Relates to self-direction funding adjustments for the office for people with developmental disabilities

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why William Weber says this is needed

The self-direction program is designed to provide flexible, individual- ized supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, funding limits governing key categories - including OTPS, FRR, and IDGS subcategories such as Health Club Memberships, Camp, and Coaching and Education - have not kept pace with inflation since at least 2020. The current OTPS cap of $3,000 and FRR cap of $3,000 reflect values that have been eroded by years of flat funding. The IDGS Memberships sub-cap of $1,500, Camp sub-cap of $4,000, and Coaching sub-cap of $500 similar- ly reflect pre-inflation figures that no longer align with actual costs. This bill addresses that structural imbalance directly. The minimum floors established in subdivision two are derived from current caps as confirmed in the 2025 OPWDD Self-Direction Guidance and fiscal interme- diary reimbursement guides, adjusted upward by approximately seventeen percent to account for cumulative human services cost-of-living adjust- ments enacted in state budgets from 2020 through 2025. Going forward, the mandatory annual adjustment mechanism ensures that future erosion does not recur. The mandatory language of this bill - requiring adjustment rather than permitting it - is intentional and necessary. Prior law authorized adjustments but did not compel them, Families who rely on these funds to access respite, memberships, camp programs, and other critical supports cannot absorb the consequences of discretionary inaction. The mandatory adjustment mechanism, paired with legislative and administrative over- sight and a complaint pathway, provides meaningful accountability with- out requiring judicial enforcement.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.