Any monies allocated to the department will likely go toward keeping those affected programs intact, although director Lisa-Michele Church pleaded with lawmakers not to stop there.

"Do not limit me to those budget cut restorations," Church said Wednesday, asking lawmakers to help her meet management objectives such as bolstering drug court programs, increasing adult bed space at the state hospital and funding the waiting list.

"I can't necessarily put that at the top anymore, but I can't walk away from that commitment that I've made," Church said.

For two hours Wednesday, committee members heard from those impacted by DSPD services, such as 25-year-old Ryan Allen, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a truck when he was 11 years old.

"I am very grateful for all of the services I have received, as they allow me to be in the community with others instead of just in my home," Allen said through a computerized device that allows him to speak.

"Even though my body does not work real good, my mind does."

Others lamented waiting for years with little or no assistance from the state.

"I would like to ask when are we going to get help we need. When are we going to give our parents a break?" asked Justin Olsen, who has been on the DSPD waiting list since he was 6 years old and whose mother has been his primary caregiver for 23 years.

"Do any of you senators or representatives know how it is to take care of a disabled child? Just let me tell you, you're up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can never take care of yourself."

The committee did not make any decisions Wednesday about funding or budget priorities for the Department of Human Services.

Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, expressed frustration about continued federal budget cuts and their impact on the state's abilities to fund programs. He also encouraged his colleagues to consider the best way to spend the state's surplus.

"We're going to be making some prioritization about where those extra dollars are going, whether they're going to go into Health and Human Service needs" or in other areas of the state.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com