Committee Summary for House Finance Division III (05/20/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB118 2025-1871H 00:02:16.599 - 9:01:02 AM	General Working Session	(Second New Title) relative to the personal needs allowance of residents of nursing homes; making an appropriation to the department of health and human services for Hampstead hospital and residential treatment facility staff; establishing the Hampstead hospital and residential treatment facility capital investment fund; and permitting qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.	Birdsell, Regina(R)[B-]2025

SB118 2025-1871H: Nathan White, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Health and Human Services Information Only00:02:16.599 - 9:01:02 AM; Nathan White discussed Senate Bill 118, which has been amended by the House with amendment 2025-1871H. He explained the bill's four components, focusing on the personal needs allowance for nursing home residents, adjustments to be made annually rather than every five years, which would increase expenditure by approximately $50,000 annually. He also discussed changes related to Hamstead Hospital, including a transition of staff to state service and a new agreement with Dartmouth for leasing and running the facility. He mentioned a one-time payment to make certain employees whole due to lost benefits during the transition, costing about $160,000. Lastly, he discussed the establishment of a dedicated fund for matching Dartmouth's capital investments in the hospital up to $3 million.
SB118 2025-1871H: Brian Clark, Attorney, Bureau of Adult and Aging Services Information Only00:25:31.480 - 9:24:17 AM; Brian Clark clarified that the current statute mandates an increase in the personal needs allowance every five years, and the department does not have discretion to update it in off years. He confirmed that the legislature has the ability to make changes to the allowance in off years if they choose to do so.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Wallner Information Only00:28:16.480 - 9:27:02 AM; Representative Wallner sought clarification on how the personal needs allowance works for nursing home residents, particularly regarding the retention of their income. Nathan White explained that it's an amount that residents are allowed to keep for personal expenses, which reduces the amount the state would otherwise receive for their care.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Seaworth Information Only00:33:14.799 - 9:32:00 AM; Representative Seaworth confirmed that the discussed cost increase for Medicaid due to the personal needs allowance adjustment is relatively small compared to the overall Medicaid budget. He also clarified that the discussion was about Medicaid, not Medicare.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Turski Information Only00:33:14.799 - 9:32:00 AM; Representative Turski shared a personal experience with his father-in-law's care, emphasizing the importance of the personal needs allowance for basic personal care items and maintaining connections with the community. He supported the annual adjustment to reflect inflation and social security increases.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Stringham Information Only00:37:49.839 - 9:36:35 AM; Representative Stringham noted that the automatic adjustment of the personal needs allowance already exists in law, but it occurs every five years instead of annually, suggesting that the change in frequency is not a significant policy shift.
SB118 2025-1871H: Michael Holt, Administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services Therapeutic Cannabis Program Information Only00:39:35.000 - 9:38:21 AM; Michael Holt testified that the sections 6 through 23 of SB118 are a carbon copy of House Bill 53, which the House overwhelmingly passed. The Senate tabled it, but it's the same bill that the House has voted on for the past four years with the only change being the implementation date from 2024 to 2025. The department does not take a position on the bill, but the Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board supports it due to anticipated benefits for patients such as increased access, lower costs, and increased strain availability. The bill includes numerous safeguards and no fiscal impact to the state or the department. The bill allows cardholders to grow a limited number of plants at home, with specific regulations regarding the number of plants and the involvement of ATCs and independent labs. The department can operationalize this without issue.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Stringham Information Only00:43:01.920 - 9:41:47 AM; Representative Stringham expressed concern about the bill being attached to a Medicaid bill, considering cannabis is still federally prohibited. He questioned if there would be any concerns about an illegal activity being part of a bill involving federal appropriations. Michael Holt responded that the bill was standalone but attached to this bill due to Senate actions, and he did not anticipate any issues with federal appropriations.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Priest Information Only00:44:19.839 - 9:43:05 AM; Representative Priest questioned the lack of fiscal impact despite the additional regulatory work mentioned by Michael Holt. Holt explained that the department could operationalize the changes with minimal cost, which they could absorb through current operating budgets. He emphasized that the listed safeguards did not have fiscal impacts.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Edwards Information Only00:46:31.760 - 9:45:17 AM; Representative Edwards questioned the existing mechanism for communicating with law enforcement about patient residences. Michael Holt clarified that the department is not currently communicating patient residences to law enforcement but would do so under certain circumstances if the bill were to pass. The current law allows the department to share information with law enforcement upon receiving a sworn affidavit of probable cause.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Edwards Information Only00:49:32.359 - 9:48:18 AM; Representative Edwards further discussed the potential privacy implications of the bill, questioning if the law would provide a shield against probable cause for home cultivation. Michael Holt clarified that the ATCs are not involved in this aspect and that the state database, not the ATC database, would hold the relevant information. The department would provide information to law enforcement based on a sworn affidavit of probable cause.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Edwards Information Only00:51:00.880 - 9:49:46 AM; Representative Edwards raised concerns about the privacy implications of the bill, asking if privacy advocates were comfortable with the proposed changes. Michael Holt explained that stakeholders have worked over the past few years to craft language that meets the needs of law enforcement while providing adequate privacy controls. He noted that home cultivation would be considered a privilege, not a right, and those choosing to cultivate would be aware of potential information sharing with law enforcement.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Edwards Information Only00:52:11.200 - 9:50:57 AM; Representative Edwards questioned the use of 'may' instead of 'shall' in the bill's language, suggesting discretionary enforcement. Michael Holt explained the difference between 'may' and 'shall' in legislative language and stated that the department is committed to compliance and would revoke cards if necessary based on law enforcement reports.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Edwards Information Only00:54:37.800 - 9:53:23 AM; Representative Edwards continued to discuss the enforcement and revocation of cannabis cards. Michael Holt stated that the department is reactive to law enforcement concerns and does not have an enforcement or investigatory arm. He also noted that card revocations are not common and typically result from law enforcement involvement.
SB118 2025-1871H: Unnamed Speaker Information Only00:57:45.280 - 9:56:31 AM; An unnamed speaker suggested rescheduling a Division 3 work session for 9:00 AM on Friday morning, 30 minutes before the full finance committee meeting, to discuss Senate Bill 118. The speaker mentioned trying to get feedback from political leaders on what to do with the bill, indicating a potential committee of conference bill. The session was rescheduled for after the House session on Thursday to allow time for further discussion and alignment among the committee members.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Turski Information Only00:59:02.960 - 9:57:48 AM; Representative Turski expressed concern about the timing of potential amendments and the ability to properly discuss them before the full finance meeting. The suggestion to meet after the House session on Thursday was agreed upon to allow for further discussion and potential amendment review.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Stringham Information Only01:00:16.319 - 9:59:02 AM; Representative Stringham suggested meeting after the House session on Thursday to review potential amendments and ensure alignment among the committee members. This would allow for a quicker huddle before the full finance meeting.
SB118 2025-1871H: Representative Neleno Information Only01:01:24.400 - 10:00:10 AM; Representative Neleno, as a new legislator, asked questions about the potential outcomes of the bill, including the possibility of it going to a committee of conference. The discussion included the option for Division 3 to recommend retention of the bill until the next January and highlighted timely sections related to Hamstead that needed attention.
SB118 2025-1871H: Unnamed Speaker Information Only01:03:55.599 - 10:02:41 AM; An unnamed speaker discussed the political game surrounding the bill and the need for clarity and feedback from political leaders. The speaker proposed continuing the work session after the House session on Thursday to ensure alignment and plan for the committee of conference.