Chief Patron: Lingamfelter
Request Relief From the Financial Impact of Federal Mandates (language only)

Item 55 #1h

Language
Page 28, after line 19 insert:
"The Virginia Liaison Office will work with the U.S. Congress to seek relief from selected federal mandates imposed upon state and local governments as follows:
1. Amend federal Older Americans Act to raise minimum age for services to age 65;
2. Amend federal Older Americans Act to authorize local area agencies on aging to charge fees on a sliding scale basis based on income for congregate meals and Meals on Wheels;
3. Repeal federal requirement found in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 105-17 : IDEA 1997: Part C and Public Law 108- 446: IDEA 2004: Part C to serve children in their natural environment;
4. Amend federal requirement found in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 105-17 : IDEA 1997: Part C and Public Law 108- 446: IDEA 2004: Part C to make the required time frames for initial services to infants and toddlers ages 0-2 years dependent upon availability of federal funding;
5. Simplify recertification process for those with mental illness and intellectual disabilities by removing requirement to recomplete application form in favor of an exception reporting system;
6. Amend Smith-Lever Act of 1914 to authorize localities to charge program fees for cooperative extension services to recover staff time expenses and ensure such fees are used to defray costs supported by local governments;
7. Amend emergency preparedness grant program to authorize the federal government to appropriate funds to reimburse local health departments for administrative costs;
8. Amend WIC grant program to authorize the federal government to appropriate funds to reimburse local health departments for administrative costs;
9. Simplify initial application process for TANF, SNAP and other benefit programs by reducing number of data elements;
10. Simplify recertification process for TANF, SNAP and other benefit programs by removing requirement to recomplete application form in favor of an exception reporting system;
11. Automate application and recertification processes for TANF, SNAP and other benefit programs; and
12. Repeal Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 requiring 3% of payments to vendors be withheld and remitted to Internal Revenue Service."

Explanation
(This amendment directs the Virginia Liaison office to work with the United States Congress to reduce the financial burdens on the Commonwealth and the localities which result from the federal mandates specified in the language.)