Walworth County staff summarized state and federal budget developments for the Health and Human Services Board on May 21 and warned of possible local fiscal and workload impacts if several proposals move forward.

At the state level, staff said the Joint Finance Committee initially removed more than 600 items from the governor's budget to return to a base budget. Proposals that were removed included modest increases for county veteran services and community support program reimbursements, while some funding for aging and ADRC programs and foster care increases remained under consideration.

On federal matters, staff said a proposed Medicaid work requirement for able‑bodied adults could require 80 hours per month of work or approved activities to retain eligibility and might reduce the Medicaid rolls statewide by an estimated 40,000 to 55,000 people; staff noted the requirement is proposed to take effect in 2029. Staff cautioned that if counties are required to conduct employment verification or more frequent redeterminations, local economic support workloads could rise.

Staff also highlighted a proposal to shift administrative cost sharing for federal programs (reducing the federal share from 50% to 25%), which for Walworth County could amount to roughly $575,000 in additional local costs if passed and fully passed through to counties. Staff emphasized timelines are uncertain and that many proposals remain in negotiation.

Ending: Board members heard the update; staff said they will continue to monitor state and federal actions and report back as items become clearer for county budgeting and service planning.