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Rep. McFarlane urges clearer, more transparent Human Services Board hearings under H.92
Summary
Representative Toma McFarlane told the committee H.92 would address delays and courtroom‑style procedure he says prevents families from presenting their complaints to the Human Services Board.
Representative Toma McFarlane told the House Human Services Committee he is sponsoring H.92 to address how the Human Services Board conducts fair hearings for people disputing Agency of Human Services decisions, saying the current process is intimidating and slow.
"The family was treated, in my opinion, with disrespect," Representative Toma McFarlane said while describing a multi‑year appeal his office helped a family pursue. He said one case took “two and a half, three years” to complete and that hearing procedures felt courtroom‑like: family testimony was frequently interrupted by agency counsel and repetitive objections, and the board often received only a hearing officer’s report rather than the full record.
McFarlane said the Human Services Board is intended to be an independent review body for disputes about eligibility and services — particularly Medicaid services and other AHS programs — but is not functioning in a way that allows families to put concerns on the record. He asked the committee to examine whether board procedures and the information provided to the board give families an adequate, transparent opportunity to be heard.
Committee members listened to the sponsor’s account; staff and members agreed the board’s procedures and the content of hearing records merited further review. The sponsor recommended clarifying statutory procedures and improving the way hearing records and testimony are handled so the board sees the family perspective.
No formal vote or committee action was taken. The committee asked staff to collect information about current Human Services Board procedures, timelines for appeals, and how hearing records are compiled and transmitted to the board.
