NC House & Senate Budgets: A Side-by-Side Comparison

(http://www.arcnc.org/node/9773) A side-by-side comparison of two budgets and how they affect people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities: one passed by the NC House, the other by the NC Senate. Items in italics are identical.

EDUCATION
SENATE

HOUSE

Increases the amount of the Children with Disabilities Scholarship Increases the amount of the Children with Disabilities Scholarship
per pupil, per year amount to $8,000 from $6,000.
per pupil, per year amount to $8,000 from $6,000.
Provides $250,000 in recurring funding in the budget for the
program each year.

Provides $500,000 in recurring funding in the budget for the

program each year.

Raises the starting salary for new teachers to $35,000 from

$33,000.

Raises the starting salary for new teachers to $35,000 from

$33,000.

Veteran teachers do not get raises.

All teachers get an average salary increase of 2%.

Reduces class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.

No reduction in class size required.

Possible expansion in class sizes for grades four through twelve.

No language about increasing class sizes.

Eliminates all funding for teacher assistants.

Retains current level of funding for teacher assistants.

Does not include language and funding for Educational

Opportunities for People with Disabilities, a bill that includes a
package of positive changes to disability education law strongly
supported by The Arc of NC.

Does include language and funding for Educational

Opportunities for People with Disabilities, a bill that includes a
package of positive changes to disability education law strongly
supported by The Arc of NC.

No funding for the Adapted Sports pilot program.

Funds the Adapted Sports pilot program- an integrated,

community-based adapted sports program for students with
disabilities in grades K-12.

No funding for program aimed at supporting parents of children

who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Provides recurring funding for Beginnings, a NC non-profit, to

provide support for parents of children who are deaf or hard of
hearing.

No increase on the cap on funding for children with disabilities

from local school administrative units.

Increases the cap on funding for children with disabilities from

local school administrative units to 12.5% from 12%.

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

SENATE

HOUSE

No changes to medicaid eligibility, benefits, or provider

reimbursement rates.

No changes to medicaid eligibility, benefits, or provider

reimbursement rates.

Fully funds the NC ABLE Act, a bill that would create

tax-advantaged savings plans for people with disabilities.

Fully funds the NC ABLE Act, a bill that would create

tax-advantaged savings plans for people with disabilities.

Provides $2,316,000 in recurring funds for NC START teams. This

Provides $1,544,000 in recurring funds for NC START teams. This
would allow for a larger expansion of START teams services to
would allow START teams to expand services to children with I/DD
children with I/DD including adding respite services for children &
and to add respite services for children & adults.
adults.

Provides $2,000,000 in recurring funding for a new traumatic

brain injury Medicaid waiver.

Provides $2,000,000 in recurring funding for a new traumatic

brain injury Medicaid waiver.

Medicaid rebase for 2015-16: $311,806,719

Medicaid rebase for 2016-17: $489,053,809

Medicaid rebase for 2015-16: $287,490,000

Medicaid rebase for 2016-17: $460,608,615

Includes non-recurring reductions in funding for a total of over

$185 million less in funding to LME/MCOs, replacing it with money
taken from the existing LME/MCO cash balance.

No reduction/replacement of LME/MCO funding.

Closes the Wright School, which provides residential mental

health treatment to children with serious emotional and
behavioral issues from ages 6-10.

Maintains funding for the Wright School, which provides

residential mental health treatment to children with serious
emotional and behavioral issues from ages 6-10.

Terminates state contracts with North Carolina Community Care

Networks (CCNC), public/private partnerships that aim to provide
coordinated care through the medical home model.

Maintains contract with with North Carolina Community Care

Networks (CCNC), public/private partnerships that aim to provide
coordinated care through the medical home model.

No funding for a targeted case management pilot program.

Includes one-time funding for a targeted case management pilot

program for people with I/DD on the waiting list for Innovations
Waiver services.

Includes almost $23 million towards meeting meeting the

requirements of a US Department of Justice settlement requiring
the development of community housing, tenancy support, and
other services for people with mental illness.

Includes almost $23 million towards meeting meeting the

requirements of a US Department of Justice settlement requiring
the development of community housing, tenancy support, and
other services for people with mental illness.

Eliminates the LME/MCO system after two years by moving to an

1115 Medicaid Waiver. The provider-led entities managing
Medicaid services would then exist under a fully-capitated system
where they are at risk for cost overruns. Physical and behavioral
health services (including I/DD services) would be combined in
this model.

Mandates a timeline where, through consolidation, there would be

no more than 5 LME/MCOs by July 1, 2017. Further reform of the
Medicaid system is not included in the budget, rather in a
separate bill.

Credentialing fees for Medicaid providers remain the same.

Increases credentialing fees for Medicaid providers.

OTHER
SENATE

HOUSE

Creates an alternate system for medical tax-deduction on

personal income taxes for citizens with high medical bills.

Restores the medical tax-deduction from 2013-14 on personal

income taxes for citizens with high medical bills.

Repeals the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in

housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, familial
status, and disability. Also eliminates the NC Human Relations
Commission, which enforces the law and often similar federal
laws.

Does not change the Fair Housing Act or eliminate the NC Human
Relations Commission.

Lowers the amount that LME/MCOs are mandated to have in their Lowers the amount that LME/MCOs are mandated to have in their
risk/reserve funds by 2%.
risk/reserve funds by 2%.

Reduces sales tax refunds for nonprofits. Phases down amount of

purchases for which a nonprofit may receive a sales tax refund
over 5 years. Nonprofits in NC can claim up to $45 million in tax
exemptions each year. This provision would reduce that to $1
million annually by 2020.

Does not include any changes to current sales tax refunds for
nonprofits.

Caps annual charitable gift donations to nonprofits at $20,000.

This change may discourage significant gift contributions to
nonprofits.

Does not make any adjustments to the annual charitable gift

donation for nonprofits.

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