“Half-sheets” Are Posted!
February 24, 2026
We now have more detail and more clarity about the Budget Reports that came out on Sunday – this is where we can both fill in the blanks and plan a strategy:
Things to note:
- In the Senate Amendments, services not included in the “Guidehouse Study” for DOJ were included with a 2% increase for July 1, 2026 (not the 3% we had asked for, but definitely better than nothing)
- Personal Care, Respite and Companion (Agency Services) are separately included at 8.1% in January, 2028 to account for the final step in the minimum wage increase
- The set of nursing services are included separately with a range of increases effective in July 2026, and
- The remainder of the Governor’s budget item was left intact.
- The House included some partial restoration of Community Stab and the language we requested for postponing the BH Redesign – though both have the final date as July 2027!
- The House also included the language we requested for stepping back the restrictions on ABA.
All-in-all not too bad for a very “tight” budget year with so many holes to plug due to the changes from the Fed – like SNAP, cut to the programs at the Department of Health, services for immigrants and the loss of assistance for health insurance premiums!
Next steps are to finalize our letter to the Conference Committee to encourage them to support our priorities!