R 205
2018 -- S 2669 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 05/01/2018

S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF "PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Seveney, Coyne, Calkin, and Goldin
Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     WHEREAS, In 2012, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation to
implement "Project Sustainability" within the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral
Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH); and
     WHEREAS, The goal of the Project was to bring predictability, efficiency, and
transparency to the way in which the state pays for services for the developmentally disabled; and
     WHEREAS, Project Sustainability implemented a nationally recognized tool, the
Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) in order to establish a new rate structure; and
     WHEREAS, Recently, BHDDH migrated to the SIS-A tool in order to assess its clients;
now, therefore be it
     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created
consisting of nineteen (19) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more
than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of
whom shall be the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), or
designee; one of whom shall be the Medicaid Director of the EOHHS, or designee; one of whom
shall be the Director of the BHDDH, or designee; one of whom shall be the BHDDH Director of
the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), or designee; one of whom shall be the
BHDDH Finance Director of the DDD, or designee; one of whom shall be the BHDDH Consent
Decree Coordinator, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Community
Provider Network of Rhode Island (CPNRI), or designee; one of whom shall be the President of
Our Providers Council, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode
Island Disability Law Center, or designee; one of whom shall be the BHDDH Associate Director
of the DDD, or designee; one of whom shall be Director of the Paul V. Sherlock Center on
Disabilities, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Developmental
Disability Council, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chairperson of Rhode Island Families
Organized for Reform Change and Empowerment (RI FORCE), or designee; and three (3) of
whom shall be provider representatives with relevant systems or fiscal expertise, to be appointed
by the President of the Senate.
     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which
is entitled to the appointment consent to the member of the general public.
     The purpose of said commission shall be to study and evaluate the impact of Project
Sustainability and make recommendations for improvements in its implementation, including, but
not limited to, the rate payment methodology.
     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at
the call of the President of the Senate and organize and shall select, from among the legislators, a
chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filed in like manner as the original
appointment.
     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,
documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.
     The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide
suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further
     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the
Senate no later than March 1, 2019, and said commission shall expire on June 30, 2019.
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