Senate Human Services committee advances multiple bills to Ways and Rules, and reports several gubernatorial nominees with recommendation to confirm

The Senate Human Services Committee on Feb. 12, 2025, advanced a slate of bills to the next steps in the legislative process and reported four gubernatorial nominees with recommendations that they be confirmed by the full Senate.

Bills advanced or otherwise acted on by the committee:

- Senate Bill 5,409 (DOC communication pilot): The committee voted to give SB 5,409 a due‑pass recommendation and referred the bill to the Committee on Ways and Means. Staff summarized the bill as a four‑year pilot at the Department of Corrections to improve communication between incarcerated individuals and staff; the available fiscal note shows roughly $1.7 million per biennium.

- Senate Bill 5,427 (Rapid Care Team extension): The committee gave SB 5,427 a due‑pass recommendation and referred it to Ways. The bill extends duties of the rapid care team for children in crisis and extends a multicare project director position through June 30, 2027; staff summarized a fiscal estimate of about $6.5 million for the biennium.

- Senate Bill 5,499/5,499 (?) — body scanning at DOC facilities: Committee members voted to give the bill a due‑pass recommendation to Ways. Staff described this bill as codifying the Department of Corrections’ body‑scanner program after its statutory authorization expired; the fiscal note was presented in the range of $12.5 million to $13 million per biennium. (Bill number as spoken in committee: 5,499/5,499; see clarification note below.)

- Senate Bill 5,506 (residential private schools licensing effective date): The committee approved a due‑pass recommendation and referred the bill to the Rules Committee. The measure delays the effective date for licensing living accommodations at residential private schools by one year to July 1, 2026.

- Senate Bill 5,508 (child welfare housing program substitute B): The committee adopted a proposed substitute (B) and passed the bill subject to signatures. Staff said the substitute reduces the fiscal exposure by narrowing eligibility to currently homeless families and making program expansion subject to appropriations; a prior fiscal estimate indicated an indeterminate cost with an estimated $4 million for the biennium.

- Senate Bill 5,643 (fatality and near‑fatality reviews): The committee adopted proposed substitute C and referred the bill to Ways. The substitute clarified that Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) should conduct a fatality or near‑fatality review when the death or near death is suspected to result from abuse or neglect while the child was in DCYF custody, and that such reviews include incidents within 12 months after leaving a JR managed facility under specified conditions. The bill was sent to Ways for fiscal review; staff had requested a fiscal note.

Committee members discussed fiscal constraints, statutory scope and clarifying language on several bills; a few members expressed reservations about starting new pilot programs during a tight budget cycle.

Gubernatorial appointments reported with a recommendation to confirm (committee voice votes recorded): Rhonda Salvason (appointment no. 9,175), Aileen Flower (no. 9,195), Timothy Lane (no. 9,216) and Tana Sen (no. 9,222). The transcript shows motions to report these appointments with a recommendation for confirmation and the committee’s voice‑vote approvals; full Senate floor confirmation would be a subsequent step.

Clarifications and limitations: the transcript contains a few inconsistent or shorthand references to bill numbers in committee discussion (for example, the body‑scanner item appears as “5,499” in spoken remarks). This article reports the bill numbers as they were spoken in committee; legislative staff and the official bill list should be consulted for final bill numbers and exact fiscal‑note figures before publication.

The committee repeatedly recessed to caucus and executive session during the hearing; multiple bills were advanced by voice vote and referred to committee on Ways and Means or Rules as noted above.