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HB927 hearing: sponsor seeks fiscal and policy notes on proposed reductions to health and community support waiver services
Summary
Delegate Pena-Melnick told the Rules Committee HB927 would require fiscal and policy notes to estimate populations and fiscal impacts when bills reduce health and community support waiver services; witnesses urged favorable reports and noted a $361,000 fiscal estimate that may be narrowed by amendment.
House Bill 927, introduced by Delegate Pena-Melnick, would require that any bill introduced or amended that reduces Department of Health-funded health and community support services include an expanded fiscal and policy note. The augmented note would estimate how many people would lose services (aggregated by jurisdiction), assess impacts on health and family well‑being, and evaluate resulting state health and social-service costs.
"The idea for the bill was prompted by the drastic proposed budget cuts to the DDA community this year," Delegate Pena-Melnick said, referring to the Developmental Disabilities Administration and recent budget proposals. She told the committee the bill currently carries a fiscal note of $361,000 but that she expects to narrow the definition and lower that number through an amendment and work with DLS (Department of Legislative Services).
Witness Robin Elliott of Public Policy Partners, testifying for multiple health-care organizations, said DLS already gathers much of the relevant data through agency work and fiscal notes and that the bill is a reasonable way to consolidate that information for decision-makers when reductions are proposed.
Hussein Wahid (identified in testimony as part of an Advanced Engineering Research Centers initiative) suggested interactive implementation specifications and standards could generate efficiencies and pilot approaches, and he urged that the methodology be considered in implementation planning. Evelyn Burton was listed as a virtual witness but did not appear.
The committee concluded the hearing with no recorded vote. The sponsor said she will propose clarifying amendments to narrow the scope to DDA waiver programs (family support waiver, community support waiver, community pathway waiver and self-directed DDA services) to reduce the fiscal note and focus the bill.
The sponsor asked for a favorable report and said she will continue to work with DLS to refine the bill language.
