Department on Aging requests $19M for home and community services and seeks staffing for compliance

Connie Munn, director of the Department on Aging, told the committee South Carolina's share of older adults rose from 23.7% in 2017 to 26.4% in 2024 and projected further growth. She said the department is the state unit on aging and receives federal funds from the Administration for Community Living.

Munn outlined multiple budget requests: $15,000,000 for federal authorization and maintenance of effort; $19,000,000 to expand home and community‑based services (HCBS); three state FTEs for a home stabilization program; and additional staff to meet requirements under the Older Americans Act final rule. "This is what our older adults wish and what they want," Munn said of HCBS, describing services that include transportation to congregate meals and in‑home supports.

She explained that part of the request stems from unwinding of ARPA funds and inflationary pressures that raised provider costs; Munn and her staff said procurement cycles and existing federal formulas affect how funds are distributed to the 10 area agencies on aging. Committee members pressed on how quickly federal formula allocations can reflect rapid population change and asked for breakdowns of what portion of the $19 million stems from population growth, inflation and ARPA unwinding; Munn offered to provide that breakdown.

Munn also asked for FTEs to monitor contracts and support area agencies so they can adopt innovations and avoid federal non‑compliance. She said the department is preparing a state plan due in 2025 and can adjust formula factors during that planning process.

The presentation included no formal committee votes; members asked for more granular data and expressed concern about relying on decennial census–based formulas in a fast‑growing state.