Legislators probe Human Services Board procedures, access and caseload pressures

Legislators on a standing committee reviewed a bill to study operations of the Human Services Board and heard testimony on whether hearings are accessible and legally sound for people appealing agency decisions.

The hearing's sponsor, Representative McPhon, said the bill responds to complaints that people appearing before the board — often individuals with disabilities or low incomes — feel treated as if they were in a courtroom and unable to present evidence. “They felt as if they were poor,” McPhon said, recounting a family’s repeated, distressing experience with hearings that the family perceived as adversarial.

The committee heard an overview from Joe Reiner, chief hearing officer of the Human Services Board. Reiner said the board is a seven-member citizen panel appointed by the governor; the board appoints hearing officers, and the officers’ recommendations are usually forwarded to the board for final action. “There are, including myself, there are 3 hearing officers for the board statewide,” Reiner said. He said the board’s staff totals five people: three hearing officers and two administrative staff.

Reiner told the committee the board has seen a surge in appeals in the last two…