Senate appropriations committee adopts amendment and advances mental‑health placements bill after fiscal‑note fight

The Senate Committee on Appropriations adopted amendments and passed Senate Bill 149 on a 6–1 vote after extended debate over the bill's fiscal note and agency staffing requests. The committee also adopted an internal J amendment before advancing the bill.

Sen. Kirkmeyer, speaking during committee consideration, said he supported setting aside funds for additional bed capacity at the Department of Human Services but objected to what he described as broad increases elsewhere: "I don't know why they need $7,326,041 for what might be qualifying for placement," he said, adding that he was "not fine with all of the increases for judicial and BHA." Sen. Kirkmeyer repeatedly pressed why the Judicial Branch and the Behavioral Health Administration were requesting new full‑time equivalents when, he said, vacancy issues and unchanged case counts did not justify the increases.

Chair Sarah Mabile responded that the J amendment reduced the fiscal note by about $1.3 million compared with the original fiscal note and that the bill creates new oversight pathways that will generate additional workload: "The bill does add additional court oversight on these cases where the person is PITP and dangerous," she said, noting the amendment comes in below the legislative set‑aside and that staff and fiscal analysts had worked to pare costs.

Committee discussion focused on the legislative set‑aside for the program (reported in committee as $32,850,000 for fiscal years covered by the bill) versus the amounts reflected in the fiscal note. Members agreed continued work would be needed to reduce costs before the bill reaches the floor; Sen. Kirkmeyer said he would seek further reductions there.

The committee recorded a roll‑call vote on the J amendment that resulted in its adoption by a 4–3 tally. On final passage, the committee polled and approved Senate Bill 149 6–1; one senator (Liston) recorded a respectful no. The committee chair said the package would still be refined as it moves through later stages of the budget and appropriations process.

The committee did not adopt detailed programmatic changes on the floor; members said the bill and related fiscal assumptions will continue to be negotiated with the Joint Budget Committee staff and agency fiscal analysts.