Department outlines public health budget restorations, seeks one‑time and ongoing funding for workforce, data and prevention programs

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard a presentation on the Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Public Health Services budget that asked the committee to restore several programs to ongoing funding and approve one‑time enhancements for data modernization and workforce supports.

Keith Bybee, division manager of budget policy analysis for the Legislature's staff, told the committee that Public Health Services 'is comprised of five programs'and briefed members on how CARES Act and ARPA carryover and structural changes have driven recent swings in expenditures. "What you're seeing is the downstream effect of all of the CARES Act and ARPA funds that were going through this program at the time," Bybee said, explaining why spending in some years was much higher than realized appropriations.

The discussion centered on two categories of requests: one‑time enhancements largely tied to prior ARPA and federal grants, and restoration of programs the department said were moved from ongoing to one‑time appropriations in prior budget actions. Bybee said the total requested one‑time enhancements shown in the agency's book sum to about $8,752,500 and that the agency requested roughly $20.8 million in ongoing enhancements in its agency request; the governor recommended about $21.5 million ongoing.

Why it matters: the division oversees immunizations, communicable disease surveillance, laboratory services, vital records, home visiting, suicide prevention and other statewide…