County Commission | The Magazine January February 2018 | Page 7

FROM THE COVER
implement this program adjustment,
legislation is needed to expand
LGHIP’s authority to include the
processing of workers’ compensation
claims. Amending the current law
will potentially be a significant cost
benefit to counties and improve
efficiency with the current system.
Purchasing Air Units for
Local Governments
Legislative Priorities
The 2018 Legislative Priorities were presented to the
ACCA Board of Directors and approved at its meeting
on December 6, 2017. The Board of Directors directed
the ACCA Staff to actively pursue passage of legislation
on any or all of the strategic goals.
Infrastructure: Funding for
Roads and Bridges
The need for construction,
maintenance, and repair of county
roads and bridges continues to
exceed available revenues for
counties to undertake necessary
projects. The Association proposes to
continue, working with a coalition
of business leaders, the Alabama
Department of Transportation, and
other interest groups, in pursuing
legislation to provide adequate
funding for state and local road and
bridge projects utilizing the current
gas tax formula.
Medicaid Reimbursement
Cap for Inmates
Sen. Greg Reed introduced
legislation last session that would
have capped inpatient and outpatient
inmate medical costs at the Alabama
Medicare rate. While the bill
was voted out of the Senate, the
Legislature adjourned sine die before
the legislation reached the House
floor. The Association staff has been
in negotiations with the Alabama
Hospital Association with the goal
of proposing legislation to cap the
inpatient and outpatient inmate
medical costs to counties at the
Medicaid rate – potentially saving
millions in inmate medical costs
for counties.
Workers’ Compensation
Claims
The Association proposes to
introduce legislation that would
allow local government workers’
compensation programs to
process claims through the Local
Government Health Insurance
Program (LGHIP) utilizing
BlueCross BlueShield. In order to
Last session, Rep. David
Standridge carried an Association
priority bill to allow counties and
other local entities to utilize the
National Association of Counties’
(NACo) purchasing program for
the procurement and installation of
heating and air conditioning units.
Despite being introduced late in the
session, the bill was in good position
to pass the House and had strong
support among the membership. The
Association proposes to reintroduce
this legislation that would allow
counties and other local entities to
utilize this national cooperative for
the procurement and installation of
heating and air conditioning units
while remaining in compliance with
the public works law.
Improving Emergency
Response in Alabama
In the midst of a natural
disaster, external conditions
often make it difficult for local
government bodies to convene
a quorum, which delays their
ability to make critical decisions
that protect the community. The
Association proposes legislation
that would authorize the county
commission chairperson to declare
that emergency conditions exist in
the county, following an official
declaration by the Governor’s Office.
This change would allow local
governments to be more prompt and
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