SJ0031 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0031 LRB096 11172 DRJ 21558 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois' children, mothers, families and individuals are experiencing economic hardships, increasing stress in their personal and family lives; and

WHEREAS, The loss of jobs, homes, and charitable and government funded services adds to the incidence and severity of mental illness and substance abuse, resulting in increased burdens on law enforcement services and hospital emergency rooms and suffering of children and the families who bear the burden of dealing with those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is in an historic fiscal crisis affecting its ability to maintain support of safety net community care for mental and substance use disorders; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly in its wisdom and through the appropriation of both federal and State funds has historically supported community based care provided by community care mental health and substance misuse treatment providers; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly's wisdom and prudent appropriations from the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund have resulted in a significant current balance in this dedicated fund; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly in its wisdom has directed additional deposits into the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund for State fiscal years 2009 through 2013; and

WHEREAS, The recent increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, also known as FMAP, affords the State of Illinois the ability to pay its financial obligations in a timely fashion, helping to maintain community care provided by mental health and substance misuse treatment community providers; and

WHEREAS, The recently approved Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, also known as FMAP, increase will result in increased deposits into the Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund; and

WHEREAS, A prudent use of a combination of these existing funds would allow the State of Illinois to maintain its current commitments for Illinois children, mothers, families and individuals in need of care and treatment provided by mental health and substance misuse treatment community providers; and

WHEREAS, A prudent use of these existing funds would allow the State of Illinois to address the infrastructure needs of mental health and substance misuse treatment community providers; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois can rescue children, mothers, families and individuals in need of community care by using available funds from the increase in FMAP, the available funds in the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund, and the increased deposits into the Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund, which can help maintain care and treatment and the community care infrastructure; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do hereby encourage the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to utilize the funds available due to the increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, also known as FMAP, along with funds available in the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund and funds available in the Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund, to maintain appropriation levels supporting current community care provided by mental health and substance misuse treatment community providers and increase funding to pay the State's obligations in a timely fashion; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we do hereby encourage the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to utilize the funds available due to the increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, also known as FMAP, along with funds available in the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund and funds available in the Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund, to ensure that all rates are sufficient to maintain current community care infrastructure provided by mental health and substance misuse treatment community providers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Illinois General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, and the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget.