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Appropriations bill includes PeachCare fix, extends peanut storage, handling charges Congressman Sanford Bishop, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Monday that the proposed FY 2007 Supplemental Appropriations bill includes the necessary funds to cover nationwide shortfalls estimated to be $750 million in the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. Georgia's PeachCare for Kids is expected to have a shortfall this year of $131 million. PeachCare has been in such financial distress that the Georgia Department of Community Health announced it would have to stop accepting enrollees as of March 11, 2007. By including funding for SCHIP in the Supplemental Appropriations bill, the Georgia DCH should be able to continue to operate the PeachCare program in its original form. In a joint announcement Tuesday, Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Speaker Glenn Richardson announced a temporary solution that will keep Georgia's children insured while Congress finalizes its funding proposal. The solution will temporarily use state funds already in the budget for Medicaid to cover the shortfall in PeachCare. State law will be changed to allow Georgia to borrow state funds already slated to be used to pay for Medicaid to cover PeachCare costs in this interim period. Any Medicaid funds expended would then be repaid from the Congressional shortfall funds when they are approved. PeachCare currently serves approximately 273,000 children from low and middle income families. Peanut storage, handling fees included The FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations bill also contains language to provide $74 million for the payment of storage, handling and other associated costs for the 2007 crop of peanuts. "I know this has been the number-one concern of the peanut industry. Omitting this provision from the bill could have proven disastrous for most of the peanut growers and processors in the Second Congressional District," Congressman Bishop said. Without the action of Congress, growers would have been forced to absorb the storage costs and would have greatly diminished their margin of return, causing tremendous economic hardship. "Agriculture literally forms the backbone of Southwest Georgia and the proposed legislation will go a long way to ensuring its continued strength," said Congressman Bishop.
The House Appropriations Committee is expected to consider the FY 2007 Supplemental Appropriations bill Thursday. The full House of Representatives will likely consider the legislation next week.
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