iWeek one of the 2022 Legislative Session is in the books. The halls were relatively quiet on Friday as legislators filed in to receive copies of the budgets before sprinting home. The most action of the morning came in the form of members taking turns in the well to proclaim their disdain or support for President Biden and Vice President Harris's visit to the state earlier in the week.
Speaker Ralston wished all the members safety throughout the weekend and alluded to potential changes to the budget hearings schedule depending on the weather events. He icily concluded by saying the Department of Transportation is deploying all assets to prevent any situation that resembles the events in Virginia earlier this year.
The chambers adjourned in unison less than an hour after gaveling in. With not much else to report from the day’s convening, this edition of the #GoldDomeReport provides a deep dive on the Governor’s budget proposals published yesterday. Read on to follow the money.
In this Report:
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IN DEPTH: Governor’s Budget Proposals
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New Legislation
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What’s Next
IN DEPTH: Governor’s Budget Proposals
After discussing key elements of his budget priorities during the Eggs & Issues breakfast and his fourth State of the State address, Governor Kemp released his complete budget proposals for Amended FY22 and FY23 on Thursday. These proposals, now introduced in the House as HB 910 and HB 914, reflect proposed spending increases of $2.64 billion in Amended FY22 over the original FY22 budget (+9.7%) and $2.95 billion in FY23 over the original FY22 budget (+10.8%). These increases do not include the additional $1.6 billion in undesignated surplus funds that Governor Kemp proposes to refund to 2021 income tax filers later this spring at a rate of $250 for single filers, $375 for heads of household, and $500 for those married filing jointly.
Governor Kemp’s complete budget proposals are available online, but we have analyzed and excerpted key line items focused on health, education, and human services spending below. These excerpts are intended as highlights and are not inclusive of all budget changes proposed by Governor Kemp. They also do not include adjustments applied across all State agencies, like the proposed $5,000 salary increase for all State employees and retirement contribution adjustments, or formula-driven allocations based on demand, enrollment, or utilization, like Medicaid and QBE funding increases.
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will meet next week to hear testimony from State agency leaders on their individual agency budget proposals. Those hearings will be livestreamed starting on Tuesday at 9AM
Amended FY22
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Governor's Proposal |
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Community Health |
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Departmental Administration |
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Increase funds for Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) contractual services to reflect enrollment growth. |
$3,446,489 |
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Increase funds for waiver advisory services. |
$290,000 |
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Increase funds to replace the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) with the Medicaid Enterprise System Transformation (MEST). |
$6,735,410 |
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Increase funds for the All-Payer Claims Database to enable analysis and public reporting of health care costs and utilization for medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services |
$2,815,000 |
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Increase funds for the Enterprise Analytics Solution for Everyone (EASE) data warehouse. |
$424,535 |
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Indigent Care Trust Fund |
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Increase funds to provide the state match for Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments for private deemed and non-deemed hospitals. |
$2,714,137 |
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Medicaid - Aged, Blind, and Disabled |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of clinical trials. |
$1,040,534 |
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Medicaid - Low-Income Medicaid |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of donor milk. |
$447,465 |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of clinical trials. |
$3,580 |
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Education |
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Agricultural Education |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for the Area Teacher Program, Extended Day/Year, Young Farmers, and Youth Camps. |
$253,606 |
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Preschool Disabilities Services |
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Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $2,000 to full-time employees and $1,000 to parttime employees, to include QBE-funded instructional staff, school support staff, school administration, and central administration. |
$1,968,130 |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for grants. |
$1,682,204 |
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Pupil Transportation |
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Provide funds to replace 1,747 buses statewide over three years at a base bus cost of $88,110 and provide funds for reimbursement of key safety features. |
$188,001,658 |
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Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $1,000 to all bus drivers. |
$14,065,549 |
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Quality Basic Education Program |
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Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $2,000 to full-time employees and $1,000 to parttime employees, to include QBE-funded instructional staff, school support staff, school administration, and central administration. |
$315,900,085 |
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Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $1,000 to all school nurses. |
$2,070,595 |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for K-12 education. |
$382,696,501 |
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Regional Education Service Agencies |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for grants to RESAs. |
$593,006 |
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Technology/Career Education |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for Extended Day/Year, Vocational Supervisors, Industry Certification, and Youth Apprenticeship programs. |
$282,460 |
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Testing |
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Increase funds to administer Georgia Milestones in accordance with Federal requirements. |
$2,392,938 |
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Human Services |
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Departmental Administration |
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Increase funds for the Integrated Eligibility System costs for the implementation of the Patients First Act (2019 Session). |
$4,016,595 |
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Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency: Vocational Rehabilitation Program |
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Increase funds for upgrades to the case management system. |
$100,000 |
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Juvenile Justice |
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Community Service |
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Increase funds to reflect the loss of Title IV-E funds associated with the October 1, 2021 implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and the statewide transition to increased family-based placement settings. |
$525,980 |
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Increase funds for Room, Board, and Watchful Oversight to reflect the loss of Title IV-E federal funds. |
$2,063,736 |
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Public Health |
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Infectious Disease Control |
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Increase funds to address the state funds shortfall for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) per the state match requirement in the Ryan White Care Act Title II Award. |
$9,900,884 |
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Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission |
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Increase funds to reflect 2021 Super Speeder collections and reinstatement fees. |
$7,391,635 |
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Increase funds to reflect fireworks excise tax revenue collections. |
$1,144,171 |
FY23
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Governor's Proposal |
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Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities |
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Adult Addictive Disease Services |
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Provide funds for a 10% increase for core services for addictive diseases |
$1,667,223 |
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Adult Development Disabilities Services |
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Increase funds to annualize the cost of 100 New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP) slots for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. |
$1,960,937 |
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Increase funds for 100 additional slots for the New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. |
$1,984,115 |
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Adult Mental Health Services |
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Increase funds for the Georgia Housing Voucher Program to support the requirements of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Settlement Agreement. |
$1,381,478 |
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Increase funds to convert an existing 16-bed crisis stabilization unit in Augusta to a 24-bed and 16 temporary observation chair behavioral health crisis center. |
$3,792,613 |
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Increase funds for the operational costs of 13 additional crisis stabilization unit beds at The Bradley Center of St. Francis Hospital. |
$2,383,911 |
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Provide funds for a 10% increase for core services for mental health. |
$6,139,890 |
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Provide funds to allow for Medicaid reimbursement of psychiatric and behavioral health care management services |
$1,154,101 |
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Increase funds for three additional Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs. |
$4,500,000 |
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Community Health |
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Indigent Care Trust Fund |
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Increase funds to provide the state match for Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments for private deemed and non-deemed hospitals. |
$15,882,042 |
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Medicaid - Aged, Blind, and Disabled |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of clinical trials. |
$2,412,359 |
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Medicaid - Low-Income Medicaid |
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Increase funds for the implementation of express lane enrollment pursuant to the passage of HB 163 (2021 Session). |
$39,466,982 |
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Provide funds to eliminate attestation and reimburse all providers at enhanced rates for all 108 procedure codes. |
$85,403,385 |
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Increase funds to provide one year of postpartum coverage effective upon Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services approval. |
$28,184,166 |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of therapeutic services. |
$11,258,121 |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of psychiatric and behavioral health care management services. |
$1,597,736 |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of clinical trials. |
$8,301 |
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Provide funds for the Medicaid reimbursement of donor milk. |
$469,138 |
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Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce: Graduate Medical Education |
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Increase funds for 136 new residency slots in primary care medicine. |
$2,534,985 |
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Provide funds for a pilot program to perform echocardiograms of pregnant and postpartum women to address maternal mortality. |
$680,000 |
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Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce: Mercer School of Medicine Grant |
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Increase funds for the third year of the seven-year plan for Mercer School of Medicine's medical school campus in Columbus. |
$1,073,231 |
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Education |
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Agricultural Education |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for the Area Teacher Program, Extended Day/Year, Young Farmers, and Youth Camps. |
$253,606 |
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Non Quality Basic Education Formula Grants |
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Increase formula funds for Residential Treatment Facilities based on attendance. |
$919,406 |
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Increase funds to adjust the state base salary schedule to increase salaries for certified teachers and certified employees by $2,000 effective September 1, 2022, for Residential Treatment Facilities. |
$268,285 |
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Nutrition |
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Increase funds for a 5.4% salary increase. |
$1,816,267 |
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Preschool Disabilities Services |
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Increase funds to adjust the state base salary schedule to increase salaries for certified teachers and certified employees by $2,000 effective September 1, 2022. |
$908,226 |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for grants. |
$1,682,204 |
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Pupil Transportation |
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Increase funds for a 5.4% salary increase. |
$4,412,227 |
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Quality Basic Education Program |
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Increase funds to adjust the state base salary schedule to increase salaries for certified teachers and certified employees by $2,000 effective September 1, 2022. |
$287,136,600 |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for K-12 education. |
$382,696,501 |
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Regional Education Service Agencies |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for grants to RESAs. |
$593,006 |
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Technology/Career Education |
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Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for Extended Day/Year, Vocational Supervisors, Industry Certification, and Youth Apprenticeship programs. |
$282,460 |
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BONDS |
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Capital Outlay Program - Low Wealth for local school construction, statewide. |
$46,095,000 |
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Capital Outlay Program - Additional Low Wealth for local school construction, statewide. |
$42,305,000 |
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Capital Outlay Program - Regular for local school construction, statewide. |
$197,545,000 |
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Capital Outlay Program - Regular Advance for local school construction, statewide. |
$2,765,000 |
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Purchase career, technical, and agricultural education equipment, statewide. |
$2,270,000 |
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Construction and improvements to FFA/FCCLA Center and Camp John Hope, Covington, Newton County. |
$515,000 |
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Human Services |
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Child Welfare Services |
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Provide funds for a community action team pilot program to address children who are in, or are at risk of entering, foster care. |
$1,500,000 |
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Provide funds for an autism recognition pilot program in Region 12. |
$451,978 |
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Provide funds for autism respite care. |
$1,000,000 |
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Out of Home Care |
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Provide funds for a 10% provider rate increase for Child Caring Institutions, Child Placing Agencies, foster parents, and relative caregivers. (Total Funds: $31,487,817) |
$27,810,584 |
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Utilize $6,700,000 in existing funds to improve the continuum of care including preventative and therapeutic services, in addition to addressing youth with complex needs. |
Yes |
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Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency: Vocational Rehabilitation Program |
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Provide funds for capital maintenance and repairs |
$4,310,000 |
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Juvenile Justice |
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Community Service |
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Increase funds to reflect the loss of Title IV-E funds associated with the October 1, 2021 implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and the statewide transition to increased family-based placement settings. |
$701,307 |
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Increase funds for Room, Board, and Watchful Oversight to reflect the loss of Title IV-E federal funds. |
$3,375,088 |
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Public Health |
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Adolescent and Adult Health Promotion |
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Provide funds for a comprehensive care management pilot for high-risk pregnancy populations |
$500,000 |
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Emergency Preparedness/Trauma System Improvement |
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Increase funds to expand the Georgia Regional Coordinating Center's efforts to coordinate emergency room capacity statewide. |
$4,359,309 |
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Infectious Disease Control |
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Increase funds to address the state funds shortfall for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) per the state match requirement in the Ryan White Care Act Title II Award. |
$9,900,884 |
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Increase funds for the third year of a three-year pilot for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for individuals at risk of HIV pursuant to passage of HB 290 (2019 Session). |
$45,709 |
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Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission |
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Increase funds to reflect FY 2021 reinstatement fees. |
$7,325,637 |
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Dedicate $13,594,359 in state general funds as Trauma Care Network Trust Funds and increase funds to reflect FY 2021 Super Speeder collections pursuant to HB 511 (2021 Session). |
Yes |
New Legislation
The following legislation of interest has been introduced in the House:
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H.B.901 |
Local government; prohibit deannexation of territory from an existing municipal corporation to incorporate a new municipal corporation |
GA Rep. Shea Roberts (D-GA-052) |
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H.B.902 |
Insurance; reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers requiring insulin |
GA Rep. Kim Schofield (D-GA-060) |
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H.B.904 |
Education; use of corporal punishment by school personnel with any student in any public school; prohibit |
GA Rep. Debra Bazemore (D-GA-063) |
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H.B.905 |
Crimes and offenses; limitations regarding use of electronic monitoring devices; provide |
GA Rep. Ricky Williams (R-GA-145) |
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H.B.907 |
Elections; dates for special elections; question related to sales and use taxes for transportation; revise provisions |
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H.B.908 |
Elections; dates for special elections; question to the voters in even-numbered years; revise provisions |
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H.B.910 |
Supplemental appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 |
GA Speaker David Ralston (R-GA-007) |
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H.B.914 |
General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 |
GA Speaker David Ralston (R-GA-007) |
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H.B.916 |
Superior and State Court Appellate Practice Act; enact |
GA Rep. Rob Leverett (R-GA-033) |
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H.B.918 |
Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council; provide establishment |
GA Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-GA-138) |
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H.R.577 |
Health; increased awareness, education, and research regarding rare diseases; recognize |
GA Rep. Kim Schofield (D-GA-060) |
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H.R.578 |
National Black Caucus of State Legislators; efforts to identify the critical need for increasing access to healthcare, food and credit; recognize |
GA Rep. Kim Schofield (D-GA-060) |
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What’s Next
The General Assembly is in adjournment next week for Joint Appropriations Committee hearings on the Goverr’s AFY22 and FY23 budget proposals. The schedule for these hearings can be found here.
The General Assembly will reconvene for Legislative Day 5 on Monday, January 24, at 10 AM.
Representative Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth) and Representative Greg Kennard (D-Lawrenceville) announced the first Mental Health Caucus Meeting for Tuesday, January 25th.
