NCGA starts legislative short session; NC Center for Safer Schools issues guidance regarding school Threat Assessment Teams; Tailored Plan Reminders
North Carolina General Assembly is back in session.
Legislators have returned to Raleigh for the start of the “short” legislative session that takes place in even numbered years. During this briefer legislative session, lawmakers consider adjustments to the two-year budget passed last year as well as take up some of the bills that were passed by one of the legislative chambers, but not passed into law last session. Lawmakers have the opportunity in the short session to consider many of the policy priorities ASNC and other intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) advocates have been pushing for including additional increases to provider rates that employ direct support professionals, adding more Innovations waiver slots, and increasing funding for special education, as well as other issues. The need for waiver slots is likely to be an ongoing issue for lawmakers as the 17,500 and growing list of people with I/DD eligible for waiver services face a decade or more long wait.
ASNC encourages you to reach out to your General Assembly members in support of increasing access to services and education for people on the autism spectrum, as well as thanking them for their support of DSP wage increases and other funding in the current budget.
You can find out who represents you in the NCGA here. You must select “NC House” and then “NC Senate” before entering your residential address in order to view the state legislators for your districts. Every member of the General Assembly has a page with their contact information.
The members of the NCGA Health and Human Services Appropriations Committees, House and Senate, are responsible for making decisions about funding for programs like Innovations, Medicaid services, and other state funded supports.
The members of the NCGA Appropriations Education Committees, House and Senate, are responsible for making decisions about funding special education and related school services.
ASNC has tips on advocating and an Advocacy toolkit on our Make Your Voice Heard page that may be helpful in writing or calling your legislators. If you need help identifying who represents you, who you should contact about a specific public policy issue, or more information on interacting with your elected officials, please email Jennifer Mahan, Director of Public Policy at the Autism Society of North Carolina.
Center for Safer School releases Threat Assessment Guidance.
NC Center for Safer Schools has issued guidance regarding school Threat Assessment Teams. In 2023, The North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 605 which updated the law for North Carolina’s school threat assessment teams, clarifying the composition of the teams and the process for threat assessments by local schools. North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction, Center for Safer Schools has issued best practices guidance for schools to help support their threat assessment and management process. Local schools and school districts in North Carolina have significant autonomy in determining how they implement programs for safer schools, so this guidebook is intended to outline the framework for school violence prevention as schools develop their own policies. It does not require a uniform set of policies or procedures to be used by the schools. ASNC and child advocates continue to monitor the threat assessment team process and make recommendations to policymakers.
Tailored Plan Implementation Continues.
A reminder that most Medicaid health plan members with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as those with serious mental health or substance use disorders, will move to Medicaid Tailored Plans beginning July 1, 2024. May 15, 2024, is the deadline for Tailored Plan members to select a primary care provider (PCP). Members who do not select a PCP will be assigned to one. ASNC also recommends reviewing your Tailored Plan’s provider network list to see if it includes your specialty health care providers.
ASNC has created a Medicaid Transformation webpage that includes information about the Tailored Plans, timelines, and other resources about this transition.