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Division recommends caregiver respite, RSVP funding as amended; committee funds RSVP contingent on surplus
Summary
House Bill 704 (caregiver respite and senior volunteer programs) was recommended ought to pass as amended after members adopted amendment 2963-H to fund the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for one year contingent on surplus funds; vote was 10-0.
House Finance Division III reviewed House Bill 704 on Sept. 29, a bill that would appropriate funding for caregiver respite and senior volunteer programs including the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program).
DHHS fiscal staff told the committee that much of the bill's proposals had already been funded in the adopted budget. Michael Ripple (fiscal staff) and other DHHS witnesses explained that the Alzheimer's respite program and senior companion program were funded in HB 1, while the senior volunteer grant program (RSVP) remained unfunded in the current biennium and carried a $180,000 appropriation in the bill as introduced.
Brian Clark, general counsel for the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at DHHS, said RSVP is a federally funded AmeriCorps program that connects seniors with volunteer opportunities; the program had not previously been funded by the state and DHHS said federal funding does not require a state match.
Amendment and committee action
Representative Greg Telerski proposed amendment 2963-H, which: (a) provided one year of state funding for RSVP at $180,000, and (b) limited availability of that funding to surplus revenue if present. The committee approved the amendment by unanimous show of hands, then voted 10-0 to recommend HB 704 "ought to pass as amended" (OTPA) and forward it to full finance.
Committee reasoning
Members said they appreciated DHHS's work to limit duplicative funding where HB 1 and HB 2 already covered program components, and welcomed a narrowly targeted RSVP appropriation that depended on surplus availability. DHHS witnesses confirmed no matching federal funds are required for RSVP and that the department had experience administering related senior program contracts.
Next steps
House Bill 704 as amended will be recommended to full finance with the committee report reflecting amendment 2963-H and the committee's unanimous support.
Ending
The committee made a unanimous recommendation, 10-0, sending HB 704 as amended to the next stage with a funding structure that conditions state support for RSVP on surplus funds being available.
