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Committee backs bill to align bureau chief appointments with division standards in Health & Welfare
Summary
The committee recommended sending Senate Bill 52 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill would make bureau chiefs in the Department of Health and Welfare serve at the pleasure of the director, with board concurrence, aligning bureau staffing with existing division-level practices.
The Idaho Senate Health & Welfare Committee recommended sending Senate Bill 52 to the full Senate after a presentation by its sponsor, Senator Lenny, and brief committee questions.
Senator Lenny (R-Nampa) told the committee the bill “does two simple things”: align bureau staffing with division standards and add board concurrence for bureau chief appointments. He said the change would make bureau chiefs, like division heads, appointed to serve at the pleasure of the department director and require the board’s concurrence.
Senator Lenny cited the size and scope of many bureaus inside the Department of Health and Welfare, saying some oversee hundreds of employees and millions of dollars. He gave examples: the child support bureau has 101 full-time employees and the benefit field operations bureau has about 418 FTEs, figures the sponsor used to illustrate the bureaus’ scale compared with some entire state agencies.
Committee member Senator Wintrow asked about timing of board concurrence; Adam Jones of the Department of Health and Welfare responded, “The board meets quarterly and currently our division administrators ... can be hired prior to the board concurring their appointment. So they can serve until the quarterly board meeting.”
With no further questions, Senator Blaylock moved and Senator Wintrow seconded sending the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the committee recorded a voice vote in favor.
