The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to amend and advance Senate Bill 2113 after testimony and debate over policy language and a fiscal note tied to new signage. The bill, as amended by the committee, changes terminology from "human service centers" to "behavioral health clinics," restores a previously repealed special operating fund used for certain department collections, and adds a seat for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to the Cross Disability Advisory Council. The committee inserted a one-time $150,000 appropriation to cover sign changes in state facilities and passed the bill out of committee as amended.

Jonathan Almaty, an attorney with the Department of Health and Human Services, described the principal goals of the measure: "the main part of that change was not to change any services, so services are staying the same. It was just really trying to clarify the confusion that is occurring between the use of Human Service Zones and Human Service Centres." He told members the signage fiscal estimate was a rough, time-constrained calculation and explained locations and sign types would drive cost. "We didn't go out and ask for any, estimates from sign producers... It was just a rough guess," Almaty said.

Family Services Network executive director Carl Young urged the committee to explicitly name fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the council seat language. "FASD simply needs a seat," Young said, describing the disorder’s prevalence and the limited diagnostic capacity in the state.

Committee members debated the signage estimate and whether signage should change before clinics obtain any new certification; several senators expressed concern the fiscal note was preliminary and asked the department for more specific cost estimates. Committee member Senator Mather moved the amendment to (1) insert the word "alcohol" into the council language and (2) include a reduced appropriation of $150,000 (half of the department's original $300,000 estimate); the motion was seconded and adopted. The committee then voted to give SB2113 a "do pass as amended" recommendation and recorded affirmative roll-call responses during final passage in committee.

The amended bill also restores a special operating fund authority the department identified as needed for collections and reconciliations and clarifies the department may use appropriated funds to pay small stipends to council members where federal rules permit. The committee recommended the bill be carried by the Senate Human Services Committee on the floor and referred to the full Appropriations Committee for final action.