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Legislators urge closer HHS budget oversight after lapse projection shifts; committee to add discussion to next agenda
Summary
Committee members raised concerns that projected state lapse amounts are less than expected and suggested the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs committee add targeted budget oversight of DHHS to a future meeting; no formal reallocation action was taken, but members agreed to place the topic last on next month’s agenda.
Several legislators raised concerns about the state’s projected budget lapse and the Department of Health and Human Services’ role in that projection during the Feb. 21 Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs meeting.
A senator told the committee the statewide lapse is projected to be about $47 million less than anticipated and suggested HHS could account for as much as $15 million of the difference, urging the committee to consider oversight steps. Committee members debated whether the panel or the standing finance committees were the appropriate venue for deeper review. Representative Weber cautioned the committee is already stretched and finance committees have staff and depth to examine budgets; others argued that HHS’s operating decisions and hiring freezes warrant committee attention.
Representative McDonald proposed placing the topic last on the next meeting agenda so members who wished to stay beyond the scheduled time could participate; members agreed to discuss the scope and possible formation of a subcommittee or targeted review at the next meeting and to invite fiscal committee chairs or DHHS budget staff as appropriate.
No formal resolution or vote to create a subcommittee was recorded; the committee concluded by agreeing to schedule the discussion for the next meeting.
