Committee presses Department on host-home database; House Bill 1147 passes 6–1

The committee advanced House Bill 1147 after a sponsor described the measure as a step to consolidate and make transparent records of host-home providers for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The sponsor said the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance does not currently maintain a consolidated database and that this bill would bring provider information together to help protect residents from abuse and neglect. A committee member said the department’s failure to provide accurate, consolidated data during budget reviews motivated an interim study and underscored the need for clearer reporting.

A member asked whether the state’s $20,000 investment would draw down $60,000 in federal funds, and the sponsor confirmed the leverage. The committee then moved and approved the bill on a recorded 6–1 vote. Members discussed follow-up oversight and the possibility of broader interim review of the department’s data practices.