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Bill would require DDA to prioritize certain groups for home‑and‑community‑based waivers
Summary
House Bill 1130 would create a statutory priority list for Developmental Disabilities Administration waiver slots and require routine data collection and online reporting; staff said the bill passed the House 90‑7 and carries a one‑time fiscal cost of $158,000 in FY26.
Representative Daria Farovar presented House Bill 1130 to the Senate Human Services Committee on March 17, asking the committee to adopt a statutory priority list for Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) waiver slots for home and community‑based services.
Allison Mendiola, committee staff, told the committee the bill passed the House on a vote of 90‑7. In her briefing, Mendiola described the existing waiver system and explained that DDA currently prioritizes transfers of current waiver participants first, then other priority populations. The bill would require DDA to prioritize specific populations when enrolling clients in open waiver slots, including people 45 and older; people who have remained in a hospital for the previous six months without a safe discharge plan; people discharging from institutional settings (residential habilitation centers or state hospitals); people at immediate risk of admission to institutional care because of unmet health and welfare needs; those found incompetent to stand trial due to developmental disability; people who are or were in dependency or extended foster care and entitled to services; and people with a child about to be adopted or placed in foster care.
Testimony in support came from Jessica Renner, administrative coordinator for Self Advocates in Leadership, who said the bill would “help the DD administration key in on these and other important populations” and highlighted the importance of waivers for allowing people with developmental disabilities to live in community settings. Noah Seidel of the Office of the Developmental Disability Ombuds told the committee the office supports the bill because delays in correct waiver placement have left people stuck in hospitals and created other access problems.
Staff said a fiscal note estimates a one‑time cost of $158,000 in fiscal year 2026 for system and data work. Committee members had no further questions during the testimony and the hearing closed with staff noting the record for the bill.
No committee vote on the bill was recorded in the transcript; staff included the House floor vote as background information.
