Senate subcommittee backs continuation of paid family caregiver pilot, asks House to weigh funding

The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division advanced Senate Bill 2305, a request to continue the paid family caregiver pilot program that pays family members who provide home care to relatives with serious illness or disability. The committee voted to send the bill forward with a due-pass recommendation after hearing sponsor and public testimony and questioning from lawmakers about program costs and implementation.

Senator Kathy Hogan, sponsor of SB2305, told the committee the pilot "provide[d] needed supports to families who have members with serious illness or disability" and asked the panel to consider continued funding. She said a working group reviewed utilization and spending patterns and recommended $9,000,000 to continue services for those already enrolled and for pending or appealed applications: "We would hate to have them win an appeal and then say, 'Sorry, we can't fund your service,' even though we know you need it," Hogan said.

Sarah Acre of the Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Medical Services explained the department's role in calculating fiscal impact. Acre said the department used the pilot's per‑day rate of about $159.54 and assumed individuals could bill five days per week; the department then projected costs for state fiscal years 2026 and 2027 using the governor's recommended 1.5% annual inflator. Acre confirmed the pilot continuation was not included in the governor's 2025‑27 budget and said the department deferred to the Legislature to set the continuation amount.

Tina Bay, director of the Developmental Disability Section at DHS, described the program's application and assessment process: families complete a self‑assessment and the department scores it to determine eligibility. Bay told the committee the program requires applicants to be enrolled in a Medicaid waiver to participate. Acre and Bay said there are 56 approved individuals receiving payments and 30 pending applications; committee staff offered to calculate the fiscal effect of maintaining only the 56 participants.

Parents who testified described the program's impact. Toby Linstead said he left full‑time employment to care for his 10‑year‑old daughter with medication‑resistant epilepsy and wheelchair dependence; he described losing employer health insurance and other household income when he stopped working and said the pilot payment had been meaningful. Katinka Morissette said participation reduced her children's hospitalizations and helped avert more costly institutional care.

Committee members pressed on whether the program simply paid families who already provided unpaid care or instead enabled families to leave the workforce so that authorized services could be delivered. Senator Davison noted there was "no ongoing funding" currently attached to the pilot and asked whether the appropriation would be one‑time or ongoing; staff confirmed the current pilot funding was one‑time and that the pilot had a statutory sunset at the end of the biennium. Lawmakers also discussed integrating this service into a planned cross‑disability 1915(c) waiver, which DHHS anticipates implementing by about 2027.

Before the due‑pass vote the committee considered an amendment to reduce the fiscal request to $5,000,000 (mover: Senator Davison). That amendment failed on a roll call. The committee then voted to recommend SB2305 be given a due‑pass; report language and final appropriation levels will be set later in the full budget process.

Why it matters: supporters say the pilot lets eligible people receive needed care at home at much lower cost than institutional placements and recognizes family caregivers with a daily payment. Opponents and some members pressed for more complete cost modeling and worried about one‑time funding without a clear plan for integration into Medicaid waivers.

Next steps: SB2305 will move to full committee and the House for further consideration and appropriation decisions.