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Children’s behavioral health bill advances amid dispute over $20 million lapse and budget placement
Summary
The committee moved HB 5447 — a measure implementing Transforming Children's Behavioral Health recommendations and expanding temporary family assistance — after an extended debate about whether $20 million in funding was included in the recently passed budget; several members voted no today pending budget correction though many expressed support for the children's behavioral health provisions.
The Appropriations Committee advanced House Bill 5447 on April 1, a package that implements recommendations from the Transforming Children's Behavioral Health (TCB) policy and planning committee and revises temporary family assistance (TFA/TANF) provisions.
Sponsors said the bill revises deadlines, extends reporting dates to 2028, adds the education committee as a report recipient, and expands work on a model school nutrition curriculum. Committee members praised the bill’s focus on children's behavioral health — noting prior legislative action that created the TCB committee and moved $300 million toward related initiatives — while raising questions about a roughly $20 million funding lapse tied to the TANF expansion.
Representative Nio, who worked on the bill as part of the TCB effort, said she supported the children's behavioral health elements but would vote no "because that is not in the budget," and that she planned to work with sponsors to secure funding before floor action. Representative Walker and Senator Summers urged colleagues to find ways to align the funds, while Representative Exum described the bill as building comprehensively on children's behavioral-health investments since 2022.
Representative Nio described constituents’ needs and procedural concerns: "Because it's not there based off of my own critique of how I approve bills... I'm going to have to be a no one. And that pains me because the first part is all the children's mental health stuff." Senator Summers said she would vote yes in committee with the intention of seeking funds during subsequent budget adjustments.
Why it matters: The bill bundles behavioral-health program recommendations with TANF/TFA eligibility and funding changes; the committee debate underscores how programmatic priorities can be delayed or complicated by questions about where and whether funds were appropriated in the enacted budget.
What’s next: Committee approved the measure out of committee with recorded votes left open; sponsors and skeptical members signaled an intent to negotiate funding placement before floor consideration.
Quotes: "We had $300 million that was assigned to this," a sponsor said, describing past funding for TCB work. Representative Nio said, "for now, I'm still going to say a no, but I just want to make sure that everybody knows it's not because I'm against the TCB... It's just about the procedure."
