Disability and Aging department highlights capital projects, waitlists and grants amid tight budget
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Summary
The Department of Disability & Aging told the House Finance Committee it met agency reduction targets, reported progress on regional office construction, and answered lawmakers' questions about senior nutrition waitlists, adult changing-table grants, Katie Beckett slots and dementia respite pilot outcomes.
The Tennessee Department of Disability & Aging presented its fiscal picture, infrastructure work and program priorities to the House Finance, Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 25.
Lede: Commissioner Brad Turner said the agency met base reduction targets for FY27 through utilization and attrition; capital projects for three regional office buildings are more than 70% complete and invoices are on track to be paid by year-end.
Why it matters: Committee members probed how unobligated grant funds, waitlists and federal eligibility limits affect services for seniors, children with disabilities and caregivers—topics with direct impacts on vulnerable Tennesseans and local providers.
Key points and figures: The presentation reported about $128 million in expenses on the regional office project to date and that work is tracking to schedule. Lawmakers raised senior-nutrition concerns: the current waitlist was reported at 7,436 people; the department had requested an additional $9.4 million for waitlist reduction that was not funded. On adult changing tables, the department said $1 million was appropriated in FY22—23, with about $700,000 unobligated; the program reimburses installations and the department aims to keep turnaround for reimbursement under 30 days.
On services for children: Commissioner Turner reported roughly 4,700 families are currently served by the Katie Beckett Part B slot program and said the number of families seeking slots is growing; he estimated by year-end there might be 3,500—4,000 children waiting for an open slot. The department also described partnerships—recruiting businesses and education partners—and coordination with TDOT for rest-area installations of adult changing tables during rest-area renovation work.
Dementia respite and gambling-related services: The department said an Alzheimer's respite pilot (funded with roughly $3 million nonrecurring) has served just under 1,000 people and has demonstrable family-caregiver impacts. For problem gambling, the agency reported about $5.3 million allocated to youth and young-adult treatment and outreach to university partners and clinics, with plans to expand telehealth and regional centers.
What happens next: Members asked for additional detail on unobligated grants and the department said it will accelerate communications and provide follow-up data; the committee will weigh these numbers in later budget deliberations.