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Management Council approves one-year renewal of mental health and vulnerable-adult task force
Summary
The Management Council voted to continue the Legislature’s mental health and vulnerable-adult task force for one year, funding legislative members from contingency and keeping the task force’s interbranch membership intact.
The Management Council voted to continue the Legislature’s Mental Health and Vulnerable Adult Task Force for one year and authorized Legislative Service Office contingency funds to cover legislative-member costs.
Representative Lloyd Larson asked the council to allow “three one‑day meetings during the interim” and to keep the task force’s current cross‑branch makeup — including judicial and executive branch representatives and three senators and three representatives — so the group can continue identifying policy gaps and refer proposals to standing committees. “This task force has been really good at identifying gaps in our policy in defining what it is we should and should not be doing,” Larson said.
Members who spoke in favor stressed the task force’s record of producing legislation and budget requests. Larson reviewed the recent output: bills on treatment courts and confidentiality, and a budget request tied to guardianships for vulnerable adults; past years’ work included civil‑cause‑of‑action language and behavioral health redesign updates. Director Matt Obrecht told the council LSO would pay legislative members’ costs from contingency funds and that executive and judicial branch participants would be covered by their branches.
Senators and representatives who supported the renewal urged a one‑year extension so the new Management Council and the next Legislature can review and weigh in during the budget process. The council’s motion — to continue the task force as currently manned for one year and finance legislative participation from contingency — was made on the record and carried by voice vote.
The task force’s role, speakers said, is primarily policy definition and referral: it is not a standing statutory committee and does not itself introduce committee bills. Members asked staff to ensure records of the task force’s prior bills and spending are available to new council members and legislators.
The council did not set a formal reporting deadline for the task force beyond the interim schedule but directed that continuation and funding be re‑examined when the next FEED/budget bill is drafted.
Ending: The council carried the renewal by voice vote; members said they expect the task force to use the additional year to refine policy proposals for referral to standing committees.
