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We have some important updates from the meeting this morning of the Human Services Commission. Jerry Stermer from Governor Quinn’s office assured us that the Governor intends to sign the FY12 budget that was passed by the Illinois General Assembly (HB3717) by June 30th. In addition, Secretary Saddler of the Department of Human Services confirmed that new contracts will be sent to providers sometime next week. Thanks to the advocacy of Illinois Partners, these contracts will be temporary, covering 4 months, to allow time for continued discussion and negotiation around any additional changes DHS intends to make for the remainder of FY12.
It is critical to note that the FY12 DHS budget has been reduced by $668 million from FY11, a 17.2% total reduction. To review the reductions by specific line items, take a look at the information on our website. Secretary Saddler stated this morning that the DHS contracts issued next week will be issued at 31.67% of the full FY12 appropriation. There is an understanding that there is a disconnect between the statutory requirements facing state agencies and the corresponding appropriations levels passed by the General Assembly. While there is hope for revenue to come in at a higher level than what the FY12 budget is based on, there is real uncertainty. The Human Services Commission requested follow-up reports from the various state agencies once the FY12 budget has been signed by the Governor and decisions about implementing the FY12 budget have been made.
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