Health department asks JFAC to restore public‑health programs, seek one‑time and ongoing funds

Department of Health and Welfare Director Alex Adams and Division of Public Health Administrator Elke Shaw Tullock told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee (JFAC) that the Division of Public Health Services is seeking a mix of one‑time and ongoing funding to return programs that were previously shifted to one‑time status or reduced as federal pandemic grants expired.

The request centers on restoring core programs and investing in data and workforce systems. “I would characterize it as a healthy exercise,” Adams said, describing a re‑examination of ongoing programs after a multi‑year drawdown of CARES Act and ARPA funding. Committee analysts showed the division’s FY2025 appropriation at about $164,020,000 and said the governor’s recommendation for FY2026 is roughly $154,000,000, representing about a $10 million, or roughly 6 percent, year‑over‑year reduction in the department’s overall public‑health line driven in part by structural changes.

Why it matters: the Division of Public Health Services oversees immunizations, laboratory services, vital records, emergency medical services (EMS), suicide prevention, and other programs that county health districts and provider partners rely on for disease surveillance, outbreak response, and preventive services.

Division structure and spending. Keith Bybee, the department’s budget staff presenting the slides, said the division is organized into five program areas and is funded largely through trustee and benefit payments; he reported roughly half the division’s…