Conference committee agrees to fund Free Through Recovery and Community Connect at House levels, removes $2.5M jail behavioral health appropriation

A legislative conference committee voted 5–1 on Thursday to fund two behavioral-health programs at the House funding level and to remove a $2.5 million appropriation that had been proposed for mental-health services in county jails.

Senator Mark Davidson moved the motion to “fund Free Through Recovery and Community Connect at the House level” and to remove the county-jail behavioral-health appropriation; Representative Kathryn O’Brien seconded the motion. The roll call recorded five yes votes and one no, and the motion carried.

Why it matters: Free Through Recovery and Community Connect are state-supported programs that provide community-based services and jail-linked rehabilitation supports. Lawmakers said keeping the House funding reflects concerns about service availability in rural areas and the programs’ roles as lower-cost alternatives to incarceration.

What the committee heard: Pam Segnus of the Department of Health and Human Services told the committee the base budgets and the department’s executive requests. For Community Connect she said the base budget in fiscal 2025 was about $15.4 million; to maintain the program at the current census would require about $2.3 million more, and an expansion to serve up to 2,000 participants would require an additional $4.4 million. Segnus also said Community Connect currently has roughly 571 people on a wait list.

On Free Through Recovery Segnus said the base was about $15.5 million; the department’s maintenance request was about $2.4 million and the larger expansion request was roughly $4.0 million before the Senate reduced that expansion to $2.0 million. She also said the Department of Corrections is serving about 40% of those who qualify for Free Through Recovery at the current 1,500-person level.

Supporters framed the programs as relatively low-cost. “We can reimburse a provider for serving someone what would be less than 3 days of jail, to provide them services throughout the whole month,” Segnus said, describing the programs as pay-for-outcome models.

Senator Davidson, who made the successful motion, said the programs are especially important in more rural parts of the state where traveling long distances for services is a barrier. Senator Cleary had earlier proposed reducing the programs’ funding by half; committee members agreed to table that proposal before taking the successful House-level funding motion.

The vote: Chairman Nelson — yes; Representative O’Brien — yes; Representative Mitscock — no; Chairman Deaver — yes; Senator Cleary — yes; Senator Davidson — yes. The motion carried 5–1.

Next steps: Committee staff will circulate an amendment reflecting the committee’s decision and removing the jail appropriation language. HHS staff said they would email a draft amendment to members and clarify effects on the bill’s Section 36 language.