Joint committee to review expedited legislation on bond authorization for VIVA White Oak Development District; Health and Human Services Committee will review bills related to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commission and service providers
The joint Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) and Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet on Thursday, July 23 at 9:30 a.m. to review Expedited Bill 31-26, Bond Authorization – VIVA White Oak Development District.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Shebra Evans and Sidney Katz.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair and Council President Natali Fani-González, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 1 p.m. to review Bill 28-26, Health and Sanitation – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commission – Membership; Appointment; Terms – Amendments, and Bill 12-26, Finance – Payments to Service Providers for Persons with Developmental Disabilities.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Sayles and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke.
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More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Expedited Bill 31-26, Bond Authorization – VIVA White Oak Development District
Review: The joint GO and ECON Committee will review Expedited Bill 31-26, Bond Authorization – VIVA White Oak Development District, which would authorize the County to issue and sell special obligation bonds in an amount sufficient to fund all or a portion of the costs of certain projects and improvements in the VIVA White Oak Development District. The aggregate principal amount of the bonds would not exceed $420 million. The bonds would be special obligations of the County and do not constitute general obligations of the County or a pledge of the County’s full faith and credit. The bill dictates that the bonds may be sold at private sale or publicly by soliciting competitive bids, at the discretion of the County Executive.
On April 30, 2025, the County Executive transmitted to the Council a request that a development district be created in White Oak. On July 8, 2025, the Council adopted Resolution No. 20-875, setting forth its intent to create the development district. On Feb. 24, 2026, the Council adopted Resolution No. 20-1039, creating the Viva White Oak Development District.
The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.
Review: The HHS Committee will review Bill 28-26, Health and Sanitation – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commission – Membership, Appointment and Terms – Amendments. Bill 28-26 would revise the membership structure of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commission. In 2023, the Council established the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Commission to advise the Council and County Executive, and to better coordinate the provision of services. Bill 28-26 would revise the voting-member structure of the commission by expanding and updating the 11 members who must either be individuals with IDD or family members, guardians, or support staff of individuals with IDD. The revised structure is intended to update the commission’s membership structure to align with best practices in disability governance and ensure equitable, meaningful representation of people with IDD and their families.
Bill 28-26 would expand the commission to 23 voting members with the following composition: five individuals with IDD; five individuals who are parents or guardians of children with IDD or guardians or immediate relatives of adults with IDD who cannot advocate for themselves; five individuals who are either individuals with IDD or parents or guardians of children with IDD or guardians or immediate relatives of adults with IDD who cannot advocate for themselves; seven individuals representing service providers or advocacy organizations that support individuals with IDD; and one member of the Commission on People with Disabilities. The bill also requires that at least three of the 15 members composing the first three categories must be individuals who participate in self-directed services, as defined under state law.
The lead sponsors of Bill 28-26 are Councilmembers Luedtke and Evans. Council President Fani-González, Vice President Balcombe and Councilmembers Friedson, Stewart, Sayles, Katz, Kristin Mink and Will Jawando are cosponsors of Bill 28-26.
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Bill 12-26, Finance – Payments to Service Providers for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Review: The HHS Committee will review Bill 12-26, Finance – Payments to Service Providers for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, which would amend requirements concerning the formulation of payment to certain service providers for persons with developmental disabilities in the County and amend eligibility criteria to receive payment.
The purpose of the bill is to amend the County Code to reflect current practices. Currently, providers of services to people with developmental disabilities no longer use the wage target in their request for funding, and the requirement to pay staff 125 percent of the County’s minimum wage was removed from the operating budget resolution in FY20. Bill 11-26 would eliminate the requirement that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide the County Executive and Council with a calculation of the amount of payment under the Development Disability Supplement considering state reimbursements, the cost of providing services, and a wage target equivalent to 125 percent of the County minimum wage.
The lead sponsor of Bill 12-26 is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Read the original article at mcgov