FY 2016 Appropriation

The Executive Director Operations (EDO) division includes the department director's office as well as bureaus that serve other divisions in the department or provide administrative support such as Fiscal Operations, Legal Affairs (including the Office of Public Guardian), and the Office of Licensing. EDO also includes the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, a program that operates independently of the department, but for which the department provides administrative support.

Funding History

Funding Issues

Contract Monitoring Staff

A recent Pew Charitable Trusts article discussed the challenge states have in monitoring contracts for services. The article indicated that most states lack appropriate contract monitoring tools (i.e. - trained staff, up-to-date contract databases, enforcement of contract penalties) and instead end up 'auditing' programs once problems are realized. The article points out that the 'pay and chase' method via audits comes after the state has provided the funding without receiving the expected services. The article stresses moving the process forward so that contract monitoring is done in 'real time' where corrections can be made in order to receive the expected services and outcomes. Member of the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee have expressed interest in this 'real time' monitoring concept.
Appropriation Overview

During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $16,767,300 from all sources for Executive Director Operations. This is a 1.1 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $8,348,500 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 4.1 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.

Appropriation Adjustments

In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:

DescriptionOngoingOne-Time 2-1-1 Information and Referral System at the United Way$0$550,000
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$550,000General Fund, One-time
Funding is meant to support an information and referral system.
Attorney General Dedicated Credit Adjustments$19,900$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$10,000$0General Fund
$9,900$0Federal Funds
This item designates additional funding appropriated to an agency to pay higher costs for Attorney General services, due to statewide and AG-specific compensation increases.
Background Checks/HB 145 Vulnerable Adult Workers$60,700$1,500
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$60,700$0General Fund
$0$1,500General Fund, One-time
Human Services - Background Checks & HB 145 - Vulnerable Adult Worker Amendments - "to enable background checks of employees working with vulnerable adults."
Marriage Commission$0$300,000
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$300,000Federal Funds
This item was funded one-time in the 2014 General Session. The funding continues one-time assistance for the Marriage Commission. The commission is also exploring other options of public funding. The $300,000 maintains existing staff ($100,000) and expands efforts statewide to provide courses locally to help individuals form and sustain healthy and enduring marriages.
Parent and Child Amendments$1,500$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$1,500$0General Fund
Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue. Assuming about 60 shelter and other removal hearings cases, enactment of this bill could create total ongoing costs of about $52,900 from the General Fund for the following agencies beginning in FY 2016: 1. Courts - $32,000 - for processing hearings and judge time; 2. Attorney General - $11,900 - for attorney representation and research; and 3. Guardian ad Litem (GAL) - $9,000 - for attorney representation. Also, assuming about 15 cases of investigating cases of mental abuse, the Department of Human Services may have additional costs of about $1,500 annually for a total General Fund impact of $54,400.
Supplemental Federal Funds Adjustment - Human Services$0$964,000
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$964,000Federal Funds
No Description
Staff Analysis

Separate tables are shown under the tab labeled "Financials" in each COBI section. These tables provide information regarding: 1) funding sources (where the money comes from), 2) standardized state expenditure categories (where the money goes), and 3) agency sub-programs (when viewed at the line item level). For the most recent completed fiscal year, the following information represents the purposes for which the money was used:

Executive Director's Office Detailed Purposes

Legal Affairs Detailed Purposes

Information Technology Detailed Purposes

Fiscal Operations Detailed Purposes

Human Resources Detailed Purposes

Local Discretionary Pass Thru Detailed Purposes

Office of Services Review Detailed Purposes

Office of Licensing Detailed Purposes

Utah Developmental Disabilities Council Detailed Purposes

Utah Marriage Commission Detailed Purposes

Performance measures can be found at the individual program level.

Statute

The following laws govern the operations of the offices found within the Executive Director Operations:

  • UCA 62A-1-108 describes the appointment, qualifications, and responsibilities of the Executive Director.
  • UCA 62A-1-110 defines the authority of the Executive Director over division and office directors.
  • UCA 62A-2 sets up the process for licensing human service programs and facilities.
  • UCA 62A-14 creates the Office of Public Guardian.

Intent Language

HB0003: Item 88

The Legislature intends the Department of Human Services and the Department of Human Resource Management provide information to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than June 1, 2015 regarding the following: 1) a listing of programs throughout the Department of Human Services by agency and by program documenting where drug testing of job applicants is taking place as well as where drug testing of job applicants is not currently taking place and 2) any formal or informal state policies regarding the use or discouragement of drug testing of job applicants.


HB0003: Item 88

The Legislature intends that the Department of Human Services prepare proposed performance measures for all new state funding or TANF federal funds for building blocks and give this information to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by June 30, 2015. At a minimum the proposed measures should include those presented to the Subcommittee during the requests for funding. If the same measures are not included, a detailed explanation as to why should be included. The Department of Human Services shall provide its first report on its performance measures to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by October 31, 2015. The Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst shall give this information to the legislative staff of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee.


HB0003: Item 88

The Legislature intends the departments of Health, Human Services, and Workforce Services and the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation provide to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by June 1, 2015 a report outlining how funds are distributed within the state when passed through to local government entities or allocated to various regions and how often these distributions are reviewed and altered to reflect the relevant factors associated with the programs. (1) Is the program considered a statewide program (this would include something that serves all rural areas)? a. Is the implementation of the program really statewide? If not, is there a compelling reason why? (2) Who gets the money (by county)? (3) What is the methodology for distributing the money? a. How does the distribution compare to actual need as expressed by population? i. [If distributions are not reflecting current need (as represented by population), please explain why not?] b. If not done by population, what is the reason? (4) Does statute say anything about distribution and equity for the program?


SB0002: Item 81

The Legislature intends the Department of Human Services (DHS) report to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by September 1, 2015 regarding its efforts and progress in addressing each specific recommendation contained in the Office of the Legislative Auditor General's "An In-Depth Budget Review of the Department of Human Services" (No. 2014-09) released in October of 2014. If there are any recommendations DHS is not addressing, the Legislature further intends DHS explain why it is not addressing those recommendations. The Legislature further intends DHS identify specific savings resulting from its process improvement efforts.


SB0002: Item 81

The Legislature intends that the Department of Human Services prepare proposed performance measures for all new state funding or TANF federal funds for building blocks and give this information to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by June 30, 2015. At a minimum the proposed measures should include those presented to the Subcommittee during the requests for funding. If the same measures are not included, a detailed explanation as to why should be included. The Department of Human Services shall provide its first report on its performance measures to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by October 31, 2015. The Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst shall give this information to the legislative staff of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee.


SB0002: Item 81

The Legislature intends the Departments of Workforce Services, Health, Human Services, and the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation provide a report regarding each agency's highest cost individuals and possible efficiencies through coordination, early intervention, and prevention. The Legislature further intends these agencies provide a report to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst by September 1, 2015. The report shall include the following regarding high cost individuals: 1) a summary, by program, of individuals receiving services in excess of $100,000 total fund annually in any given agency, what percentage of total costs is spent on these individuals, and what the agency is doing to manage these costs in an efficient manner, 2) an assessment of these high cost individuals receiving services from multiple agencies, 3) a description of agency coordination regarding high cost individuals accompanied by a list of areas where agencies specifically coordinate on these high cost individuals, 4) recommendations regarding how best to serve these high cost individuals in least restrictive settings where appropriate and consistent with choice, and 5) recommendation on how agency efforts might better be coordinated across programs.


SB0003: Item 129

The $300,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Marriage Commission in the Department of Human Services in the Executive Director Operations line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the Marriage Commission for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 129

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that up to $75,000 funds provided by Item 37, Chapter 13, Laws of Utah 2014 not otherwise designated as nonlapsing to the Department of Human Services - Executive Director Operations line item shall not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is for respite care for individuals with disabilities in the Division of Services for People with Disabilities.


SB0007S01: Item 26

The Legislature intends that the Department of Human Services report on the following performance measures for the Executive Director Operations line item: (1) Corrected department-wide reported fiscal issues - per reporting process and June 30 quarterly report involving Bureaus of Finance and Internal Review and Audit (Target = 70%), (2) Percentage of initial foster care homes licensed within 3 months of training completion (Target = 60%), and (3) double-read (reviewed) Case Process Reviews will be accurate in The Office of Service Review (Target = 90%) by January 1, 2016 to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.


For analysis of current budget requests and discussion of issues related to this budget click here.

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COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.