilitator. It means that without providers, the waiver award is difficult to accept and fully utilize. I implore you to please review the prior budget agreement and amendments, which included this approval of this critical rate increase so that we can continue to serve Virginians with the dignity and respect of honoring their choices. Thank you for your time today, I wish you a sincere and productive General Assembly session!

Good morning, my name is Erika Rogers. I’m a participant in the Partners in Policymaking Program with VBPD. My State Delegate is Buddy Fowler and my State Senator is John McGuire. I am here today to talk to you about the issue of accessible changing tables. I am a single mom of 10 kids, 7 who still live at home, 4 of whom have Down syndrome. I would love to tell you about my 20 year old son, Caleb. I adopted Caleb from Ukraine when he was 9 1⁄2 years old and he weighed just 26 lbs. He was extremely malnourished and had only been given 1 bottle a day and 1 diaper change a day for 9 1⁄2 years. Now, 11 years later, he is 20 and weighs 125 lbs. Unfortunately, due to the early neglect and abuse, he never learned to chew, is incontinent and wears a diaper and is non verbal. Imagine with me, if you will, that you are watching Caleb for me and decided to go out to do some shopping. You realize he needs a diaper change. You walk into the public bathroom and into the handicapped stall. What then? The only changing station is for infants. It’s a public bathroom and you have to lay him on the floor and kneel down next to him to change him. Can you picture that? Pretty disgusting and dehumanizing, isn’t it. I am asking that all businesses and buildings that receive Federal or State funding have an adult changing table available. They are accessible for infants, children AND adults who deserve the dignity of not having to lay on the floor in a public building to have their needs met. This would be a great start! Thank you for the opportunity to bring this important issue to your attention.

Good morning my name is Thomasine Wilson, I've been a home care worker for 20 years. I live in Richmond., I'm speaking today on behalf of the underrepresented first responder and essential worker home care worker. It's because of us that old adults and people with disabilities are able to stay healthy and safe in their homes. And avoid being subjected to an institution environment. My ass to you today is the past common Sense legislation: That would give all home care whether consumer directed or private a livable wage. Based on the current economy and rate of inflation; 1.) Increase pay sick days from 5 to 7 days annually; 2.) Consider making this the year for health equity for home care workers; 4.) Increase Weaver slots with a lot of waiver slots considered the years the qualified person has been waiting, the overall number of consumers on the list . Then diffuse the allotted slots to bring down the list. Let's work together to make 2024 the year Virginia goes down in history as the state that's for the people (working families). Thank you!

Comments Document

Waivers are very necessary to aid and provide for our loved ones that cannot care for themselves. I didn’t apply or train for the position of caring for my loved one. The role was bestowed upon me. It’s a huge sacrifice to provide total care to someone their entire life. In addition to providing care, I now have to provide documentation from a professional explaining why I am the sole person for the job of caring for my loved one in order for it to be notated by a service coordinator and service facilitator. Yes, everyone gets paid to document my care that I provide to my loved one for little or no pay. It’s not an easy job, there’s little to no pay involved, on-the-job training is vast and very unpredictable. You need a medical degree, a chauffer’s license, culinary certification, expansive knowledge of social and human resources, and you must possess empathy, passion, and patience.

I cannot say it better than my climate champion friends at Stand Earth, Earth Justice, Evergreen Action, Greenpeace USA, 350.org, One-Help, Food, and Water Action, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and all our Democratic Allies: Fossil fuels are the main reason for climate change, and we must transition to renewable energy fairly and equitably. This means we do not utilize loopholes that further deprive funds to countries facing the worst impacts. We urge you to live up to the world's COP28 promises to invest in a genuinely equitable global energy future, where the Clean Water Act is not repealed or any of the Environmental Protection Acts are not overlooked for certain poor countries. Let us lead by example and strengthen international cooperation towards addressing climate catastrophes, we need your leadership to address the role of racial and socioeconomic injustices that compromise the environment in conflict zones. To effectively implement the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), we must combat rising global temperatures by reducing unnecessary emissions and redistributing resources to renewable energy. We already have the best written out policies. Now, we ask you to keep your word and fulfill your obligations toward our planet and communities. The Era of Fossil Fuels has ended. Humanity has united to demand that everyone get on board with saving the world. We can't do it without you.

I am writing in support of funding for a Wildlife Corridor and Crossing Fund. This fund, supported by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan, could make a huge difference in traffic safety. The WCAP suggested a $5 million fund; there are currently over a dozen DOT programs that require a state match. I've seen first-hand the excellent wildlife crossings in Canada and hope that we can do smaller-scale work here in Virginia. A few years ago, just some simple snow fencing was erected to direct migrating salamanders to an underground pipe. This inexpensive project may not have saved human lives, but it sure made a difference to endangered salamanders. As a former public transportation official, I've seen the devastation caused by deer collisions and am aware that there were over six thousand of these incidents in 2022, with multiple deaths. Please consider this important measure and help to bring federal dollars to bear on this simple, but effective measure.

How are we supposed to fight climate change without low-income energy efficiency programs? Gov. Youngkin’s budget has NO funding for these. When people are given the means to do something to help others (& our planet), they will. Please supply funding for energy efficiency programs. His road expansion budget removes funding for low carbon transportation modes such as transit and pedestrian infrastructure and puts it all into road projects. That does not distribute funds equitably. Please put some of the $220 million back into low carbon transportation modes. Automobiles provide much of carbon emissions in the US. There is no Plan B to save our planet. Low carbon transportation modes will help.

The RGGI program had its faults, and wrapping it up is reasonable, but replacements need to be considered for funding low-income home energy efficiency. Investment into home energy efficiency saves money in the long run on both heating and cooling and it keeps pollution and greenhouses gasses out of the air.... that's win-win-win! Reinstate funding for low-income home energy audits and efficiency programs.

Electric cars are essential to slowing down the heating of the planet. Since electric vehicles are inaccessible to most, the rebate program has helped many to make that transition. In the long run, it saves the state money as we slow the rate of climate change-caused disasters which are expensive to human life as well as property damage. The rebate needs to be refunded.

I am writing to oppose expanding funding for more roads. We are at a key juncture where we need to spend those funds on public transportation and bike lanes. More of us (myself included, since I began using an electric bike to commute to work mid-2023) are genuinely making an effort to commute in climate-friendly ways, and the infrastructure isn't keeping up with the demand. Better public transportation and improved safety for bike traffic can encourage more people to stay off the roads. This will take us farther in decongesting our roads than just expanding them. Our current metro system is quite reasonable and user friendly, but without support it won't make it. If you examine the strong metro system in Europe, you'll find that those systems were publically supported for many years while it grew until it was solid enough to support itself. Subsidizing private vehicle traffic is what we are doing when we expand roadways, money which is better used to support public transportation which is climate -friendly. 2023 was the hottest year on record and these endless roadways continue to contribute to our greenhouse emissions when it is critical to get those gasses under control. For these reasons, I vehemently oppose continuing to expand our roadways.

Hello, thank you for considering my comment. I am a working mother and a resident of Hanover County, along with my husband and two toddlers. My son is 3 years old and has Down syndrome. I have recently sought help to appropriately care for my son. Right now my son goes to 6.5 hours of special education preschool, then rides the bus for an hour to daycare, and finally is picked up by our babysitter and taken home. The length of my son’s day is extremely tiring for him (more on that in a minute), but without the DD waiver, it is a necessary evil. I am only able to hold my son’s daycare spot by having him attend after-school care. This is important, because we need daycare over summer break, as school is not in session over the summer, and a full-time, summer-long babysitter is prohibitively expensive for my family (about 3 times as expensive as daycare, and about as expensive as a year of in-state college tuition… just for a summer). The Medicaid DD waiver could help hire a babysitter to pick my son up from school directly, and it could help us keep him out of daycare over the summer to give him the truly restorative break that summer is intended to be. But the county professional who advised me let me know that DD waivers have a very long wait list and therefore a very limited chance of helping my son. I want this committee to understand what it means that my son can’t have extra public help. Down syndrome comes with a wide range of disabling conditions, most of which my family and I have been able to navigate through research and grit. For example, my son can’t speak, so we learned sign language and taught it to him so he can still express himself. But there are some challenges that only money can fix, and this is where the DD waiver comes in. Down syndrome also causes low muscle tone. Muscle “tone” refers to muscle’s resistance to passive movement. This means that for people with normal muscle tone, a simple act like sitting upright in a chair is fairly passive - the muscles around the shoulder hold the arms in place, etcetera. But for someone with low tone, even something as simple as sitting in a chair requires actively engaging all the muscles in the shoulder because they can’t passively resist gravity to maintain the position. If you have normal muscle tone, I would estimate that it takes about as much effort and focus to stand on your head as it does for my son to stand upright. So when I say my son is tired at the end of a full day of school, an hour bus ride, and daycare, I don’t mean that he’s a little drowsy. I mean that he is so exhausted that he literally falls down when trying to walk. So exhausted that my sweet-tempered ray of sunshine explodes with fatigue-induced rage at the prospect of having to hold his fork to eat even his favorite dinner, chucking his plate and then screaming crying that he no longer has food in front of him. Watching him on his tired days is like watching someone spray water on an electrical panel. My son deserves better than this. And in other states where DD waivers are humanely funded, he would be receiving better. It is a disgrace to the entire Commonwealth of Virginia that a child with Down syndrome can’t access extra care to avoid disabling fatigue on top of the host of other disabilities he faces. I am begging you to fully fund Medicaid DD waivers. If this Commonwealth is to stand for life, it must also stand against the cruelty of our abysmally long DD waitlist. Thank you.

My husband and I have been discussing whether we need to move out of Virginia. For 23 years, we have enjoyed the quality of life here. But concerning care and support for our almost 20-year-old daughter with autism and anxiety, we have been frustrated with the lack of services and supports to meet her needs. Governor Youngkin’s announcement about funding Priority I disabled individuals of the Medicaid Waiver Developmental Disabilities Wait List now has us wondering: Will Commonwealth legislators consider a significant step forward to say that people with disabilities deserve equitable opportunities to a vibrant, successful life in Virginia? Fully funding the Priority I is a strong step to pulling our state out of its status being one of the least livable for people with disabilities – due to lack of access to resources and, equally, lack of supports needed for disabled individuals to fully use available resources. I SUPPORT THE ARC OF VIRGINIA'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, because unlike organizations that speak to their own programming, the Arc is the voice for all disabled people in the state. Decades of advocacy to improve the lives of those with disabilities in Virginia – to help them live a life like yours. About my daughter: Her autism always made it a challenge to be successfully included in the school environment – an improper mindset regarding inclusive education, and, thus, a lack of trained administrators and staff, in both public and private schools. The pandemic, with its lack of or inconsistent community and educational supports, caused her anxiety to skyrocket. Mental health decline from school trauma led to behavioral challenges that left her unable to consider employment upon graduation or to continue participation in community activities -- lack of supports and no waiver to access disability services. In 2021, the Hanover County Department of Community Services granted my daughter a Priority I designation, yet she remains on the wait list, where she has been since 2017. At a time when she was a threat to others and harming us at home, we were told by psychiatric professionals to seek out an emergency room if it became too much. When we finally were exasperated with trying to cope and brought her to an ER, they kept her for 6 hours, gave her a heavy sedative, and told us to follow up with our psychiatric professionals. Hanover Community Services has two non-waiver programs for community integration – both with waiting lists. When I contacted other disability organizations for help, their first question was always, “Does she have a waiver?” There are multiple systems, massively broken. But a concerted and significant effort must be made somewhere in this wall, so the most vulnerable do not become an increasing burden – not when there are ways to help them thrive! But they will not thrive if they do not have access to fully funded services with supports: Things to last beyond the capabilities, resources, and lives of their parents, family members, and guardians. If you have supported the Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program, thank you for your continued backing. If all this is new, thank you for taking the time to read. My hope is that through the public comment received today and over this Session – spoken, written, or otherwise communicated – concerning the lives of people with disabilities in Virginia, that you will understand the needs, and your opportunity to institute noteworthy and effectual change.

Dear Delegates and Senators, Virginia Public Education Partners opposes the cuts to education that Governor Youngkin has proposed in this budget. It dismisses the findings of JLARC's recent study and does not promote Virginia's ability to provide a quality education for their students. Instead, we ask that you explore an equitable funding formula for public schools, and focus on providing a quality education for all of Virginia's children. A quality education includes adequate, properly functioning, clean, and healthy school environments. Our collective treatment of Virginia's children is moral commentary on our priorities. Your decisions directly impact their present and future. Please make good ones. Sincerely, Virginia Public Education Partners

As a retired public school teacher, former environmental scientist in the public sector, a member of the Board of Directors for both the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and a Climate Reality Project Leader, I fully understand the climate change crisis and solutions to reduce Greenhouse Gas, GHG, emissions that cause climate change. We need to electrify our way of living, of doing business, and of manufacturing because renewable energy can generate electricity, eliminating the need for greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels. Specifically, transportation, building heating and cooling, cooking, and and manufacturing must be electrified and the proposed budget must promote electrification. But it does not. The lowest hanging fruit to reduce GHG is energy efficiency. Low income communities must be targeted since utility bills represent a significant percent of their income. Virginia's extremely successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, brought in more revenue than anticipated. Unbelievably, Youngkin is working to withdraw VA from RGGI but fails to provide permanent funding for energy efficiency programs as RGGI does. Next, the proposed budget goes backwards on transportation electrification. The Electric Vehicle Rebate program for both new and used vehicles is not funded this year. In addition, funding for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in rural and low income communities is nonexistent. Finally, mass transit plus walkable and bikeable communities are essential strategies to reducing transportation GHG emissions. But, the budget includes road expansion funds instead, which will increase GHG emissions. Personally, my husband and I walk the walk. We have: driven hybrids or Electric Vehicles for the past 10 years; installed our second rooftop solar system on our home; heat and cool with mini-splits heat pumps; cook on an induction range. Most importantly, we are now grandparents to 4 beautiful granddaughters, one born just 6 days ago, 2 under the age of 2 years, and a blossoming 9 year old. For our grandchildren's sake and for Virginia's environment and life sustaining ecosystems, please make sure that Virginia's budget funds: energy efficiency for low income communities; electric vehicle rebates; rural and low income electric vehicle charging stations; and flood resilience. Please make sure that Virginia's budget does not fund road expansion. Thank you for your time and consideration.

In the event that the governor is successful in pulling Virginia out of the RGGI, we need funding for electric vehicle rebates; low-income energy efficiency programs; rural electric vehicle charging stations; and flood resilience. The governor's proposals will not keep the state free in the case of floods. We oppose road expansions which takes funds away from low-carbon transportation modes.

The effects of climate change, from flooding to extreme temperatures, fall most heavily on low-income and otherwise marginalized communities. Governor Youngkin's proposal deepens the harm by taking funds away from critical programs, such as flood preparation and improving insulation in homes. Instead, he is directing funds to roads, which promotes consumption of fossil fuels, damaging ecosystems and worsening climate change. We know that we will experience flooding and extreme weather in the coming years; it is to everyone's advantage to be prepared and safe. We know that driving cars is not a long-term, large-scale, accessible transit option. Why not invest in robust rail or public transit systems? Please, think of your constituents and their futures.

I strongly urge this committee to amend this budget to include vastly more resources for flood resilience and preparation. As climate change increases the frequency of 100 and 1000 year storms and heightens sea level rise, we are seeing floods rip through communities across Virginia. The Governor insists on attempting to remove us from RGGI - foreclosing hundreds of millions of dollars in future funding for flood resilience for our state. And yet in this budget he proposes only 100 million dollars for 2025 and no funding for 2026 to protect our communities. This is an embarrassing fraction of what we would've received in RGGI funds. It is irresponsible to not plan for the floods we know our coming. Yet you have the chance to fix that. Put in more funding for flood resilience and ensure it goes to communities that need it the most.

Hello, I am Cesar Dulanto III. I live in Gordonsville VA. I am a self-advocate from Arc of VA. I want to thank you for you past support for DD waiver. I fully support The Arc of VA legislative agenda. I am currently on the DD wavier waitlist and not having access to services has impacted me and my family do to the lack of enough Personal Care hours. This a huge concern of mine and my family because if something traumatic were to happen to my family I would be without Personal care assistance . If I have the wavier It would increase my Personal Care hours which would lead to me having around the care which would mean I would always have someone with me who would be there to assist me in case of an emergency. I want to thank you for your time that the opportunity to share. Sincerely, Cesar Dulanto III

I support funding for: 1) Electric vehicle rebate. Virginia established a fund to administer the most progressive electric vehicle rebate in the country in 2020--including funds for used vehicles and more money for low-income purchasers. But this year there is no money in the fund! 2) Low-income energy efficiency programs. Governor Yougnkin continues his attempt to illegally pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) but offers NO replacement funding for critical energy efficiency programs that save Virginians money, fight climate change, and reduce pollution. 3) Rural electric vehicle charging stations. Virginia is going electric but we need to make sure our network is equitably distributed. Right now, we need to invest in charging stations for rural and low-income communities. Currently this is not funded at all in the budget. 4) Flood resilience. Without "free" RGGI funds, we risk falling way behind on our flood resilience goals for all of Virginia. Governor Youngkin proposes only $100 million for flood resilience for 2025 and nothing for 2026. This is an unacceptably embarrassing fraction of what is required to keep Virginians safe from flooding; and much less than what yearly RGGI auctions have provided. I strongly oppose funding for: * Road expansion. Governor Youngkin put in at least $220 million for a slush fund for corrupt, politically favored road projects. This takes away funding from low-carbon transportation modes like transit and pedestrian infrastructure.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the budget. My name is Annie Stewart and I am a resident of the Shenandoah Valley. I grew up in the farmland of Indiana and while I love walking the acreage tilled by my grandparents in the Midwest, I am in daily awe of the beauty of Virginia. Since moving here in 1979, I continue to marvel at the splendor of a dogwood blossom and the magnificence of a pink and orange sunset. After moving to the Valley, we discovered my great-great grandparents (Jacob and Hannah Bowman Funkhouser) actually farmed a few miles north of our Harrisonburg home near Bayse, Virginia, in the late 1700’s and 1800’s. Now, as I anticipate becoming a grandparent in Virginia, my duty to serve as a good steward of this land has added vigor. I am sorry to say I find Youngkin’s proposed budget failing to preserve or enhance the environment – rather, I see harm being done with missed opportunities and conflicting priorities. REMOVE PARTISAN ROAD PROJECT MONIES: Please amend the budget to remove additional funding for partisan road projects and dedicate the funds for public transit and equitable pedestrian construction projects. Please note my strong support for the following: RURAL EV CHARGING STATIONS: I live and work in Harrisonburg and also travel every week to provide mental health services to children and families in Page County. It would be a convincing message to Page County residents – with a history of mistrust of government initiatives – to see a forward looking commitment from Governor Youngkin to their health and the preservation of their verdant valley. EV REBATE: I support robust funding of the EV rebate program. Please fulfil the leadership shown from the rebate program from 2020 and fully fund this program. RGGI: Demonstrate Virginia’s commitment to energy efficiency by keeping the Commonwealth in RGGI and designating replacement funding to fight climate change and reduce pollution. SUPPORT FOR FLOOD RESILIENCE: I have volunteered in disaster response teams for Virginia and have witnessed the immediate and prolonged devastation flooding (and other disasters) wrecks on communities. This funding is needed (ALSO WITH RGGI funds) to keep communities safe from floods.

Members of the General Assembly, Thank you for the opportunity today to speak briefly to you about the VA Public Budget for 2024-2026. My name is Peter Carrington, I am a resident of Hanover County. Your attention and legislative action is needed for numerous issues in Virginia. I would like to specifically focus your attention to one issue that may be new to some of you and at least familiar to those who are returning to the VA General Assembly - by the way, Congratulations on winning your election. The issue is Virginia's lack of action to effectively and efficiently address the needs of people with developmental disabilities, their families and the DD services provider system. As a result of not addressing both sides of this people problem, we are keeping children and adults in crisis, families are in criss. There is a workforce crisis and a lack of service providers - so we are stagnating. Let's stop stagnating. VA service providers are saying don't put money into waivers because they cannot serve the people they have. The Governor has made a historic proposal in the proposed budget with funding for 3,440 new waivers. I ask that you support funding Priority One and make an historic investment to build VA's DD provider system to serve our citizens. Remember we are talking about Virginians with disabilities and their families. Please support The Arc of Virginia's Legislative Priorities that support getting Virginia out its state of stagnation and truly making progress. I wish you well as you start the 2024 General Assembly session and hope that you will find the resolve to do the right thing and not let people with disabilities become pawns in developing and finalizing the budget. Virginia can do better You as members of the VA General Assembly have the power and responsibility to make headway and solve these two sides of the problem.

Having a state rebate on top of Federal incentives puts EVs within reach of lower and middle income families, and helps reduce tailpipe pollution. Although the cost of owning an EV is lower than that of a fossil fuel vehicle over the vehicle's lifespan, the higher upfront cost of EVs puts them out of reach for many car buyers. Because the rebate would occur at the point of sale, EV buyers would be able to lower their monthly payments and enjoy a wider selection of vehicles from which to choose.

Dear Delegates, Thank you for all you have done to support trails and green spaces in Virginia, especially the creation of the Office of Trails and the $93 million investment in multi-use trails. We are grateful for your current and future commitment to trails and green spaces in Virginia. The Virginia Trails Alliance (VTA) is a coalition of trail organizations and businesses that creates an annual common agenda that provides recommendations to improve and support trail development across the Commonwealth of Virginia that will make Virginia an even greater state in which to live and visit. From the famous Appalachian Trail to the Beaches to Bluegrass Trail, land and water trails connect communities and are essential for Virginia’s outdoor recreation economy, community vitality, and public health. The outdoor industry in Virginia correlates to 125,000 direct jobs (2.9% of all employees statewide), $11.3 billion in outdoor recreation value added, $5.5 billion in wages and salaries, and 1.7% of the state's GDP. And while this is impressive and significant, Virginia is ranked near the bottom across the country at #43 for the outdoor industry’s contribution to our economy - well below the national average - signaling a notable opportunity for investment and support. Virginia has seen significant growth in trail usage since the beginning of 2020, with upwards of 30% to 300% increases in some areas. The Virginia Trails Alliance encourages you and your administration to pursue the following recommendations to meet trail demand across the Commonwealth and reap the economic, health, transportation, and recreation rewards: Dedicated Funding for New Multi-Use Trails and Maintenance: Create a dedicated fund of $25 million per year for the construction of the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail, Eastern Shore Trail, Appomattox River Trail, the Fall Line, the Shenandoah Rail Trail, and many others to increase connectivity and maintain the existing but vulnerable infrastructure throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia should ensure equitable distribution through a grant process led by the Office of Trails, and leverage these funds to seek additional federal funding where possible. Expand the Recreational Trails Program: The Recreational Trails Program funds both motorized and non-motorized trails and is underfunded. Virginia should fund $25 million yearly to accelerate the construction of much-needed recreational trails through the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Office of Trails: The VTA is grateful to the administration for establishing Virginia’s Office of Trails under the Virginia Department of Transportation. We ask that the Office of Trails be fully funded for five staff positions. The VTA is ready to support and assist the Office of Trails in its growth in its early stages of study, design, and implementation. Sincerely, Virginia Trails Alliance

I write to express support for funding that will develop EV charging stations for rural and low-income residents of our state. I believe it is crucial to move as quickly as we can to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and that electric vehicles can be one important component of this change. I think there are people interested in going electric and willing to take this big step if financial incentives are available to help. But who wants to take that risk if they fear getting stranded somewhere with nowhere to charge your car. What if it's cold? What if your cell phone has also died? What if you have a child with you? Or it is hot in the car and the air outside is buzzing with mosquitos? You can't run the AC. No, I think I'll wait awhile till there are sufficient charging stations everywhere... How is this going to move us to the needed solutions?? Funding for rural and low-income EV chargers NOW.

As a full time resident of Northumberland County, I strongly urge the committees to include funding for flood resilience. Without RGGI funds, the Commonwealth will fail to meet the needs of my Northern Neck neighbors in regards to flood mitigation and prevention. Governor Youngkin proposed only $100 million for flood resilience in 2025 and nothing for 2026. This is an embarrassing fraction of what is required to keep Virginians safe from flooding; and much less than what yearly RGGI auctions have provided.

Clean transportation funding is essential to reducing harmful tailpipe pollution that disproportionately and negatively affects the health of lower income Virginians. Additional funding for transit needs to be designated in order to provide frequent, reliable service for all, and to reduce the number of cars on our roads. The budget should also include funding for Virginia’s EV Rebate Program, in order to put tax dollars back into the pockets of Virginians who want clean vehicle options that are currently out of their financial reach. For low income buyers, a Virginia rebate would amount to a $125 reduction on a monthly car payment for a 3-yr loan. It has been two years since Virginia passed legislation to create the EV Rebate Program, yet it remains unfunded. Sticker price is the top barrier for people who want to buy an EV. The state rebate would complement Federal incentives to put EVs within reach of lower- and middle-income families, and help reduce tailpipe pollution. While Federal incentives limit consumers’ choices based on where an EV is manufactured, Virginia’s rebate applies to all EVs, giving residents a wider range of options.

Good day, I am an ecologist and educator who moved to VA last June after retiring. My research in Bermuda found that petroleum hydrocarbons from vehicles (emissions, motor oil, road run-off) caused alarming endocrine disruption and deformities in wildlife. These results also prompted years of research to determine how human health could be affected. Therefore, I would like to strongly suggest that you fund the point-of-sale rebate legislation for EVs. This will assist low-income retirees like myself in purchasing an EV. I would also strongly support funding for rural and low income EV charging infrastructure. The complex I live in has 400 multi-family units and the neighboring multi-family complex has 600 units. There currently isn't a single EV charging station on either property. Many of the residents in both are retired and/or low-income. Subsidizing or facilitating EV charging stations in complexes like ours would allow residents the opportunity to own EVs. I'd also like to suggest that, rather than funding the development of additional highways, the money proposed for their construction be used to further develop high-speed rail and other forms of public transportation. Transportation accounts for approximately 50% of Virginia's greenhouse gas emissions. Building more highways will only encourage greater numbers of private vehicles on the road. In short, there is a need for bold leadership to address climate change. I have two very young grandchildren. I would like to be able to tell them that Virginia's political leaders acted with their future and the future of their children in mind. Thank you for your consideration.

I am writing to show my extreme support for a Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund. It is our legal and moral duty to protect nature. This means protecting our water from chemicals, protecting our wild life from human activity, and protecting our old growth forests. Without nature, we are nothing. Let’s protect this beautiful world we live in. We TAKE so much from nature. We can at least make a small attempt to GIVE back to nature, I’m an highly encouraging the support of funds and resources to protect the nature of Virginia. I demand that the Virginia Government enforces legal and moral practices that help nature, not hurt it.

Comments Document

The attached document contains comments by the Virginia Conservation Network regarding funding for water and resilience, land conservation, transportation, and energy projects. VCN’s full budgetary asks can be found in Our Common Agenda.

We are grateful for the investments the Commonwealth has made into Virginia’s foster care systems and appreciate the recognition of the need for continued improvement. The proposed investments in kinship care and prevention services are priorities that Virginia has been working towards for many years and we fully support the continued efforts to improve those services throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia’s social services system has also had a significant workforce retention crisis for many years, which affects thousands of children in the foster care system. This year, the Virginia General Assembly can help solve this crisis by investing in a Training Academy for all new employees of local departments of social services. In the current training model, it can take up to 2 years for staff to become fully trained and new employees begin carrying an active caseload prior to completing training for their role. This has overburdened new employees and has led to significant turnover in local departments. Turnover directly affects the services provided to children in foster care, the effects of which can include additional trauma and delays in permanency. Virginia Department of Social Services and the Virginia League of Social Services Executives collaborated to create a new training academy that will provide foundational training for all new employees, regardless of their role through standard foundational training and subsequent training tracks based on the employee’s role within the agency. Enhancing Virginia’s training model within the social services system will improve safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families served. While considering the Governor’s proposed budget, we ask that you continue investing in prevention services and kinship care, as well as include funding for a Training Academy. Virginia should put children first, particularly the vulnerable children involved in the foster care system and this investment will have a direct, positive impact on those children. The cost of this initiative will be $1,508,078 ($844,524 GF/$663,554 NGF) in FY25 and $3,974,179 ($2,225,540 GF/$1,748,639 NGF) in FY26. While this is an initial investment, it should be noted that Virginia will ultimately see savings through reduction in costs related to staff attrition.

For years, there have been significant problems in onboarding care providers (which, really don't exist anymore since the pandemic) and at times, providers have gone many weeks, even months without pay while 'administrators' work out the bugs. word like this gets around fast. No wonder there's almost nobody willing to provide in-home care anymore, unless it is someone who is highly-skilled who receives reasonable compensation. The economy has changed since the pandemic with school divisions crying that they cannot find bus drivers nor teachers, and now bus drivers in many local districts earn over $20/hr. AND receive benefits. So, who wants to work for @ $12-something/hour with no benefits and ample 'word of mouth' knowledge that at times, paid caregivers often go weeks or months without pay at all, and there's nobody who can afford that. All of this results in families being unduly burdened because there IS no help. The entire Waiver system must be entirely rebuilt from the ground up, and get rid of service facilitators, because many are completely incapable in their roles which causes people to go without payment. There are tremendous dollars going to administrative roles, and little to no benefit at all going to the actual waiver clients. The current system is irretrievably broken. There's no point in having a Waiver if there are no benefits available. Please create Long-Term Care facilities for Waiver children and adults for Respite at least! Respite is not even accessible. We are suffering...

I strongly and respectfully urge the Virginia General Assembly to create a Wildlife Corridor and Crossing Grant Fund and appropriate sufficient funds for full implementation of Virginia's Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. The facts are clear about the danger and cost of wildlife-vehicle collisions and the fact that properly designed crossings and fencing are effective. Therefore, I will not burden you with a long reiteration of statistics. What I will stress is the fact that we now have an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of federal funds to achieve the goals of of our Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and I strongly urge you to do so. Jerry Simonelli RR1 Box 513 1435 Highlands Roseland, VA 22967

These are some of the reasons why Virginia’s EV rebate program offers one of the most broadly beneficial incentives in the nation: - A $2,500 rebate would be available at the point of sale, so EV buyers would get the money immediately and wouldn’t have to have a tax liability to get it. - An additional $2,000 rebate would be available for low-income households. Both rebates would apply to new and used EVs, making the latter even more accessible. - Unlike the federal tax credit, eligibility wouldn’t be based on where the car was assembled or where the battery came from. Both rebates would apply to any new EV priced under $55,000 or used EV costing less than $25,000. Drive Electric RVA supports putting $40 million into the EV rebate program this year and $40 million in the following year. This is a fraction of the millions that have been recently allocated for economic development projects, from grants to support data center development to funding for business-ready sites throughout the state. Supporting the adoption of electric vehicles also has economic benefits — individually save money on fueling and maintaining their cars, while communities and the state overall avoid millions in health care costs associated with breathing polluted air. Here are some additional tidbits you can reference: https://richmond.com/opinion/column/commentary-jumpstarting-ev-adoption-in-virginia-starts-with-breaking-the-price-barrier/article_a344ff2c-991c-11ee-b268-8b149f531591.html

While I appreciate the Governor's commitment to funding the Priority 1 Waiver Wait list, having the DD Waiver is of little use when there are no support services available. Many providers went out of business throughout the pandemic when care providers were not able to go into homes and support those with in-home care benefits, leaving an ongoing critical void of any support at all for a large majority of families dependent on care services. Many have had to give up their careers and incomes to support their own children without care and the issue remains. It is necessary to continue to allow parents to be paid care providers for their own children because without inventory of people willing to work for the wages provided and the demands of care provision, many families have suffered tremendous financial loss and overwhelming stress by being sole caregivers for children because there are and have been no care providers available. Families should not suffer so tragically because one child has disabilities and qualifies for long-term care, but care is not available, forcing the entire burden on families and at the profound detriment of other children who lose out on Mom time, or Family Time due to parents having to provide non-stop, 24-7 care for individuals who are supposed to have access to quality in-home care. There simply isn't any, and will not be unless the pay rate for care providers is significantly righted to ensure an inventory of care providers. Families are suffering greatly by a system designed to help which has been non-functional for many years. There is FAR too much going towards administration and little to no actual benefit to the qualifying intended recipients. Please help. We are despondent, desperate and broke. Thank you.

Whereas all the changes seem to be steps backwards on environmental justice and fighting climate change, I am most concerned with the emphasis on taking away energy efficiency funding that gives everyone the opportunity to fight climate change, and save money. The "slush fund" for transportation projects also seems like a major step backwards, as it will likely lead to more cars on the road, when public transportation and other common sense transportation solutions lead to citizen choice in getting around in a climate conscious way.

Comments Document

The economy and the affects of Inflation on state of the highly demanded profession of the home care worker in the current economy.