MS HB1653

Appropriates $23,531,332.00 from the State General Fund and $217,883,274.00 from special funds to the Department of Rehabilitation Services for fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017).

Allocates $3,681,802.00 from the Health Care Expendable Fund including $2,782,590.00 to match federal funds, $854,903.00 for the Independent Living Program and State Attendant Care Program, and $44,309.00 for deaf and hard of hearing services.

Authorizes 985 permanent full-time positions, 12 permanent part-time positions, 174 time-limited full-time positions, and 2 time-limited part-time positions for the department.

Establishes specific performance targets for fiscal year 2017 including 91,000 disability determinations with 98-day processing time, 1,685 blind and visually impaired persons served, and 3,425 vocational rehabilitation clients to be rehabilitated.

Provides an additional $1,000,000.00 in special funds from Medicaid for the Independent Living, Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver Program and authorizes up to $187,000.00 to fund the AmeriCorp Northtown Family Readiness Program.