The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee will not meet in Helena as planned on March 19-20 but will hold a short conference call meeting on March 19 to hear an update on the state's response to COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus.

Committee Chairman Eric Moore and Vice Chair Diane Sands cancelled the regularly planned meeting in light of the nationwide response to COVID-19. Most items planned for the March 19-20 meeting will be rescheduled for a future meeting.

The committee will hear the coronavirus update as part of its oversight responsibilities for the Department of Public Health and Human Services. DPHHS Director Sheila Hogan and members of the agency's public health staff will provide the update by phone.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. Members of the public may attend the meeting in Room 137 of the Capitol in Helena.

The committee will not be taking public comment because no action item is on the agenda. Written public comment may be submitted to committee staffer Sue O'Connell at soconnell@mt.gov or at Legislative Services Division, PO Box 201706, Helena, MT 59624-1706.

The meeting will be streamed live at http://leg.mt.gov. For more information about the meeting, including an agenda and related materials, visit the committee's website, www.leg.mt.gov/cfhhs, or contact committee researcher Sue O'Connell at soconnell@mt.gov or 406-444-3597.