(STATEHOUSE) July 20, 2007 - State Representative Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville) has been assigned to five statutory study commissions and committees aimed at preparing the General Assembly for important issues that will likely be discussed during the next legislative session. House leaders appointed Crouch to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, Health Finance Commission, Select Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight, the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Commission, and the Interim Study Committee on Missing Children. "I am grateful to have been selected to work on such important issues," said Crouch. "As a member of the House Public Health Committee, I have had the opportunity to shape health-related legislation, gaining knowledge in the field. I am looking forward to putting that knowledge to use this summer in the Health Finance and Medicaid Oversight Commissions." The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission assists local governments and organizations through planning, preparation, and grant applications for bicentennial events and projects. The Bicentennial Commission also plans and implements events to commemorate the bicentennial and requests federal grants and philanthropic support for those bicentennial activities. The Health Finance Commission is charged with studying the survey process for long-term care facilities. Additionally, the commission will review the following reports: (1) a survey of the status of inmate health in the state prison system; and (2) an inventory of Indiana Department of Health programs. The Select Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight will study issues relating to the state's practice of buying out Medicaid certified beds in health facilities. The Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Commission review and make recommendations regarding the implementation of the comprehensive plan prepared by the developmental disabilities task force. The commission will also annually review the infants and toddlers with disabilities program. The Interim Study Committee on Missing Children will study the problem of homeless youths in Indiana. The Indiana General Assembly is a part-time legislature and meets on a two-year cycle, four months one year and three months the following year. Important statewide issues can be dealt with efficiently year-round through the use of the Interim Study Committees and Statutory Commissions. These two types of study groups convene regularly through the remainder of the year and discuss key issues, which could lead to possible legislation in the upcoming session.
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