Human Services budget discussions: foster care projection, community cultural center funding and provider-rate debates

Lawmakers in the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division on April 3 discussed multiple Human Services budget items, including foster care funding, personal needs allowances for long-term care residents, a proposed community cultural center grant, and provider-rate inflation adjustments.

Two bills received formal committee recommendations: - House Bill 1468 (adolescent residential psychiatric services): Senator Davison moved a due-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded and the division voted to recommend a due pass. Members noted the bill had multiple prior hearings and that proponents said the facility would reduce out-of-state placements for adolescents. - House Bill 1485 (personal needs allowance for residents in nursing facilities, basic care, ICFs and PRTFs): Senator Cleary offered an amendment to raise the monthly personal-needs allowance modestly above the House version. The amendment lowered the Senate committee—s prior $50 proposal to $15 monthly (a $5 increase over the House bill). The division adopted the amendment and then voted a due-pass…