Senators take up House Bill 182 to fund competitive grants for senior centers

Senate Finance and Claims opened a hearing on House Bill 182, which would appropriate $5,000,000 one‑time to the Department of Commerce to fund competitive grants for senior citizen centers.

Representative John Fitzpatrick, sponsor, said the program is modeled on earlier one‑time grants for homeless shelters and would reside in Commerce’s Community MT division if approved. The bill requires a cash 1:1 match from applicants and is intended to allow senior centers to make remodels, repairs or equipment purchases. Fitzpatrick described the funding as one‑time only and said the statute contains legislative guidance for a fair application process.

Mandy Rambo, deputy director and acting director at the Department of Commerce, testified as an informational witness and confirmed the agency would administer the grants if the appropriation is enacted. Committee members asked budget and legislative process questions about the fiscal note and where appropriation dollars would be held; Rambo and sponsor explained the appropriation would come from the general fund and be deposited into a state special revenue account for grant administration and awards.

Senators asked practical questions about eligible facilities and how the department would interpret multi‑use sites; Fitzpatrick said facilities may be multi‑use so long as they are not overnight lodging. Senator Temple noted the bill’s design limits grant size to help spread funding statewide; Fitzpatrick said the draft language limits grants (he described a $250,000 maximum and a cap of two awards per county, with a county cap discussed during testimony).

No formal committee action or vote was taken. The department said it would provide additional fiscal detail if requested; sponsors said the bill is intended to give communities a single appropriation opportunity for senior center upgrades.