DeSantis OKs revamp to disabilities program
More funds for iBudget among the bills signed
Backing one of Senate President Bill Galvano’s priorities, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill that will revamp a program that helps people with intellectual or developmental disabilities live in their homes and communities.
The bill (SB 82), which will make changes in what is known as the iBudget program, was one of 23 measures that DeSantis signed, his office announced late Tuesday. The bills were passed during the legislative session that ended in March.
Galvano, R-Bradenton, focused during the session on making changes to the iBudget program and on increasing funding for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
“Coupled with increased funding in our budget, this legislation reinforces our strong and unwavering commitment to our fellow Floridians with unique abilities.” Galvano said in March after lawmakers gave final approval to the bill.
The Medicaid-funded iBudget program was created in 2014 to help people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, such as severe autism, spina bifida, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, live as independently as possible. Beneficiaries have individual budgets to spend on the services they require. The budgets are determined using a complex algorithm.
But the program has run repeated financial deficits, which have drawn heavy legislative attention.
Part of the bill signed Tuesday will require support coordinators who work with iBudget beneficiaries to be employed by what are described as “qualified organizations” if they want to continue in the program. Currently, support coordinators can be independent contractors.
Among other things, the bill will centralize a process for people with disabilities to increase the amounts of money allocated to them under the iBudget program.
DeSantis has signed dozens of bills this month from the 2020 session but has not acted on high-profile issues such as a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Also Tuesday, DeSantis backed a bill (HB 1213) that requires the Department of Education to develop standards and curriculum for teaching the history of the Holocaust.
In part, the bill requires the Commissioner of Education’s African American History Task Force to make recommendations about what will be included in classroom instruction about a 1920 election day riot in Ocoee that targeted African-Americans. The task force will submit a report by March 1.