"AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES COMMISSION AND A GRANT PROGRAM FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. "

After the last section, add the following and renumber sections and internal references accordingly:

"Sec. 501. (Effective July 1, 2009) (a) There is established a pilot program to study the impact of a shift from master contracts to attendance-based, fee-for-service reimbursement in programs administered by the Department of Developmental Services. The pilot program shall be developed and implemented by the oversight committee described in subsection (d) of this section. The pilot program shall commence on January 15, 2010, and shall terminate on January 14, 2011. Participants in the pilot program shall include any provider who is qualified to provide services to clients of the Department of Developmental Services, including: (1) Providers with lower rates and lower attendance; (2) providers with lower rates and high attendance; (3) providers with higher rates and low attendance; (4) providers with higher rates and higher attendance; (5) providers with average rates with low attendance; and (6) providers with average rates and high attendance. Participation by providers in the pilot program shall be voluntary and participants shall be selected through a public process seeking requests for qualifications.

(b) The pilot program established in subsection (a) of this section shall be governed by an oversight committee. The oversight committee shall define the scope of the pilot program, implement the pilot program, identify and determine data collection needs, analyze data obtained from participating providers in the pilot program, and recommend amendments to the pilot program as a result of the committee's data analysis. The oversight committee shall, within available appropriations, receive administrative assistance from the Department of Developmental Services. On or before May 1, 2011, the oversight committee shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and public health. Such report shall include recommendations for the development of a long-term, fee-for-service reimbursement system for providers who work with the Department of Developmental Services.

(c) The oversight committee shall ensure that the pilot program accomplishes the following: (1) Participating providers shall continue to receive reimbursements through the existing system while analysis of an attendance-based, fee-for-service reimbursement program is studied under the pilot program; (2) participation by a large and diverse group of providers based upon such providers' reimbursement rates and attendance rates; (3) a review of the appropriateness of the level of need tool, the process for completing level of need tools, level of need scores, the methodology for linking levels of needs to funding and the process for appealing a level of need score; (4) a review of the appropriateness of the current reimbursement rates; (5) identification of the costs to move lower wage providers to a standard wage rate while at the same time holding harmless the higher wage providers; (6) an analysis of the attendance factors based upon the health of clients, vacation time, holidays, personal time off and paid time off; (7) identification of a reasonable attendance factor that would keep providers whole and maintain philosophies of normalization and integration; (8) a determination of the appropriate reimbursement models for transportation; (9) a review of billing systems and documentation systems to identify information technology hardware and software and related costs; (10) an identification of mechanisms to maintain appropriate cash flow to providers; (11) identification of mechanisms for increasing rates in a systematic way to keep pace with growing costs of services; and (12) examination of efficiencies in the service delivery system for people with developmental disabilities.

(d) The oversight committee shall consist of: (1) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services and public health; (2) the chairs and ranking members of the joint standing subcommittee of the appropriations committee having cognizance of health and hospitals; (3) the Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services, or the commissioner's designee; (4) one member from the Office of Policy and Management, appointed by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management; (5) one member from the Medicaid unit of Department of Social Services, who has oversight over developmental services reimbursements, appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services; (6) the chief executive officer of the Connecticut Community Providers Association or the chief executive officer's designee; (7) the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, or the executive director's designee; (8) the executive director of the ARC of Connecticut, or the executive director's designee; (9) one member who is a chief financial officer from a community provider organization, appointed by the executive director of the Connecticut Community Providers Association; (10) one member who is an information technology officer from a community provider organization, appointed by the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits; (11) three members appointed by the president of district 1199 of the Service Employees International Union; (12) one member who is an employee of the Department of Developmental Services operations staff, appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services; (13) one member who is an employee of the Department of Developmental Services information technology staff, appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services; and (14) one member who is an employee of the Department of Developmental Services audit unit staff, appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services. "