Committee questions mismatch in funding for fentanyl exposure provisions affecting children and vulnerable adults

During the budget walkthrough, Representative Kelly Mueller raised a question about funding for a provision that would criminalize—or expand criminal endangerment for—fentanyl exposure of children and vulnerable adults.<br><br>Representative Kelly Mueller, Chair of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, said she was trying “to figure that out now, but I just was curious, why that might be different” after noting the provision showed up in more than one place in the side‑by‑side. She asked specifically about the provision appearing in Department of Corrections (DOC) lines and in lines affecting Children, Youth and Families.<br><br>John Walls, House fiscal staff, answered that “the fiscal notes for both bills, I believe, was the same. The senate, just at this point, has not chosen to put funding in for children, youth, and families. I don't know if that was an oversight or if the cost was such that they thought the agency could absorb.” Walls’ response was presented as staff’s explanation of the apparent discrepancy; committee members did not adopt a change or take a vote during the session.<br><br>The transcript and staff materials show the proposal has programmatic impacts in multiple agencies: it creates a bed impact for corrections in some provisions, requires system and program changes for the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and affects statutory penalties discussed elsewhere in the criminal code articles. Staff recommended further review of fiscal notes and whether the Senate intends to add funding for the CYF impacts before final conference decisions are made.