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Committee flags hiring timing for $8.6 million Human Services contract; chair proposes one-time diversion
Summary
The committee discussed an $8.6 million contract for conflict-free case management in Human Services that includes five positions (about $600,000 general fund). Members noted hiring likely will lag a July 1 start and the chair proposed a one-time diversion of roughly $180,000 to cover the timing gap.
House Appropriations members discussed a Human Services contract request totaling $8,600,000 to provide a federally mandated conflict-free case management service and the related staffing the department has proposed.
The committee recorded that most of the $8.6 million would be contracts; the department also requested five new positions with a $600,000 general-fund cost. Committee members said the department had budgeted the positions as if they would be filled July 1, but the deputy and commissioner told the committee hiring would likely take three to six months. The chair calculated that if hiring takes about three months, the state would initially need about $180,000 less than the full-year personnel estimate and suggested diverting that sum as a one-time adjustment for the current year.
Why it matters: the timing of hiring affects the fiscal-year cash flow and the committee’s base budget totals. Approving full-year personnel costs when positions will not be filled immediately can overstate near-term general-fund needs; conversely, delaying needed staff can affect service rollout for a federally mandated program.
Committee members directed staff to draft language and to consider a one-time set-aside for the hiring lag rather than funding full-year personnel costs in the base. The committee also noted that the global commitment account will absorb residual adjustments after final markup; members deferred final decisions on global commitment and full funding until other pending items are resolved.
Next steps: staff and Human Services leadership will refine hiring timelines and provide language if the committee elects a one-time diversion instead of full-year personnel funding.
