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2016 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 443
BY SENATOR HEWITT
FISCAL CONTROLS. Provides for mandatory meetings of the Health and Social Services
Estimating Conference for purposes of developing budget recommendations for the
Medicaid program. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 39:21.3(E)(1) and (2) and to enact R.S. 39:21.3(E)(4), relative
3 to the Health and Social Services Estimating Conference; to provide for the duties
4 of the conference; to provide for mandatory meetings of the conference for the
5 purpose of developing budget recommendations for the Medicaid program; to
6 provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 39:21.3(E)(1) and (2) are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
9 39:21.3(E)(4) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 ยง21.3. Consensus estimating conferences; duties and principals
11 * * *
12 E. Health and Social Services Estimating Conference.
13 (1) Duties. The Health and Social Services Estimating Conference shall
14 develop such official information relating to the health and social service system of
15 the state, including forecasts of social and health service caseloads, including but
16 not limited to the number of Medicaid enrollees, the categories under which
17 Medicaid eligibles enroll, and the utilization of healthcare services within the
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 443
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1 Medicaid program, as the conference determines is needed for the state planning
2 and budgeting system.
3 (2) Principals. The principals of the Health and Social Services Estimating
4 Conference are as follows:
5 (a) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, or his
6 designee.
7 (b) The chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare, or his
8 designee.
9 (c) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, or his designee.
10 (d) The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, or his
11 designee.
12 (e) The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, or his
13 designee.
14 (f) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, or
15 his designee.
16 (g) A member of the professional staff of the office of the governor to be
17 appointed by the governor.
18 (b) (h) A member of the professional staff of the division of administration
19 to be appointed by the commissioner of administration.
20 (c) (i) A member of the professional staff of the legislature who shall have
21 forecasting expertise to be appointed by the president of the Senate.
22 (d) (j) A member of the professional staff of the legislature who shall have
23 forecasting expertise to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
24 (e) (k) A member of the professional staff of the Department of Health and
25 Hospitals who shall have forecasting expertise to be appointed by the secretary of the
26 Department of Health and Hospitals.
27 (f) (l) A member of the professional staff of the Department of Children and
28 Family Services who shall have forecasting expertise to be appointed by the
29 secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
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1 * * *
2 (4) Meetings. The conference shall meet at least three times per year as
3 follows:
4 (a) In September, to establish an initial forecast for the ensuing fiscal
5 year which shall be utilized by the Department of Health and Hospitals in
6 formulating its budget request.
7 (b) In December, to revise the forecast for the ensuing fiscal year which
8 shall be utilized in the preparation of the executive budget recommendations by
9 the state budget office.
10 (c) In April, to revise the forecast for the ensuing fiscal year which shall
11 be utilized by the legislature in its adoption of a state budget for the ensuing
12 fiscal year.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
15 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
16 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
17 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
18 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Martha S. Hess.
DIGEST
SB 443 Engrossed 2016 Regular Session Hewitt
Present law provides the duties of the Health and Social Services Estimating Conference to
be developing official information relating to the health and social service system of the
state, including forecasts of social and health service caseloads, as the conference determines
is needed for the state planning and budgeting system.
Proposed law retains present law and provides that the forecasts of social and health service
caseloads shall include but not be limited to the number of Medicaid enrollees, the categories
under which Medicaid eligibles enroll, and the utilization of healthcare services within the
Medicaid program.
Present law provides for the principals of the Conference as:
(1)A member of the professional staff of the office of the governor to be appointed by
the governor.
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(2)A member of the professional staff of the division of administration to be appointed
by the commissioner of administration.
(3)A member of the professional staff of the legislature who shall have forecasting
expertise to be appointed by the president of the Senate.
(4)A member of the professional staff of the legislature who shall have forecasting
expertise to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
(5)A member of the professional staff of the Department of Health and Hospitals who
shall have forecasting expertise to be appointed by the secretary of the Department
of Health and Hospitals.
(6)A member of the professional staff of the Department of Children and Family
Services who shall have forecasting expertise to be appointed by the secretary of the
Department of Children and Family Services.
Proposed law retains present law and adds as principals to the conference:
(1)The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, or his designee.
(2)The chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare, or his designee.
(3) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, or his designee.
(4) The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, or his designee.
(5)The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, or his designee.
(6)The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, or his designee.
Present law provides that the principal representing the office of the governor shall preside
over sessions of the conference.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that the conference shall meet at least three times per year as follows:
(1)In September, to establish an initial forecast for the ensuing fiscal year which shall
be utilized by the Department of Health and Hospitals in formulating its budget
request.
(2)In December, to revise the forecast for the ensuing fiscal year which shall be utilized
in the preparation of the executive budget recommendations by the state budget
office.
(3) In April, to revise the forecast for the ensuing fiscal year which shall be utilized by
the legislature in its adoption of a state budget for the ensuing fiscal year.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 39:21.3(E)(1) and (2); adds R.S. 39:21.3(E)(4))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.