Committee hears updates: H-248 childcare vote possible, concerns about Reach Ahead pilot payments, SNAP restaurant proposal and ombudsman funding cut

Members of the House Health and Welfare Committee on 2025-10-12 reviewed several pending items and asked staff and agencies for follow-up information. Committee leadership said H-248, the Child Care Financial Assistance Program bill, is "fairly straightforward" and could be voted on the floor later the same day or the following morning depending on testimony; a specific committee vote on H-248 was not recorded at the hearing.

The nut graf: committee members directed staff to press the Department for Children and Families (DCF) for missing information on the Reach Ahead pilot, which members said appears to have unspent funds while some eligible families have not received scheduled payments. The chair described not receiving the requested DCF materials and said the committee would pursue the matter because it "doesn't make sense" that eligible beneficiaries would miss scheduled payments when funds remain.

Committee members also discussed other items on their work plan. Members noted S 36 had moved out of Appropriations and that H-36/S-36 would be on the floor; committee leadership asked members to be prepared for floor activity. The committee briefly revisited H-151, a request to allow certain SNAP recipients to use benefits at restaurants, and staff reiterated that federal law limits SNAP's ability to pay for prepared restaurant meals in many cases. Crystal Brand and other members said advocates have suggested alternative approaches such as permitting prepared-food purchases with EBT at grocery stores but that federal rules constrain options and the committee had not yet taken action on H-151.

Members raised concerns about the health care ombudsman, Mike Fisher, and his staff: witnesses and staff said the program's federal funding is slated to be eliminated by Oct. 1, which committee members said would cut roughly two-thirds of that program's budget and could reduce services the ombudsman provides to people navigating insurance and Medicaid issues. The committee asked staff to gather information and to flag the program for follow-up.

The panel also discussed federal-level Medicaid actions and timing. Committee leadership said federal budget action in mid-May could determine whether proposed changes to Medicaid go forward and that the committee is tracking CMS and federal proposals but had not received new definitive guidance.

No final committee votes were recorded on the items discussed; members instructed staff to collect requested materials from DCF, the Treasurer's Office, and relevant advocates and agencies, and to schedule further testimony and briefings as needed.