[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6190277,"mediaKeyId","5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5","parentId",5051688,"title","Department of Family Services briefs committee on TANF, SNAP, energy assistance and child support; SNAP-waiver questions surface","audioSeconds",844,"startMs",11965000,"endMs",12809000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5&start=11965&end=12809","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5/thumbnail_11965000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190277/Wyoming/Department-of-Family-Services-briefs-committee-on-TANF-SNAP-energy-assistance-and-child-support-SNAP-waiver-questions-surface","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190277-d5561656e33d8e04336f660ff8e0a5b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021751&Signature=DmKTBdgCEyUNZKcjwaRrOt9JqV7faZHig0KJrYzojdN~~tWEM9vf~fqMUmCckiokhzY7drqSae-YA72XtjeALZwEG2tt7j2DUBi0Wnu83L~OzPV-9Fp8BJhE2up-Uai14dBuL-qsr5fYgVvOvVRTOatpgoXQqShx~88wJtgdXZdg7kahLi6lsuL3dKk~q55uExGH2RRqpr9uMGt1~scgNgKmVgN5ROFhSfeSbegPFHufmIqmwiGa~Zb-0uvwQqb0gDuwAVWWXmFJU8fua2aOKTfVCWV691bMLYzfY1DEwLTaSP6EXagoIHhjX2e5cWHsetJG0Q8x6mQCrlfRbdp0HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-06-24T01:44:07.52Z","article","The Wyoming Department of Family Services told the Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee about its economic-security programs — cash assistance, food benefits, utility help, homelessness prevention and child support — and responded to several committee questions about program reach and potential policy changes.

Why it matters: These programs provide basic supports to low-income families, affect county-level providers and food banks, and interact with workforce and child-welfare policy. Committee members asked for data on program penetration, annual unduplicated counts and the mechanics of SNAP waivers that limit purchases of sugary or low-nutrition items.

Key details
- TANF/POWER: The state’s cash-assistance program (POWER) averaged 479 households per month (about 1,000 individuals), including some 800 children. TANF-related federal funding referenced was about $18 million annually with a state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) of roughly $9 million required to draw that federal grant.
- SNAP (food assistance): SNAP serves around 14,000 households monthly (about 16,000 adults and 13,000 children). The average SNAP household benefit cited was $383 per month. The federal government pays the benefit amounts directly; state and federal funds split SNAP administrative costs (about 50/50).
- SNAP education and employment & training: SNAP-Ed (Sensible Nutrition through University of Wyoming Extension) and SNAP E&T contractors reported modest participation; SNAP-Ed served 887 adults and 2,012 youth and SNAP E&T reported serving 226 individuals in the last year.
- Local food programs: The state administers CSFP (commodity supp. food program) for seniors (223 participants — program-limited) and TFAP/TFAP channels that reach approximately 9,000 households through local food banks.
- LIEAP and weatherization: Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) funds primary-heating assistance and weatherization funds improve household energy efficiency; LIEAP and weatherization totals were described in testimony.
- Child support: The state child-support program is largely performance-driven; staff said Wyoming collects about 76% of current support on average and collected about $68 million in state fiscal year 2024. The child-support program serves more than 20,000 families and is financed approximately 66% federal and 34% state.

SNAP-waiver discussion
Committee members raised the prospect of submitting a federal SNAP-waiver to limit purchases of sugary drinks, candy and other foods commonly described as “junk food.” Staff said six states had obtained such waivers and the department and vendors are watching the implementation logistics, including how grocery-store point-of-sale systems would block disallowed items. The department said it would support a waiver if the Legislature directed or requested it, and recommended monitoring early adopters for lessons learned.

Quotes
- \"If it has a food label, it is defined as food,\" said a department official explaining current SNAP rules and why states seek waivers to limit purchase categories.

Follow-up and data requests
Committee members asked for unduplicated annual caseload counts, county-by-county participation rates, and vendor-level data that could show the share of SNAP purchases spent on sugary drinks or candy. The department said it could pull national or vendor data where available and is ready to work with lawmakers on waiver logistics or legislation.

Ending
Committee members encouraged follow-up on program penetration rates and more granular, county-level data on SNAP, TFAP and TANF recipients so lawmakers can evaluate policy options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee, June 23, 2025 - AM","oneSentenceSummary","Department of Family Services officials briefed the interim committee on TANF cash assistance, SNAP food benefits, energy assistance, food-bank programs and child support, and responded to committee interest in a potential SNAP waiver to restrict purchases of sugary beverages and candy.","taxTitle","Labor, Health & Social Services, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",29185,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190282,"Department of Health highlights public health services, lab work and early signs of declining suicide trend",595,9372000,9967000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5&start=9372&end=9967","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5/thumbnail_9372000.jpg","/articles/6190282/Wyoming/Department-of-Health-highlights-public-health-services-lab-work-and-early-signs-of-declining-suicide-trend","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190282-c7af4bee57e279ad8fbcd176a4419d0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021751&Signature=GjtFSSlZfwd4stIlYj-uykKC4WTSbsVt7SQKwiOvR6ZmV7ymBy41q5Eo~OiCv~d8fEhYk46IlrZywXg6C48PzH-Q3y5JLebkaYh0Y-AGj3~tpvxxjo~88iy1Y-9JFK6UE6cYgQmWA6sOdL4~dUvRXr2Vt7J~60~qMQA-nZhUWq7dxXv0TSnsR9ccRdCyxeWvQlwCIu7-iPSDPY-zug9w7tb-KML6biEL51YcQU40buzoO9IHH0CajknIklanFtmxRyqLGm30n4OBykRwXKKJF2OeNagw6YRcdYExUk7qBQGmXNhG-BabxstK8BAih5HiuXv8fiRMlj3X3VQAtcPJcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Health officials told the Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee about core public-health functions that operate throughout Wyoming, including public health nursing, immunizations, the public health laboratory, preparedness, and prevention programs.

Why it matters: Public health nursing offices in every county provide immunizations, newborn and maternal services, and long-term-care eligibility assessments. The state public health laboratory supports infectious disease surveillance and forensic testing. Committee members pressed for local-level data and for evaluation of prevention programs.

Key details
- Public health nursing: county and state-run offices in every county; the state operates offices in 17 counties and partners with five counties that elect a hybrid model; staff totals cited included roughly 72 state public health nursing staff and additional county nurses.
- WIC: about 8,000 monthly caseload; nutrition support for pregnant women and young children; staff and contracted grocery stores participate in distribution.
- Public health laboratory: handles chemical and microbiological testing, infectious disease sequencing, newborn screening and forensic testing; testimony described it as a high-capacity lab with 25 staff; budget roughly $5.4 million in general funds and additional federal funds on the biennium.
- Preparedness and EMS: the department’s preparedness unit and EMS office coordinate responses to public-health emergencies, disasters and ambulance/EMS licensing.
- Suicide trend: the department reported a flattening and possible decline in Wyoming’s long-term suicide rate after decades of increase; staff cautioned that small absolute numbers make trend interpretation sensitive and noted prevention investments across counties and the state’s 988 lifeline work.

Quotes
- \"We have started to see signs of that, of that curve bending,\" Johansson said of the statewide suicide rate trend. He tied that to prevention work, county coalitions and statewide awareness campaigns while cautioning that causation is not definitive.

Requests and follow-ups
Committee members asked whether the department tracks immunization exemptions and whether lab capacity includes testing for marijuana-impaired driving or edibles. The department said it would follow up with more detail and with county-level data on suicide review teams and prevention evaluations.

Ending
Department staff said they would provide more granular data on immunization and suicide-prevention metrics and the lab’s testing capacity on follow-up.","Department of Health officials reviewed public health nursing, immunizations, the state public health laboratory and prevention efforts, and reported a flattening or slight decline in the statewide suicide rate after years of increase.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190287,"Department of Health briefs committee on Medicaid enrollment, budget and eligibility rules",251,5782000,6033000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5&start=5782&end=6033","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5/thumbnail_5782000.jpg","/articles/6190287/Wyoming/Department-of-Health-briefs-committee-on-Medicaid-enrollment-budget-and-eligibility-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190287-501a62b32e54b91889e6747dd2efadf6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021751&Signature=XXf8H~3uF3GRrW0Ze--e0k~5VR48oAKJXHkjHTzyd3dwjkU2goqQGhPdBDQfmmpm6BRMNOec1xPwL~c7cuTXyS1rDlSFvxJ6Oz63Amyzif~IfTiS7GCEh1jGocMoe~i0Fw1u4n~saiP7hPrWk30kwnIqAiHsQowelxYDbIYArVLFF3Tj-N0DhRw6A2HYBuNhdtqda8N2A8dlTyNY1pTzjjOr9ddzSrkr8SsXhdgDmsQprlhAA4IYWKp17Beme0nF7WY-gj-8NZ24QAuS263T87IAatB7Tfwzq6fYKDUh8RTVCpy4vpplf1ZN08dW4W3lNY53vrFX2aPNom7Laf9Y~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wyoming Department of Health told the Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee that Medicaid is the single largest item in the department’s budget and a significant factor in state finances and health policy.

Stefan Johansson, director of the Wyoming Department of Health, said Medicaid represents a large share of the department’s biennial funding and that roughly $1.4 billion of the department’s approximately $2.0 billion biennial budget is Medicaid-related financing. Lee Grossman, the department’s state Medicaid agent, described eligibility categories and explained that Wyoming is not a Medicaid expansion state.

Why it matters: Medicaid programs determine eligibility for health coverage and long-term services for low-income children, caretakers, pregnant women, elderly and disabled populations. Committee members asked for more granular figures and for the department’s per-population cost breakdown to help evaluate budget priorities and program design.

Key details
- Scale: Department of Health biennial budget ~ $2.0 billion; Medicaid-related financing ~ $1.4 billion (approximate figures provided in testimony).
- Enrollment (April): roughly 68,000 individuals enrolled across categories; majority are children. The department reported many children are covered through Medicaid and CHIP.
- Eligibility: Wyoming requires categorical eligibility (children, caretakers, pregnant women, long-term care/waiver populations); Wyoming does not use the optional Medicaid expansion for low-income adults.
- Benefit composition and costs: The department illustrated how per-member-per-month costs vary dramatically by population: developmental disability waiver members and long-term care patients have much higher per-member costs than children. Johansson presented a chart showing developmental-disability waiver per-member-per-month costs in the thousands, while children’s costs were several hundred dollars per month.
- Pandemic-era enrollment effects: During the federal public-health emergency the federal government paused normal Medicaid disenrollments, artificially inflating caseloads in many states; the department walked the committee through its “unwinding” process and recent enrollment declines from those temporary increases.
- Federal proposals: Johansson and staff said they are monitoring pending federal legislation and administrative changes, including proposals discussed in Congress, and indicated that the department believes Wyoming’s conservative eligibility structure would limit negative impacts compared with some other states.

Quotes
- \"Medicaid represents healthcare financing and Medicaid represent about 1,400,000,000 of that,\" Johansson said in describing the department budget, while cautioning the figure was approximate.

What the committee requested
Senator Scott and other members asked the department to provide more precise tables: the share of the department budget consumed by Medicaid, per-category expenditures, and the unduplicated caseload over a year so legislators can assess policy trade-offs during budgeting.

Ending
The department said it will provide weekly snapshots and more granular Medicaid data, and staff pledged to follow up on system interfaces used for citizenship and residency verification for eligibility checks.","Director Stefan Johansson and State Medicaid Agent Lee Grossman presented Medicaid's size, eligibility categories, enrollment trends and per-member cost differences to the interim committee, and discussed the impact of federal pandemic-era enrollment rules and pending federal legislation.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190292,"Wyoming Department of Health describes staffing shortages at state care facilities, heavy reliance on contract labor",57,1934000,1991000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5&start=1934&end=1991","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5/thumbnail_1934000.jpg","/articles/6190292/Wyoming/Wyoming-Department-of-Health-describes-staffing-shortages-at-state-care-facilities-heavy-reliance-on-contract-labor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190292-5b9b399f01f5199ca49f840ef9db1504/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021751&Signature=QcyNtf6YDCNJ7bDNS8Zwi3Uqvz292fTt5n73bemqKsn2xyKFdxwawOdvnfR7wrVwnNN1~zqlKypOi7~jEYCMQaeD8h1siGU04gE19EKfX5JrFflTOZmZnPk00b8CYhBOOSQ2EEQ8mn8LPGmxXODRf-zryho~gD5txuxmx3T7u-AklWL6E8mNlU7mw04e7lwZJc2TU87jYtnRSVmso2dBh5Zlh4JQPLVKjmQAv14kwpdSFPxr0cN7wfTRK-LsNpcKxnl-eri2iULI0A3KS5s3xtzYFLzul4gh-fNTrvz1ZBYP8D8jixV0jpqyXO0I3MxyndIqKyY14glQcVr8ZpodlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wyoming Department of Health Director Stefan Johansson told the Joint Labor, Health & Social Services interim committee that multiple state-run health facilities are operating below design capacity because of chronic shortages of nurses and certified nurse aides, forcing the department to rely on contract labor at high hourly rates.

\"Out of the 104 bed facility, we are essentially operating 80 beds at the Wyoming State Hospital,\" Johansson said. He described difficulty recruiting and retaining direct care professionals at facilities that serve high-acuity patients, and said the department has paid premiums for traveling contract nurses when state staff cannot be hired.

Why it matters: The staffing shortfalls have downstream effects for courts, county jails and hospitals. Johansson said longer waits for state hospital admissions can leave people who are subject to involuntary civil (Title 25) or forensic (Title 7) orders in county facilities or jails while they wait for beds. The department also said contract labor is increasing facility operating costs and is unsustainable if it persists.

Key details
- Wyoming State Hospital: physical capacity 104 beds; staffed capacity about 80. Johansson said the hospital’s biennial budget is about $91 million. He estimated civil (Title 25) wait times of roughly 30–60 days and forensic (Title 7) waits of about 4–5 months.
- Wyoming Life Resource Center: new facility built for about 100 beds; census about half that; roughly 35 residents on ICF side and 13 on the skilled nursing side; biennial budget ~ $66 million.
- Wyoming Retirement Center (Basin): capacity ~90 beds; census ~72; department reported the Basin facility has been relying on contract labor at high levels.
- Veterans Home skilled nursing expansion: 36-bed skilled nursing that the department expects to bring to full capacity over the coming months; current census ~22.
- Wyoming Pioneer Home (Thermopolis): assisted living, capacity ~50; census ~47.

Staffing and cost specifics
- Johansson said the department has historically faced recruitment challenges; CNA vacancy at the state hospital fell from ~40% a year ago to roughly 13% now, reflecting recent hiring gains.
- But other facilities remain thinly staffed; at the Basin retirement center the department said roughly 70% of direct care labor is provided by contract agencies.
- Reported compensation differences: an entry-level state nurse salary in some positions is roughly $31–$33 per hour; contract traveling nurses are reported at $70–$90 per hour in circumstances where the department must purchase agency labor.

Department approach and constraints
Johansson said the department is using three strategies: (1) recruit locally and partner with community colleges and UW clinical rotations to build pipelines; (2) invest in targeted tuition/education leave and retention agreements so CNAs can train to LPN/RN roles; and (3) use contract labor as an interim measure to keep beds open because closing beds creates pressure on courts, law enforcement and community hospitals.

He urged the committee and appropriations staff to consider whether targeted salary or programmatic investments could reduce reliance on contractors and noted the department prepared vacancy and contract-cost tables for appropriations to review.

Quotes from committee discussion
- \"It's the financial situation that we're looking for a better cut point,\" Johansson said, explaining the trade-off between paying higher contractor rates and the larger wage increases that would be needed for permanent staff.
- Senator Scott described the shortages as a long-term, chronic problem and urged discussion of longer-term recruitment, retention and licensing strategies.

What the department requested
Johansson asked the committee and appropriations for continued attention to the staffing and contract-cost data, and said the department will share detailed vacancy and contract-labor cost tables prepared for the Appropriations Committee. The director described several short-term recruitment efforts and said he would seek policy discussions during the interim.

Ending
Committee members pressed for additional data and for briefings on recruitment and pay comparisons to neighboring states. Johansson said the department would provide vacancy and contract-cost reports to the committee and work with ANI (the state human resources office) and workforce partners to pursue retention and training options.","Department of Health Director Stefan Johansson told the interim committee the state is struggling to staff the Wyoming State Hospital, Life Resource Center and other state-run long-term care facilities, driving high costs for traveling contract nurses and causing bed closures and wait lists.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190297,"Joint Labor, Health & Social Services committee adopts interim rules",49,353000,402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5&start=353&end=402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051688-e49677ddb4a14537d1e98081e73f03a5/thumbnail_353000.jpg","/articles/6190297/Wyoming/Joint-Labor-Health-Social-Services-committee-adopts-interim-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190297-fdfd864e070b92feb45a3316e5623f66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021751&Signature=nqFIA1dfkrKGihwy6rhsThTerW-q5tmXFU6cWHrDWolXGDVwH13waxYjCk2UXVHI3CmuDrA0OAd0CudKihQoZNAhVEda~3MgcswXmRx0edP9vXjQfZahHEq3geD13Wl25pI-Tll4TI6i63aAtAArwPaAn4U2QlQZBPb5pTKLf3E-ul58EdGnJFPbvSyNneTg9Kixyvy7W95tt0H8Pfw2-DntqnHrjihUrw2DfefEhSp9hiLSixHls-bnddz6Ua5mDlndrG98P8KZJJkLNTbqGvlzxcrJk7EMDXwFJeEVY3r1I3JOOmch5hhEFGiu1RhJT45hQL1hhfSL~EDXzZpZew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee voted to adopt its interim committee rules by voice vote on the morning of the meeting. Cochair Barlow moved to adopt the rules as presented, and Senator Crum seconded the motion. The chair called for a show of hands and a voice vote; members responded “aye” and the motion passed with no recorded opposition.

Committee members briefly discussed one specific provision about waiving written notice. Senator Hutchings asked for clarification of paragraph A on page 31, which would allow the committee to waive the 15-day written notice requirement for a meeting by unanimous consent. An LSO staff member explained that the waiver would permit the committee to hold a meeting without the usual 15 days’ written notice if every committee member agreed. After that clarification, the committee proceeded to adopt the rules with no public testimony offered during the public-comment period.

The adoption clears the committee to proceed with scheduled informational presentations and later discussion of bill drafts and memoranda.

The vote was taken by voice; no roll-call tally was given in the transcript.","The committee voted to adopt interim committee rules by voice vote after brief discussion and no public comment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

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Department of Health highlights public health services, lab work and early signs of declining suicide trend

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Wyoming Department of Health describes staffing shortages at state care facilities, heavy reliance on contract labor

Joint Labor, Health & Social Services committee adopts interim rules