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Lawmakers weigh eliminating Board of Public Assistance, advocates warn of hurdles for pro se claimants
Summary
Lawmakers heard competing testimony on Senate Bill 194, which would dissolve the Board of Public Assistance and shift appeals to the Department of Public Health and Human Services; proponents cited efficiency and delays, while opponents said the change would burden pro se claimants and people with disabilities.
Sen. Jeremy Trevis (Senate District 10) opened a House Health and Human Services hearing on Senate Bill 194, saying the measure would eliminate the Board of Public Assistance and move intermediate appeals into the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).
The bill’s sponsor said the change would streamline appeals and mirror other administrative appeal paths. "The department can handle most appeals," Trevis said, adding that the board meets infrequently and rarely reverses administrative law judge decisions.
Supporters included Rutherford Hayes, administrator of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), who said OAH receives more than 5,000 cases a year and that roughly 60% of those are public-assistance types. "BOPA meets only six days a year," Hayes told the committee, and in recent years BOPA…
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