August 25,
2009
To the
Honorable Members of the
Illinois
House of Representatives
96th
General Assembly
Today, I
return House Bill 746 with specific recommendations for change. I thank the
sponsors for their hard work and the members of the General Assembly for
passing this bill. However, in order for me to give unqualified support
to this measure, I respectfully request the adoption of the recommendations set
forth below.
House Bill 746 requires the Department of Human
Services to operate the Rapid Reintegration Pilot Program. The purpose is to
demonstrate that, with appropriate support and services, individuals with
physical disabilities and mental illness who need short term placement of six
months or less in a nursing home facility can return to the community without
unnecessary institutionalization. However, I believe this bold approach should
be conducted with each of the special needs population groups, including older
adults. The state is already engaged in the Money
Follows the Person demonstration program to assist individuals within these
special needs populations who have nursing home stays of six months or longer. The
effort envisioned by House Bill 746 should include the same populations for
those whose stays are less than six months. Therefore, I have included the Department
on Aging in this pilot program. Regrettably, in spite of the laudable
goal of this bill, during this period of unprecedented financial difficulty, we
cannot create any new mandates. Accordingly, I am conditioning this program on
sufficient appropriations being available for its support.
Therefore,
pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I
hereby return House Bill 746, entitled “AN ACT concerning public aid.”, with
the following specific recommendations for change:
on page 1, by deleting
line 10 and replacing it with “(a) The Department of Human Services and the
Department on Aging shall operate, subject to appropriation, a Rapid”; and
on page 1, by deleting line 12 and replacing it with “is
to demonstrate that, with appropriate support and services, individuals age 65
and older,”; and
on page 1, by deleting lines 17 through 19, and replacing
them with “institutionalization. The pilot program sites shall be those
initiated or operated in Fiscal Year 2009. After completion of a successful
evaluation, the pilot program may be expanded to other sites as”; and
on page 1, by deleting
line 21 and replacing it with “(b) The Department of Human Services and the Department
on Aging shall secure, subject to appropriation, the”; and
on page 2 by deleting line 2 and
replacing it with “Case Coordination Units, Service Coordination Agencies,
and the Home Services Program to”; and
on page 2, by deleting line 6 and
replacing it with “(c) The Case Coordination Units, Service Coordination
Agencies, and the Home Services”; and
on page 2, line 7, by replacing “make” with “make,
subject to appropriation,”; and
on page 2, by deleting line 12 and
replacing it with “(d) The Case Coordination Units, Service Coordination
Agencies, and the Home Services”; and
on page 2, line 13, by replacing “make” with “make,
subject to appropriation,”; and
on page 2, by deleting line 18 and replacing it with “independent
living, community mental health agencies and area agencies on aging.”; and
on page 2, line 22, by replacing “assessed” with “assessed,
subject to appropriation,”; and
on page 2,
line 26, by replacing “operate” with “operate, subject to
appropriation,”; and
on page 3, by deleting lines 2 through 10, and replacing
them with “96th General Assembly. The Department of Healthcare and Family
Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the
Department on Aging, shall assess, subject to appropriation, the effectiveness
of the pilot program.”.
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With these changes, House Bill 746 will have my
approval. I respectfully request your concurrence.
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Sincerely,
PAT QUINN
Governor