A bill that would require the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to include strategic plans in its budget requests advanced from general file March 6.<\/p>\n
LB974, introduced by Omaha Sen. Heath Mello, would require DHHS to include strategic plans for the following divisions as part of the appropriations process for each of the next two state budget cycles:
\n\u2022 Division of Behavioral Health;
\n\u2022 Division of Developmental Disabilities; and
\n\u2022 Division of Medicaid and Long-term Care.<\/p>\n
The bill also would extend an existing strategic plan requirement for the Division of Children and Family Services. The strategic plans would be required to include the main purpose of each program, verifiable and auditable goals for each division and benchmarks for improving performance on key goals.<\/p>\n
The plans would required until June 30, 2019.<\/p>\n
Mello said Nebraska\u2019s largest state agency needs more accountability, oversight and transparency.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecent audits \u2026 have convinced me that these additional divisions should face greater scrutiny than our budget process currently provides,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Scottsbluff Sen. John Harms supported the bill, saying many states are moving toward performance-based budgeting. Nebraska\u2019s current budget process leaves lawmakers struggling to determine DHHS\u2019s goals and benchmarks, he said, and inhibits strategic planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a start in the right direction,\u201d Harms said.<\/p>\n
An Appropriations Committee amendment, adopted 28-0, incorporated provisions of three additional bills:
\n\u2022 LB837, introduced by the Legislative Performance Audit Committee, which would prohibit the state Department of Administrative Services from authorizing agencies with seven or fewer full-time employees from conducting their own expenditure preaudits;
\n\u2022 LB969, introduced by Cedar Rapids Sen. Kate Sullivan, which would increase a cap on growth in the special education appropriation from 5 to 10 percent for future budget years; and
\n\u2022 LB1023, introduced by Mello, which would update statutory references to several budgetary reports and require that a copy of the reports be provided to the legislative fiscal analyst.<\/p>\n
Senators advanced the amended bill to select file on a 32-0 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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