County Administration Of Public Assistance Programs

Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the department of human services (DHS) and the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF), in consultation with county departments of human and social services (county departments), to develop a scope of work for a comprehensive assessment of the best practices related to the administration of public and medical assistance programs. The bill requires DHS to enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct the comprehensive assessment, evaluate existing practices for the administration of public and medical assistance programs, and make recommendations related to administration of public and medical assistance programs and ongoing evaluation of the public and medical assistance program system. DHS is required to submit the results of the comprehensive assessment and a fiscal impact analysis of implementing the third party's recommendations to HCPF, county departments, and the joint budget committee.

Following completion of the comprehensive assessment, DHS is required to enter into an agreement with an outside entity to develop a public and medical assistance programs funding model (funding model) to determine the amount of money necessary to fund county administration of certain public assistance programs overseen by DHS and HCPF. DHS shall enter into an agreement with an outside entity to annually update and modify the funding model.

Beginning with fiscal year 2025-26, the joint budget committee shall use the results of the funding model to inform its decisions regarding the amount of the appropriation to DHS and HCPF to fund county administration of public assistance programs. DHS and HCPF shall allocate money to counties for public assistance program administration in accordance with the results of the funding model.

The bill requires DHS and HCPF to submit an annual report to the joint budget committee on the funding model.

The bill appropriates $80,000 to HCPF for administration related to office of economic security - medicaid funding and $420,000 $280,000 to the DHS for administration.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)