Social Services committee hears scores of funding requests; committee adopts chair—s budget-cut list and several procedural motions

The Social Services Interim Committee met Feb. 6 to hear more than 70 funding requests for programs ranging from diaper banks and early-childhood services to behavioral-health expansions and homelessness projects. Committee chairs said they had compiled a chair—s list of recommended cuts and reductions in preparation for follow-up meetings. Presenters from nonprofits, local governments and providers gave three-minute pitches for one-time and ongoing funding.

The meeting opened with a budget overview from the committee chair noting the scale of the work: "We have several there's 78 building blocks, based upon our base budget...our budget is between 8 and $9,000,000,000," he said, framing the committee—s decisions as part of a larger process of prioritized reductions.

Why it matters: The committee is balancing a constrained state budget while many community providers seek funds to maintain or expand services. Several requests asked for one-time capital to expand facilities and for ongoing dollars to sustain programs that committee members repeatedly described as delivering prevention, crisis response or cost savings to state systems.

Key requests and presentations

- Pro-life pregnancy support and pregnancy resource centers: Representative Shane said Pro Life Utah and related pregnancy resource centers have used prior appropriations for ultrasound and counseling services and asked for additional ongoing funding. "92 percent of the women choose life after receiving an ultrasound," Representative Shane told the committee when describing the group's outcomes. The committee was also presented a $400,000 ongoing request for statewide Pregnancy Resource Centers (11 centers statewide), intended to expand grants beyond Salt Lake area centers.

- Diaper banks and infant supplies: Little Lambs requested $3,100,000 one-time to build a 16,000-square-foot community resource and distribution center in Logan to increase diaper, formula and hygiene distribution; Little Lambs said it distributed roughly 1,600,000…