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JFAC orders Health and Welfare vehicle report, but ombudsman funding fails in the House
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved replacement and IT items for the Department of Health and Welfare and directed a vehicle fleet report; a separate motion to fund the Office of Health and Human Services Ombudsman failed in the House, so it will be revisited later.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved funding for the Department of Health and Welfare’s indirect support services—covering replacement items, SQL server replacement and Office of Information Technology hardware—and attached language requiring a report on state vehicle usage. Separately, a motion to add $50,000 in general-fund support for the Office of Health and Human Services Ombudsman failed to gain the House majority and will be considered again at a later date.
What JFAC approved for Health and Welfare
- The committee approved a motion adding $2,298,700 from the general fund and $2,625,000 from federal funds (total $4,923,700) for replacement items, SQL Server replacement and IT support hardware for the Department of Health and Welfare’s Indirect Support Services. The motion carried on a roll-call vote; the committee record summarizes the roll call as Senate 9–1, House majority in favor.
- The committee also attached language requiring the Department of Health and Welfare to evaluate its vehicle fleet—reporting on utilization, appropriate vehicle count, vehicle use and related metrics—and to submit that report to JFAC through Budget & Policy Analysis no later than Dec. 15 of the year specified in the motion.
Ombudsman funding vote
- The committee considered a request to add $50,000 ongoing in the general fund for the Office of Health and Human Services Ombudsman for salary increases. The motion passed in the Senate roll-call but failed to achieve a House majority; the minutes state the motion failed in the House and will be taken up at a later date. The combined committee tally reported in the minutes shows a failure to secure a majority in the House (final combined total reported: 13 ayes, 4 nays, 3 absent/excused). The committee’s clerk read the roll-call and announced that the motion failed.
Why it matters: The Health and Welfare IT and replacement funding supports core agency infrastructure and software that support agency operations statewide; the vehicle report is intended to provide JFAC with data to evaluate fleet size and utilization. The ombudsman funding would have supported the newly created office’s salary costs; because the motion failed in the House, funding and staffing are deferred.
Committee instructions and next steps
Agencies granted appropriations are expected to follow the committee’s intent language tied to the motions; the Department of Health and Welfare must produce the vehicle-utilization report by the date in committee language. The ombudsman item will return for further consideration when the committee revisits that packet item.
