Nate Osborne, fiscal analyst with the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, told the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee the funding-item follow-up report is intended as an informational briefing rather than a set of final decisions. "This is simply an informational item," Osborne said, describing the report as a public, web-available review of short-term funding items and recommended performance measures.

The report covers one-time pilot programs, early hires and equipment purchases, and newly funded initiatives that LFA analysts said should be monitored as they move from start-up into ongoing operations. "Many of these will be pushed back to when that ongoing funding has had some time to be spent," Osborne said, explaining why some items currently show little activity.

Among specific recommendations the LFA presented: recoup a one-time $57,000 portion of a new FTE appropriation for the Children's Device Protection Act, and return unspent one-time funds (for example, $68,100 tied to an attorney general report on investigations) where no spending has occurred. For several newly created programs, such as a Utah Crime Stoppers initiative, analysts recommended agencies report on effectiveness after one full year so the Legislature can evaluate continued support.

On corrections funding, Osborne and other analysts urged continued review of overtime and safety-related one-time contracts. Gary Sifis of the LFA said corrections reported spending intended overtime funds but that a separate FY25 overtime item will require continued monitoring. "We will recommend continuing to review the overtime funding at corrections," Sifis said.

Sifis also highlighted that some grant programs and pilot efforts have spent substantially less than appropriated amounts. He pointed to law-enforcement amendments that appropriated $3 million one-time but so far have expended roughly $800,000 because a vendor bid came in well under projections. He also flagged a $100,000 one-time appropriation for training related to school employee firearm possession amendments that, as of the report's snapshot, had no utilization yet and could be a candidate for reconsolidation if remains unused.

The analysts recommended improving performance measures in multiple places so the Legislature can assess results more clearly. Examples included modifying measures for the electronic nicotine product amendments to report complaints investigated and illicit products seized, and working with agencies on better metrics for emergency EMS and software investments expected to produce efficiencies.

Committee members and staff were reminded that agencies will get a chance to respond formally in the online performance application before the subcommittee takes any binding action. The LFA repeatedly emphasized these recommendations are initial steps for consideration and could be acted on in future budget processes rather than at the dayof meeting vote.