Ways & Means advances more than two dozen bills in April 8 executive session; due-pass recommendations sent to Rules

The Senate Ways & Means Committee met in executive session on April 8 and voted to send due-pass recommendations to the Rules Committee on more than two dozen bills across health, labor, environment and public safety policy.

Committee staff summarized fiscal impacts and major provisions before senators moved the package forward. Josh Hammond, staff to the committee, described bills ranging from an expansion of the child welfare housing program (Substitute House Bill 1177) to amendments to the state paid family and medical leave program (Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1213). Michael Zans, staff to the committee, briefed members on amendments to the Climate Commitment Act study (Second Substitute House Bill 1975).

Why it matters: The due-pass recommendations send these bills to the Rules Committee for possible floor action. Many measures include fiscal notes or are subject to appropriation; in several cases staff flagged indeterminate fiscal effects pending further information.

Key bills and committee notes

- Substitute House Bill 1177 (child welfare housing program): The bill would expand the child welfare housing program to permit services to families who are no longer receiving DCYF child-welfare services and requires DCYF to serve families on the wait list. Josh Hammond told the committee the bill is subject to appropriation and that a proposed amendment limiting assistance to two years was withdrawn by Senator Gildan after committee discussion. Senator Gildan said, "I originally proposed this because there is no end date... I wanted to provide a backstop, and so we selected 2 years. But I understand that may cause some issues with federal requirements..." The committee gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to the Rules Committee.

- Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1213 (paid family and medical leave / PFML): Staff summarized projected fiscal impacts from the Employment Security Department, including multi-year administrative costs, small business assistance grants, and changes in benefits and fund revenue. Two amendments were considered: Amendment 2 (Senator Robinson) adjusted employer-size thresholds for job-protection coverage, and Amendment 3…