Committee amends S.36 to add Human Services Board reporting; debates repeal of DOC use for public inebriate beds

The House committee on Housing and Services on an undated afternoon reviewed a proposed amendment to S.36 that would add a new report requirement for Human Services Board proceedings, discussed Medicaid payment models that currently tie residential substance use disorder payments to 14‑day “episodes,” and debated whether to repeal a statute that allows Department of Corrections beds to be used for public inebriate placements after July 1, 2025.

Katie, legislative counsel with the Office of Legislative Council, summarized the amendment: “This would be an amendment to S36, and it would add a new Section 6 to the end of the bill right before the effective dates.” The added section would require, on or before December 15 of this year, the Human Services Board, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, the agency’s departments with cases before the board, community partners, and individuals with lived experience, to submit a written report to the House Committees on Healthcare and Human Services and to the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. The required report would include proposals for trauma‑informed training for agency attorneys, an analysis of differing appeals processes across departments and suggested legislative steps to improve consistency, proposals to collect currently unavailable data in a uniform way across the agency, recommendations for resolving some appeals before they reach the Board, and any other recommendations…