Committee moves to work sessions on SNAP eligibility and youth psychiatric facility funding after LD 335 hearing

Following the LD 335 public hearing, the committee convened afternoon work sessions on multiple bills. Members reviewed LD 2051, which would expand state SNAP eligibility definitions to cover certain lawfully present noncitizens affected by federal changes; staff and the department discussed proposed amendments to clarify qualifying statuses and rulemaking already underway.

The committee also considered LD 2065, which seeks one‑time funds to support construction of a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) for at‑risk youth. Department staff and proponents described prior appropriations and an RFP process; Sweetser (the proposed provider) reported fundraising but noted increased construction costs. Committee members questioned out‑of‑state placement costs, workforce capacity and fiscal details. At least one motion to recommend 'ought not to pass' on LD 2065 was moved and seconded and a motion to pass another bill as amended was also recorded; the transcript excerpt shows those motions but does not include final votes or tallies. Committee staff indicated they would wait for an updated fiscal note and for analyst Anna Broomfield to return to finalize language.

Other items noted in the work sessions included technical fixes and fiscal notes for several bills (CRMA technical change, childcare rate adjustments, licensing corrections), and a budget line in the governor’s supplemental for a PRTF that staff suggested may render the separate bill unnecessary. The committee set caucus and scheduling timing for upcoming supplemental budget votes.

Next steps: staff to integrate proposed amendments and fiscal notes for committee review; members requested additional data from OFI and DHHS to clarify potential costs and beneficiary counts before final recommendations.

Ending

The work sessions continued with staff drafting amendments and awaiting fiscal figures; no final committee action on the bills discussed is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.