The Appropriations – Health, Mental Health, and Social Services Committee will vote next Thursday on how much money it will recommend allocating to various departmental programs.
This past week the Departments of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Mental Health (DMH), and Social Services (DSS) came before the committee to provide more details on their current budgets and answer the committee’s questions.
The committee delved into how well departments are currently operating by asking for measurable outcomes to demonstrate the value of their programs and requesting detailed information on their core budgets. When departments presented their requests for additional funding, I expected information on how they would use the money and how the allocation would benefit Missourians.
Find out what's happening in Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
To help committee members research departmental budgets and identify necessary changes more effectively, I divided the committee into work groups that will focus on DMH, DHSS, DSS’ Children’s and Youth Divisions, DSS’ welfare programs, and DSS’ Medicaid services.
At this Tuesday’s hearing, all departments will be present to answer any final questions from the committee, and on Wednesday, work groups will meet to research potential amendments. The amending process, which is commonly referred to as mark up, will take place on Thursday, February 20. Since Missouri is constitutionally obligated to pass a balanced budget each year, no member can offer an amendment to increase the amount allocated to one program without first taking an equal or greater amount from another source.
Find out what's happening in Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Appropriations Committees are presented with a nearly endless list of funding requests, but because the money for these increases must be taken from other programs, members have to carefully prioritize programs and separate effective, necessary initiatives from their frivolous counterparts.
After the mark up process is complete, each Appropriations Chair will present the amendments approved by their committee to the House Budget Committee. While the budget process will continue into the coming months, this week marks an essential step toward crafting the FY 2015 budget. By continuing to demand accountability and transparency from each department, members of the Appropriations and Budget Committees will strive to properly fund the programs that best serve Missourians while eliminating wasteful and inefficient spending.