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Committee authorizes Commerce to fund regional councils from existing grants; removes new appropriation
Summary
Committee amended House Bill 1524 to remove a $2.4 million direct appropriation to regional planning councils and instead authorized the Department of Commerce to use portions of its existing grant programs to support regional councils; the amendment and the bill as amended were approved by the committee.
The Appropriations Committee amended House Bill 1524 to remove a separate $2.4 million appropriation for regional planning councils and instead authorize the Department of Commerce to provide support to regional councils from within its existing grant programs.
“...with this amendment, the Department of Commerce would be authorized to consider a portion of all the grant programs they have to go to regional councils,” Senator Dwyer said while explaining the amendment. Under the change, regional councils would still need to apply for funds and Commerce must approve allocations; no new, additional appropriation was added in the committee record.
Committee members described prior funding to regional councils, including $8 million appropriated in the previous biennium and administrative percentages within grants that have supported council staffing. Senator Sickler said he was the lone no vote in the House division and expressed concern about creating a precedent of appropriating state dollars for salaries or operating expenses, even as he commended the councils' work.
The committee recorded the amendment vote as passed (roll call reported as 16 yes) and later approved the bill as amended by recorded vote 14–2. The amendment shifts the program from a direct legislative appropriation to an authorization for Commerce to allocate funding through its existing programs and processes.
