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Committee reviews ARPA‑funded public‑health grants, one‑time restorations and public‑health program reviews
Summary
Legislative staff and the director discussed several ARPA and other federal public‑health grants (durations range from 3–5 years), an 11.5 FTE program restoration request, and the department’s contingency plans if federal discretionary grants are reduced or rescinded.
Committee members reviewed multiple federal grants administered by public health and discussed which programs are being restored from one‑time to ongoing status in the fiscal‑year 2026 governor’s recommendation. Alex Williamson identified five grant streams rolled into a line item the committee discussed as ARPA‑related funding.
Williamson listed grant durations: the Public Health Infrastructure Grant is year three of five; the Vital Statistics Data Modernization Grant is year two of four; the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) system modernization grant is year two of three; and a separate public health data modernization grant is year two of four. The committee noted that some of these grants will not be renewed automatically after their term ends.
Representative questions focused on fiscal risk if federal discretionary grants were cut. Director Alex Adams said entitlement funding (for example Medicaid and child welfare) was not intended to be impacted by recent federal guidance on grant holds, and the department has exit strategies for discretionary grants. “We will execute our exit strategy on any of those grants,” Adams said, adding the department will not transfer discretionary programs to the general fund if federal grants are rescinded.
The committee also discussed a program‑restoration line that would restore 11.5 FTE to public health programs that JFAC had changed from ongoing to one‑time in the prior session as part of a review process. Williamson said the public‑health budget remains overall smaller year‑over‑year despite some restorations; WIC and several small grants were among the programs discussed.
Williamson told the committee that one‑time appropriations in the department’s request are a minority of the total ask and estimated about $8,000,000 in general fund one‑time and about $135,000,000 of federal one‑time funds in the package; she said she would follow up with a precise breakout on request. Adams said the department is cautious about incurring new obligations that could be left unfunded if federal grant flows stop.
Ending: Committee members asked staff for a detailed list of restored programs and a confirmation of which grants are discretionary versus entitlement. Staff agreed to follow up with written details to the committee.
