Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Grants And Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Task force forwards $198 million appropriations draft, advances four health policy bills to legislative management
Summary
The Healthcare Task Force recommended forwarding an appropriations draft that would appropriate two $198 million award years and advanced four policy bills — on school fitness testing, physician continuing education, a physician assistant licensure compact, and limited pharmacist prescriptive authority — while flagging that failing the bills could reduce federal grant funding.
The Healthcare Task Force reviewed and forwarded to legislative management a draft appropriations bill that would appropriate $198,000,000 for the current award year through October 2026 and an additional $198,000,000 for the next grant year beginning October 2026.
Vice Chair Vigasaw walked members through the draft (25.1392.01000), explaining it authorizes the Department of Human Services to transfer grant funds into regular budget lines, allows use of federal funds for FTE positions and salary block grants, gives the Office of Management and Budget authority to increase federal-fund appropriation ceilings for interagency grant awards up to the amount of those awards, and includes procurement and bulk-purchasing provisions and periodic reporting requirements to the legislative management. "Section 1 appropriates the 198,000,000 of grant funds awarded for the current year, which goes through, October 2026," Vigasaw said while summarizing the bill's key sections.
The committee voted to forward the appropriations draft to legislative management; the clerk conducted a roll call and the chair announced the motion carries.
Policy committee recommendations
Senator Lee reported the policy division reviewed four bill drafts and recommended moving all four forward unchanged so they could be considered in the special session, with the caveat that stakeholder comment and additional hearings be allowed before final action. The four policy bills are:
- 25.1383.01000 — Adds the presidential physical fitness test to the ½‑unit FID high‑school curriculum. Lee said the policy committee "thought it seemed like a good idea," and noted the Department of Public Instruction's support is desirable before final action.
- 25.1384.01000 — Requires physicians to complete a minimum of one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health in each renewal cycle; the policy committee recommended advancing the draft.
- 25.1385.01000 — Adds physician assistants to an interstate licensure compact using model language adopted nationally for other health professions; Lee said the compact is intended to ease workforce mobility, particularly for military families who relocate.
- 25.1386.001 — Would authorize limited prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution by pharmacists (for example, for patients presenting with an over‑the‑counter COVID test or seasonal flu) while the committee deferred adoption of certain amendments to allow time for stakeholder input.
Potential impact on federal grant funding
Members pressed whether failure to pass any of the four bills could reduce the department's federal grant award. Senator Dever raised the concern that losing provisions could affect the scoring used by federal reviewers. Donna Ockland, identified herself as "chief financial officer with the department," responded, "100% correct. If these are not passed or if even if they change, they could have adverse effects for how much money we receive...we will lose money this year and in subsequent years." Krista Fleming of the medical services division reiterated that "CMS was very clear that you cannot make up the points for these particular provisions...and there's not a provision to, like, make up those points and funding...they will take that back."
Next steps
Leader Lafore said legislative management will assign each bill to a chamber and that committee hearings are likely to be scheduled Wednesday morning, with the group settling on a likely 10:30 a.m. start. Representative Steeman moved (seconded by Senator Hogan) that legislative counsel prepare a committee report for presentation to legislative management; the clerk took a roll call and the chair announced the motion carries. The chair said the task force may remain engaged through the special session to monitor outcomes before adjourning.
The committee did not take final passage votes on the policy bills; the actions recorded were committee recommendations and the forwarding of the appropriations draft and a committee report to legislative management.
