Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children   

The HB498 Conference Committee has submitted their first draft of their revised version of HB498.  The two issues of concern to all mental health advocates are still present in this draft.  Tomorrow is the last day of the session.  We have one last chance to effect change to this bill.  Our concerns are as follows:

 Two Issues of Concern about the Revised Version of HB498.

 1. Allows CSB's to create non profit corporations and limited liability companies

 BAD IDEA

a. Accountability is lost.  (Remember Enron’s special purpose enterprises and off the book accounting.  This legislation will essentially allow the same type of manipulation of activities.)
b. Blurs the distinctions between the public and private sectors. 
c. Creates an unlevel playing field for non-profits that provide services to the state.

2. Puts the disabled served in community environments in the category of Institutions (Code Section 31-7-1)

BAD IDEA

a. Stigmatizes the disabled.
b. Creates Zoning and Fire Regulation Problems.
c. Community living arrangements will be more difficult to secure.

Please help us change this bill to correct these problems by contacting the conferees and your legislator. The preferred method is by email at this late date.  It must be done on Friday April 12^th.  After this date, the game is over. 

House

Representative Roger Byrd, District 170 Hazlehurst,  404-656-9198, rbyrd@legis.state.ga.us
Representative Carl Von Epps, District 131 LaGrange, 404-656-7146, cepps@legis.state.ga.us
Representative Louise McBee, District 88 Athens,  404-656-0213, lmcbee@legis.state.ga.us

Senate

Senator Eric Johnson, District 1 Savannah, 404-657-9727, ejohnson@legis.state.ga.us
Senator Connie Stokes, District 43 Decatur, 404-651-7741, cstokes@legis.state.ga.us
Senator Charles Walker, District 22 Augusta, 404-656-0040, cwalker@legis.state.ga.us

Contact your legislator as well.