Human Services committee: payment reform delayed; $6.8M in general assistance funds to support shelters

The Human Services committee reported that implementation of payment reform for designated and specialized service agencies will be postponed until after two required reports to the Joint Fiscal Committee, and that roughly $6.8 million in unspent general assistance funding will be used for shelter expansion, committee members said during a meeting.

The timing and funding matter because the department’s payment changes and contractor decisions are affecting both providers and the workforce, and the committee said it wants data on impacts before reforms take effect. Speaker 1, Committee member, summarized the schedule and budgeting details and said the committee will take testimony next week on several of the items.

“The department will have to report to joint fiscal committee at its July meeting and at its September meeting before implementation, and, they will need to report on the impact on individuals and on providers,” Speaker 1, Committee member, said, describing the compromise reached in conference negotiations over postponing payment reform. The committee was told the…