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Committee reviews transformation package that creates a new Department of Human Services
Summary
Lawmakers reviewed House Bill 1166, a reorganization that creates a Department of Human Services and shifts programs including ABC pre-K, blind services and AmeriCorps; members pressed staff on definitions, program placement and staffing impacts, and staff said most moves are administrative housekeeping.
A Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs committee reviewed House Bill 1166 on a proposal to create a new Department of Human Services and reassign several programs across state agencies.
Representative Andy Davis, joined by Chief Transformation Officer Amy Fetcher and State Senator Mark Hester, said the bill mainly relocates programs: ABC pre-K would move to the Department of Education, blind services would shift to the Department of Workforce Services, AmeriCorps would move to higher education, and several other functions would be consolidated under the new DHS. "This bill puts together the new Department of Human Services," Davis said while outlining the transfers.
Committee members focused on what changed in statute versus what was purely organizational. Marta Garrity of the Bureau of Legislative Research said a number of edits are code-style or consolidations: "We used to define secretary but the code style change ... so there's no need to define that term anymore," she explained. Members asked whether definitions such as "executive head" were consistent across draft bills and whether any authority or qualifications would be unintentionally altered.
Lawmakers also questioned program detail and continuity: they asked where existing programs would be housed operationally (for example, the civilian student training currently at Camp Robinson) and whether duties had been inadvertently expanded. Committee staff said many provisions were moved, not substantively changed, and the bill will be reconciled in final drafts.
A fiscal and staffing question drew specific attention. Committee staff reported the net effect for DHS would be a reduction of about 40 employees. Senator Bond asked how DHS would change in size and whether new reporting relationships or appointments create practical differences; staff said most governor-appointed positions will remain appointments but reporting lines will reflect the new cabinet structure.
The committee did not take final action on HB 1166 during this session. Members set additional hearings and asked fiscal staff (FNA) and legislative research to provide further detail — including staffing, fiscal impacts and a consolidated, final draft — before the bill returns to committee.
