DCF budget hearing: agency seeks $23.8M in reappropriations, proposes summer EBT admin funding and nurse "co-responder" pilots

Legislative Research staff and Department for Children and Families officials briefed the Committee on Social Services Budget on the agency’s FY2025 revised estimate and FY2026 enhancement requests, highlighting $23.8 million in reappropriation requests, several proposed new programs and differences between the Legislative Budget Committee (LBC) and the governor’s recommendations.

Amanda from Legislative Research opened the session by reviewing the budget summary and explaining that the agency’s revised FY2025 estimate incorporates money the legislature approved last session as well as reappropriations carried forward. She noted the LBC recommendation removed some SGF reappropriations from HB2007; that lapse reduced the carryforward the agency had planned to spend in FY2025. Amanda and staff walked members through Figure 4 (current year analysis) and Figure 7 (FY2026 enhancements), explaining that federal fund timing and updated caseload consensus estimates also changed the totals the agency reported.

Secretary Laura Howard and DCF staff described the agency’s priorities. Secretary Howard said the agency is not requesting supplemental funding for the current year beyond asking to retain most reappropriations that were budgeted in 2024 but not spent; she said $23.8 million of $30.8 million in reappropriations are the agency’s requested…