FEDERAL UPDATE: President Signs Supplemental Appropriations Bill with Medicaid Provision
This morning, the President signed the War Supplemental Appropriations bill that included a moratorium on the Medicaid rule eliminating certain transportation and administration reimbursements to schools. The Senate's June 26th vote on the measure, which included the same language as the House passed June 20, was an overwhelming 92-6.
Now that the bill has been signed, federal Medicaid reimbursements to schools for the administrative and transportation services that they provide to eligible students will continue until at least April 1, 2009. Thank you for all your hard work in advocating on this issue with your members of Congress.
Your actions made a critical difference!
6/30/2008
No bills referenced.
6/24/2008
No bills referenced.
FEDERAL UPDATE - "Secure Rural Schools" & "Medicaid Reimbursement"
First, thanks to all of you who responded to our recent action alert and sent letters to Speaker Pelosi about the dire need for the Secure Rural Schools funds; the response was overwhelming. Unfortunately, however, we were unsuccessful in getting Congress to include these needed funds in the supplemental spending bill that passed the house last week. We will continue to urge our delegation to exhaust ALL options in an effort to ensure the continuation of these safety net dollars.
The good news in the passage of the supplemental spending bill was that we were successful in getting Congress to include an extension of the moratorium on implementation of new rules for Medicaid reimbursement for school-based administrative and trasnportation services. The rule changes, essentially, would have eliminated reimburesement for all such services. The moratorium on the rule was extended until April 2009.
6/12/2008
No bills referenced.
FEDERAL UPDATE - "Secure Rural Schools Act" The following action alert was sent to all Board Chairs, Superintendents and Business Managers today and yesterday.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: School Board Chairs, Superintendents & Business Managers From: Tricia Yates, OSBA Associate Executive Director Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008 Re: ACTION NEEDED TODAY on Federal Forest Payments ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, let me say thank you to the nearly 50 districts that responded to yesterday's call to action, It was a great response, and Congressman DeFazio's office was energized by it. We have spoken with the Congressman's office this morning and it appears that the vote on the supplemental spending bill, and thus the inclusion of the federal forest payments program, has been delayed until Monday.
So, for those who did not have a chance to respond to yesterday's action alert, please fax a letter TODAY to Congressman DeFazio's office (addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi) expressing your support for the continuation of the Secure Rural Schools & Communities Self-Determination Act program. This amounts to roughly $35 million statewide (redistributed through the state funding formula) or $70 million a biennium.
A sample letter is attached (email dwilliams@osba.org for a copy of the letter); please insert two pieces of information, total dollar impact based on a per-student calculation and a potential cut based on this total dollar impact to your district. Please take no more than a few minutes on this and have the letter sent TODAY.
Although addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, please FAX the letter TODAY with a cover sheet to:
Attn: Susan Jane Brown The Honorable Peter DeFazio Fax: 202-225-0032
I would also request that a copy of the letter be faxed or emailed to David Williams in my office
Attn: David Williams dwilliams@osba.org fax: 503-588-2813
This email has been sent to district board chairs, superintendents AND business managers so that we can reach as many districts as possible; please coordinate in your district where needed. If you have further questions or need clarification, please don't hesitate to contact David Williams in my office at 503-588-2800 or dwilliams@osba.org.
The original action alert is listed below. Thank you again for your hard work and advocacy on behalf of Oregon's children and districts.
Sincerely, Tricia Yates
Districts we have received letters from (alphabetically): OSBA, NSBA, Supt. Susan Castillo, Alsea, Amity, Ashland, Bethel, Cove, Creswell, Crook Co., Dallas, David Douglas, Dayton, Dayville, Diamond, Estacada, Eugene, Gaston, Grant, Joseph, Junction City, Lake Co. 7, Klamath Falls City, Lincoln Co., Marcola, Monument, Myrtle Point, North Lake, North Marion, North Santiam, Oregon City, Plush, Powers, Rogue River, Roseburg, Salem-Keizer, Santiam Canyon, Scappoose, Silver Falls, Sisters, Siuslaw, South Harney (Fields), South Umpqua, Springfield, Tillamook, Warrenton-Hammond, Willamina, Woodburn, Yoncalla
Yesterday's Action Alert: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: School Board Chairs, Superintendents & Business Managers From: Tricia Yates, OSBA Associate Executive Director Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Re: ACTION NEEDED TODAY on Federal Forest Payments ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your IMMEDIATE action is needed in our efforts to ensure the continuation of the federal Secure Rural Schools & Community Self-Determination Act or federal forest payments. This amounts to almost $70 million a biennium, distributed to ALL school districts in Oregon. In working closely with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and Congressman Peter DeFazio's office it has come to our attention that there is an opportunity to push for the inclusion of these valuable dollars in the latest congressional supplemental spending bill.
However, to make this happen we need ALL districts in Oregon to help the Congressman persuade his leadership to understand the need. Congressman DeFazio has asked that districts send a letter to his office TODAY on district letterhead expressing the need for immediate action.
A sample letter is attached; please insert two pieces of information, total dollar impact based on a per-student calculation and a potential cut based on this total dollar impact to your district. Please take no more than a few minutes on this and have the letter sent TODAY.
Although addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, please FAX the letter TODAY with a cover sheet to:
Attn: Susan Jane Brown The Honorable Peter DeFazio Fax: 202-225-0032
I would also request that a copy of the letter be faxed or emailed to David Williams in my office
Attn: David Williams dwilliams@osba.org fax: 503-588-2813
This email has been sent to district board chairs, superintendents AND business managers so that we can reach as many districts as possible; please coordinate in your district where needed. I can't express enough the need to have letters go to the Congressman today, as Congress likely will take up action on the supplemental spending bill later today. It is also our understanding that letters will be entered into the Congressional record.
If you have further questions or need clarification, please don't hesitate to contact David Williams in my office at 503-588-2800 or dwilliams@osba.org.
Thank you again for your hard work and advocacy on behalf of Oregon's children and districts.
