BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: BRENDA ARP BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 9:24 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. I oppose budget cuts to self-directed services. This will have a detrimental effect on my family and thousands of families in Missouri. If my daughter loses her self-directed step because of the budget cut, she’s at risk of being placed in a more restrictive environment that will cost six times the amount of what her budget is. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: BRENT COCHRAN BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 8:39 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Subject: Opposition to Proposed Cuts to Self-Directed Services
I am writing in opposition to the proposed cuts to self-directed services for individuals with disabilities.
As a fiscal conservative, I strongly believe this program is not only compassionate but also far more cost-effective than institutional care. In 2009, it cost over $160,000 annually to house one individual in a state facility. Today, that cost is estimated to exceed $600,000. In contrast, the average cost of self- directed care in 2025 is less than $50,000 per individual.
Families already face significant challenges in finding and retaining caregivers, especially since many positions offer no vacation time, benefits, or health insurance. Reducing pay rates will only make this process more difficult and place additional strain on families who are doing their best to care for their loved ones at home.
However, this issue is not just about finances—it is about quality of care. Parents deserve the ability to guide and control the care their children receive.
My son has Down syndrome. For much of the 20th century, individuals with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of less than ten years. As care improved—particularly with the move away from institutionalization—that life expectancy has increased to nearly sixty years today. This progress reflects the importance of family-centered, individualized care.
Please do not force families into choices that could negatively affect the health, dignity, and well-being of their loved ones. I respectfully ask you to consider both the human and financial impact of these proposed cuts.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely, Brent Cochran MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: BRENT COCHRAN BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 8:41 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Subject: Opposition to Proposed Cuts to Self-Directed Services
I am writing in opposition to the proposed cuts to self-directed services for individuals with disabilities.
As a fiscal conservative, I strongly believe this program is not only compassionate but also far more cost-effective than institutional care. In 2009, it cost over $160,000 annually to house one individual in a state facility. Today, that cost is estimated to exceed $600,000. In contrast, the average cost of self- directed care in 2025 is less than $50,000 per individual.
Families already face significant challenges in finding and retaining caregivers, especially since many positions offer no vacation time, benefits, or health insurance. Reducing pay rates will only make this process more difficult and place additional strain on families who are doing their best to care for their loved ones at home.
However, this issue is not just about finances—it is about quality of care. Parents deserve the ability to guide and control the care their children receive.
My son has Down syndrome. For much of the 20th century, individuals with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of less than ten years. As care improved—particularly with the move away from institutionalization—that life expectancy has increased to nearly sixty years today. This progress reflects the importance of family-centered, individualized care.
Please do not force families into choices that could negatively affect the health, dignity, and well-being of their loved ones. I respectfully ask you to consider both the human and financial impact of these proposed cuts.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely, Brent Cochran MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: BRIAN WRIGHT BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 1:42 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Subject: Continued Concerns Regarding Proposed Budget Cuts
Dear Representatives and senators,
I hope this message finds you well. Following up on my previous correspondence, I want to reiterate the urgent need to retain and fairly compensate the personal assistants who are vital to our special needs community. These pay cuts threaten not only the quality of care but also the stability and retention of these dedicated caregivers.
It’s also important to note that these budget cuts are directly linked to the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” At the time of its passage, both President Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy assured us that the special needs community would not be adversely affected. Unfortunately, we are now witnessing that these cuts are indeed having a direct and harmful impact on our community.
As a Republican and as part of a community that includes many Republican constituents with special needs children, we want to emphasize that our voices and concerns matter. We are your constituents, and as we approach this election year, it’s crucial to remember that our support and votes depend on how these issues are addressed.
Thank you once again for your attention to these important matters.
Sincerely, Brian Wright MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: CAITLIN NEELY BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 11:17 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Perspective: SDS Direct Support Worker
I am a Self-Directed Services (SDS) Medical Personal Assistant. I am not a family member or guardian of a person receiving services. I submit this testimony as a professional caregiver, with over ten years of experience in the professional caregiving profession, and have worked across multiple disability service models in Missouri, including institutional organizations, public schools, behavior support clinics, and Self Directed Services.
I am speaking today because SDS is the only system I have experienced that consistently allows people to be cared for as individuals — and allows workers to act responsibly when real-world situations arise. In traditional provider organizations, rules are designed to protect systems. In practice, those rules often fail the people they are meant to protect. Staff are regularly placed in situations where strict policy compliance conflicts with safety and basic care.
Medication access:
As part of an institutional care organization, who utilized Individual Supported Living homes with 2-3 rommates, I supported a client who became acutely ill when her prescribed medications had expired and replacements had not yet arrived. Due to rigid medication rules, I was legally prohibited from providing even basic over-the-counter treatment. The process in place by the organization required all medications, including basic things such as sunscreen and ibuprofen, to be prescribed by a doctor and delivered by the pharmacy. Due to a severe winter storm incomming at the start of a weekend, it was not expexted to recieve medication for at least four days. Only immediate guardian intervention prevented hospitalization. Without that, the choice would have been to allow harm or violate regulations.
Staffing failures: As part of the care organization, no-call/no-shows and sudden resignations routinely left me alone with clients for extended periods, sometimes exceeding 24 hours. These situations are unsafe, unlawful, and exhausting, yet occurred regularly.
Violence and safety: In one placement with the care organization, escalating violent behavior from an indicidual recieving services resulted in staff injury and later an assault on a roommate requiring medical treatment. Requests for additional staffing or temporary reassignment were denied, and the incident was not disclosed to the affected guardian. Meaningful intervention occurred only after escalation outside normal reporting channels, including reporting to the Hotline for abuse and neglect of at risk individuals.
Medical and hospice delays:
I observed medical and hospice care delayed by layered approval processes that prioritized paperwork over urgency. In some cases, timely care occurred only because staff bypassed internal systems to prevent neglect.
These are not isolated incidents. They are predictable outcomes of rigid, centralized systems, under staffing, and funding pressure. These conditions contrast sharply with my experience under SDS.
Under SDS, care is individualized and responsive. Decisions are made by people who know the individual. Communication is direct. I am trusted to use professional judgment and supported when unexpected situations arise. Individuals receiving services experience continuity, safety, and dignity.
From my professional perspective, reducing or destabilizing SDS funding would not simply reorganize services. It would push individuals back into systems that are more rigid, less responsive, and more likely to place both clients and workers in unsafe situations.
Having worked inside both models, I can state plainly: SDS prevents harm that traditional systems repeatedly fail to prevent.
The impact of reducing the SDS budget and lowering worker pay, would require me to leave my position for a higher paying job or seek out a second job and possibly seek out social support programs, like SNAP and Section 8 housing.
The budget cut would absolutely impact the quality of care that the individual I serve recieves as well. I provide care for a nine year old girl who has Rett Syndrome with concerns with epilepsy and other related health issues. She is nonverbal and nonmobile, requiring total support for all of her daily care and activities. Due to the nature of her disability, it is imparative that someone highly skilled and familiar with her is with her at all times. She is unable to vocalize when she needs help, yet has episodes multiple times a day which require prompt action and support to ensure her health and safety. Due to the lack of workers seeking caregiver employment, people showing initial interest but not following through with an interview, and even some getting hired then not showing up for a shift, it took her family months to find someone able to meet their needs. Having been with this family since June 2024, I have been able to participate in the care of their child and play a part in her improved overall health as a valued careteam member. In my opinion, the best care for this child, is in her own home with her family. This cannot happen if the SDS program is hit with the proposed cuts. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2002 2/4/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: DEENA MENENDEZ BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/3/2026 8:17 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Chairpersons and Members of the Committee,
My name is Deena Menendez and I am the parent of a joyful 25-year-old adult with Down syndrome named Starlette. I am here today because my daughter is one of thousands of Missourians who will be directly and severely harmed by the proposed cuts to the Self-Directed Services (SDS) program in House Bill 10.
Down syndrome is a lifelong genetic condition. In Star’s case, it is compounded by unexplained seizures. Between 8–26% of people with Down syndrome experience seizures—far higher than the general population. Because of her cognitive delays and the risk of injury during these episodes, Star requires 24-hour supervision.
Under the SDS program, I serve as her full-time caregiver. Because of the level of care she requires, I cannot hold outside employment. The personal assistant wage provided through SDS is what allows us to pay our mortgage, keep our utilities on, and maintain a stable home for our daughter.
House Bill 10 proposes cuts that would reduce my pay by more than six dollars per hour. That is not a minor adjustment. That is a financial blow that would make it impossible for us to survive, let alone provide Star with the safe, dignified life she deserves.
These cuts are not abstract. They have real, predictable consequences.
What HB10 Would Do Reduce personal assistant hourly budgets from $33.00 to $26.04
Cap maximum pay at $22.88/hour
Eliminate Community Specialist services
Eliminate Individual Goods and Services
These supports are not luxuries. They are the foundation that allows people with disabilities to live in their homes and communities rather than institutions.
Proof From Other Missouri Families Missouri families across the state are already sounding the alarm about these cuts. A recent news segment from OzarksFirst shows parents warning that the proposed changes to SDS could force them out of the home and potentially push their children into state institutions. One mother explained that without SDS, she would have to leave home to work, making it impossible to safely care for her autistic son who relies on the program for daily support.
This is not an isolated story. Families statewide are expressing the same fears: loss of independence, loss of safety, and the very real possibility of institutionalization if SDS is dismantled.
Here is the link for your review
News Segment https://www.ozarksforst.com/news/missouri-news/missouri-families-warn-about- devestating-cuts-to-disability-services/
The Financial Reality The numbers tell a story that cannot be ignored:
Self-Directed Services cost: $48,000 per person per year
Institutional care cost: $161,096 per person per year in 2009—now estimated at over $600,000 per year
HB10 would eliminate a $48,000 program only to push people into placements costing more than half a million dollars annually.
This is not fiscal responsibility. This is not stewardship of taxpayer dollars. This is a decision that is both fiscally reckless and morally indefensible.
Missouri will not save money. Missouri will spend 12.5 times more to institutionalize people who could otherwise live safely at home.
Statewide Petition Efforts Missourians are mobilizing. A statewide petition t