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Fiscal Committee adopts consent calendar, approves DHHS newborn‑screening item and several funding transfers
Summary
At its Jan. 30, 2025 meeting the Fiscal Committee approved its consent calendar and a series of items from state agencies, including a DHHS newborn‑screening item (statute allows opt‑out), a community‑health‑worker grant, a winter‑maintenance funding transfer and extension of the CAFR release date to March 31.
The Fiscal Committee met Jan. 30, 2025, adopted its consent calendar and approved several agency funding items and rules changes, including a Department of Health and Human Services newborn‑screening item that the department said operates as a mandatory program with a parental opt‑out under state statute.
The committee chair opened the meeting, the committee elected officers and adopted housekeeping rules for the biennium. The committee then approved a consent calendar of agency items after Senators and Representatives removed a few bills for separate consideration.
On a roll call voice vote the committee adopted item 25‑0‑0‑4 from the Department of Health and Human Services, a newborn‑screening item. DHHS staff cited RSA 132:10‑a and RSA 132:10‑c and described the newborn‑screening program as designed with an opt‑out provision; the department reported a less than 1 percent opt‑out rate in 2023. Senator Edwards moved to accept item 25‑0‑0‑4; Senator Gray seconded; the motion carried with the committee saying “aye.”
The committee approved item 25‑0‑0‑7 from DHHS, which members discussed briefly. Representative Erf moved the item and Sen. Grama seconded; the committee adopted the item by voice vote.
On the regular calendar the committee approved a request from the Department of Administrative Services to postpone the official Comprehensive Annual Financial Report release for fiscal year 2024 until March 31, 2025, rather than the usual Jan. 1 release. Senator Grama moved approval; Senator Rosenwald seconded; the motion carried.
The Department of Transportation asked for a winter‑maintenance transfer to cover current storm costs. DOT staff told the committee a single small storm can cost over $1 million and that the requested transfer (discussed in the hearing as about $5,700,000) likely would not be adequate if additional storms occur. The committee approved the transfer on a motion and second; the motion carried.
KPMG and LBA presentations of audits (turnpike and lottery) and an LBA audit of the Department of Information Technology were heard; the turnpike and lottery audits received unmodified (clean) opinions and were accepted and placed on file. The DOIT audit contained 14 observations and two items flagged as possibly requiring statutory change; committee members pressed DOIT on remediation plans and asked the department to provide legislative language where appropriate.
Other items adopted included judicial branch and legislative budget assistant budget transfers and routine agency operating items listed on the agenda; motions and seconds were recorded in committee. Where members requested items be removed from consent, those items were considered separately and voted on as noted on the record.
Votes at a glance
- Consent calendar (tabs 4–8, as amended): approved on a motion by Senator Grama, second Senator Rosenwald. - Item 25‑0‑0‑4 (DHHS, newborn screening; statutory citations referenced by DHHS): moved Senator Edwards; second Senator Gray; adopted. - Item 25‑0‑0‑7 (DHHS, community health worker grant funding): moved Representative Erf; second Senator Grama; adopted. - CAFR release date extension (Department of Administrative Services): moved Senator Grama; second Senator Rosenwald; adopted (official release to be March 31, 2025). - Item 25‑0‑0‑8 (Department of Fish and Game): moved Representative Leishman; second Senator Birdsell; adopted. - Winter maintenance transfer (DOT, discussion referenced $5,700,000 request): motion by Senator Birdsall; second Senator Graves; adopted. - Tab 12 items (25‑0‑2‑3 and 25‑0‑2‑4): moved Senator Grama; second Senator Birdsell; adopted. - Tab 13 item 25‑0‑0‑9 (Office of Legislative Budget Assistant internal transfer): moved Senator Grama; second Senator Birdsell; adopted.
Several information items and audits were presented and discussed but did not require separate committee votes beyond acceptance and placement on file for the audit reports.
The committee scheduled its next meeting for Friday at 11 a.m. before adjourning.
