House subcommittee reviews governors DHS budget as lawmakers press on Bridges, childcare and SNAP

The Rhode Island House Finance subcommittee on health and human services heard an overview of the governor's recommended budget for the Department of Human Services on April 1, focusing on caseload-driven programs, the aftermath of a December data breach to the Rhode Island Bridges eligibility system and a number of time-limited grants and pilots.

Why it matters: DHS administers the state's major benefit programs and houses the Office of Healthy Aging. Changes to federal policy, the state's caseload estimates and the recovery of the Bridges system affect how much the state must budget for SNAP, Medicaid-related benefits and child-care subsidies.

The governor's recommendation preserves current service levels for caseload and benefits but assumes federal laws and policies in effect as of January 2025. Linda, the presenting fiscal staff member, said the combined budgets for agencies under the executive office total about $6.3 billion for FY2025 and $6.4 billion for FY2026, with Medicaid and related programs making up a large share of the spending.

Key program numbers and changes cited by state fiscal staff: - SNAP: The governor recommends $393.1 million for FY2025 and $398.0 million for FY2026, primarily for benefits. The assembly added $11.0 million for a SNAP summer benefit program; the governor included $14.1 million in FY2025 and $14.8 million in FY2026 for related program expenses as participation increased. - TANF: The budget includes about $118.9 million from TANF funds for 2025 and $122.4 million for 2026; the bulk supports…