It’s time for a state budget update and the latest on where things stand with the Ohio General Assembly. When we last shared an update, we didn’t even know House committee assignments, so let’s dig in!
It’s time for a state budget update and the latest on where things stand with the Ohio General Assembly.
Governor DeWine introduced his initial budget proposal, known as the Blue Book, approaching midnight on January 31. We have written about the health and human services provisions in the budget, with more to come! Legislative hearings on the budget (formally House Bill 33) began in the Ohio House Finance Committee on February 7 with testimony from the director of the Office of Budget and Management, Kimberly Murnieks, followed by a panel of health and human service agency directors on February 8. The House Finance committee will shift its focus in the near term to the transportation budget which must pass by March 15 and is thus on a quicker timeline than the operating budget. The operating budget is now making its way through the subcommittee process.
House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Service
Included below is a tentative timeline for the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services where legislators will dive into the details of the health and human services agencies. Directors of agencies, boards and commissions will provide testimony and answer questions from the subcommittee members on the dates indicated. Legislative activity typically occurs Tuesday through Thursday each week, with legislators spending time in their home districts on Monday and Friday. The subcommittee will also hear public testimony, which is an opportunity for legislators to hear directly from stakeholders across health and human issues on specific budget items or items being proposed for inclusion in the budget. To receive the latest updates on the subcommittee proceedings, you can sign up to receive emails from the subcommittee chair’s office. This is also how you will receive notice of public testimony and receive the witness slip and information about where to send your testimony.
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|
| February 14 at 10am - Ohio Board of Psychology - State Medical Board of Ohio - Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board - Ohio State Chiropractic Board | February 15 at 10am - Ohio Commission on Minority Health - Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Therapist Board - Ohio Board of Nursing | February 16 at 10am - Public Testimony |
| February 21 No Subcommittee Hearing | February 22 at 10am - Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee - Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities - Public Testimony | February 23 at 10am - Department of Aging - Public Testimony |
| February 28 at 10am - Department of Insurance - Public Testimony | March 1 at 10am - Public Testimony | March 2 TBD - Public Testimony |
| March 7 TBD - Public Testimony | March 8 TBD - Public Testimony | March 9 TBD - Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services - Department of Developmental Disabilities |
| March 14 TBD - Department of Children and Youth (proposed new agency from As Introduced budget) - Public Testimony | March 15 TBD - Department of Health - Public Testimony | March 16 TBD - Department of Medicaid - Public Testimony |
| March 21 TBD - Public Testimony | March 22 TBD - Public Testimony | March 23 TBD - Public Testimony |
Believe it or not, this weeks’ long subcommittee process is only the beginning! We will be tracking the budget’s movement in this subcommittee, and in the other Finance Subcommittees covering other areas of the budget before it makes its way back to the full House Finance Committee in April.