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OAH warns cuts to contracts and IT will degrade language access, mailings and final-order search
Summary
OAH officials told the committee that proposed nonpersonnel cuts — including interpretation contracts, postage, and case-management upgrades — would reduce reliable interpretation services, delay mailed orders, and postpone development of Boolean and natural-language search for final orders.
OAH officials said nonpersonnel service (NPS) reductions will affect language access, postage and critical IT upgrades. Chief Judge Colleen M. Curry said the FY27 NPS budget represents roughly a 21.4% reduction from FY26 and would eliminate certain one-time funds and recurring contractual support for interpretation, transcription and case management.
"The OAH final order database functionality remains insufficient for its purpose...it lacks natural language or Boolean search functionality," one witness said, describing why the agency needs technology investment to allow meaningful case research. Agency staff explained that the annual $300,000 Medicaid allocation is initially budgeted to contractual services and then reprogrammed to personnel as needed during execution.
Officials also said cuts to an on-site interpreter contract would require greater reliance on language-line services, which are sometimes unreliable for certified interpretation of less-common languages. The agency said it will use remote language-line services where possible but acknowledged the service is not always certified and may not be adequate in all hearings. Committee members pressed OAH on what operational trade-offs it will make if NPS funds are not restored.
