Massachusetts State Budget News

The Governor will file his budget recommendations for the 2012 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012) sometime near the end of January 2011.  We will post the link to the entrie budget once it is filed.

MAMH will use this page to focus on the budget proposed for the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and to provide information on issues related to people with severe and persistent mental illnesses.

BUDGET PROCESS OVERVIEW:
For those not familiar with the State Budget Process, here is a quick overview of the process:

The Governor’s proposed budget is generally filed on the last Wednesday in January for the fiscal year beginning July 1st of that year. The budget filed by the Governor in the first year of the two year legislative session is generally assigned the number HOUSE 1. The budget filed by the Governor in the second year of the 2 year legislative session is assigned the number HOUSE 2.

Once filed, the budget proposal is reviewed by the House Committee on Ways and Means. That Committee will report out its recommended budget generally sometime in April and it will be open for debate and amendments by the House. As a general rule the House passes its version of the budget towards the end of April and that version goes to the Senate where it is referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Usually, the Senate Ways and Means Committee will report out its budget recommendation in May and it will be open for debate and amendments in the Senate.Once the Senate passes its version of the budget, and assuming it is different than that passed by the House, both budget documents will be reviewed by a Conference Committee consisting of three members of the House (appointed by the Speaker) and three members of the Senate (appointed by the Senate President.) The Conference Committee membership is generally the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and ranking minority party members of the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means.

The Conference Committee is charged with the responsibility of resolving all differences between the House and Senate passed budgets. Since the goal is to have a budget in place by July 1^st, the Conference Committee tries to report out its budget proposal (Conference Committee Report) by mid to late June. The Conference Committee Report must be “accepted” by majority votes in both the House and Senate. While it can be and usually is debated, it cannot be amended by either the House or the Senate.

Once the Conference committee Report is accepted by both the House and Senate, it returns to the House for enactment and then to the Senate for enactment. Once enacted by both it goes to the Governor who has the authority to veto an item, to reduce and to propose amendments. The Governor is required to act within ten days.

With respect to any vetoes, the House and Senate have until the end of the legislative session to override a veto and it must be done by a 2/3^rd vote in both branches.

The Budget Table at the end of this text is designed to provide a quick overview of the budgets the Governor and the Legislature propose for DMH.

GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED FY 2012 BUDGET (HOUSE 1)

House One proposed $21.4 Million in budget reductions for DMH. The cuts were proposed for the following areas:
 ·       Inpatient Account: A  $16.4 reduction was proposed:  The Commissioner of DMH has stated this will require the reduction of 160 beds and the layoff of 250 employees.  There will be a planning process, but initial indications are that this kind of a reduction will require the closure of an institution, and bed reductions scross the system.
·        Child and Adolescent Services: A $2 Million cut in the flexible support services for families and individuals.  This will impact approximately 175 children.  Flexible family and individual supports are generally services that do not meet the Medicaid (MassHealth) requirement of medical necessity, for example after school programs or activities.
·       Adult Mental Health Services:  A $3 Million cut is proposed, and DMH is stating it will be in the account that pays for clubhouse services.  DMH estimates it will impact approximately 2,000 clubhouse members.

HOUSE WAY & MEANS COMMITTEE BUDGET:
The budget proposal of the House Ways & Means Committee,announced on April 13, 2011, restored soem of hte cuts proposed by Governor Patrick in House 1.  Specifically, the Committee:

(1) Restored $2.4 Million of the $3 Million cut to Clubhouse servcies;
(2) Fully restored the $2 Million cut to Child and Adolescent services; and
(3) Restored $1 Million of the $16.4 Million cut to Hospital/inpatient services.

HOUSE FLOOR AMEDMENTS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH

The House amended the budget recommended for DMH by the House Ways and Mweans Committee by inserting language authorizing DMH to access $5.6 Million in trust funds to expand community mental health services, including $558,000 for clubhouse services.  (In effect, this fully restored the $3 Million cut to clubhouse that was proposed in the Governor's budget.  The House also added $1 Million to the Emergency Servcies Account.

The FY 2012 Budget is now under review by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which is expected to release its proposal sometime in May.

 
SENATE ADDS MILLIONS TO DMH PROPOSED BUDGET
The Senate’s proposed budget for FY 2012 added more than $27 Million to the Department of Mental Health’s over the amounts proposed by the Governor.

The largest increase in the inpatient or Hospital account. Under the Governor’s House 1 proposal, DMH would have had to close 160 beds. The Senate fully funded this account, and there is no immediate need to close beds. While beds may close over the next 12 to 24 months, it will not be because of budget reductions, but rather after an assessment of inpatient capacity needs and a thoughtful planning process.

The budget now proceeds to a Joint Conference Committee to resolve differences between the budgets passed by the House and Senate. 

GOVERNOR SIGNS FY 2012 BUDGET PROVIDING DMH WITH SIGNIFICANT INCREASE

    The Budget recommended by the Joint Conference Committee and enacted in the House and Senate was signed by Governor Patrick without reducing any of the appropriations for the Department of Mental Health.
   "We are delighted the Governor approved the higher spending levels for DMH contained in the Conference Committee budget," said Bernie Carey, MAMH's Executive Director.  MAMH, along with a number of mental health advocates, had written the Governor urging that he approve the budget proposed for DMH by the Conference Committee.  FY 12 Advocates Letter to Governor

The table below outlines the appropriaition level for DMH

*  Trust funds

MAMH will update this page & table as more information becomes available.