Susan Senator

Report from The Arc of Massachusetts:
5948-0012 DESE/DDS (7061-0012) $4,600,000 $6,500,000
Disability Supports in the Balance:
Conference Committee Results
June 30, 2011

On June 30, the Conference Committee Members released the 2012 Conference Committee Report. We are pleased to report that the Committee chose to endorse the higher House numbers for the Dept. of Developmental Services (DDS). It also came close to the Senate total for line item 4000-0700 ($1,000,000 less) which holds the accounts for Day Habilitation, Adult Foster or Family Care and Adult Day Health, although it did not adopt the language which provided a 60-day notice for cuts. The governor does have the authority to stop such cuts and we will appeal to him.

• The positives are: Family Support with $41 Million (still short $4.5 M of 2011 figure);
• Employment with $1 Million of the $2.7 Million needed for Turning 22 graduates ($124.267 M);
• Additionally the report avoided deeper cuts in DDS service coordination by providing the House number of $60.67 Million.

For Special Education and Children with ID’s and DD’s under 22:

• The DESE/DDS dollars and language which was at $6.5 Million in both branches also reflects a positive for our constituents.
• Among other accounts, we’re pleased to report that Early Intervention did get the Senate figure of $31.4 Million
• The circuit breaker (public school funding for expensive in-house SPED programs) maintainned $213 Million overall (7061-0012)