Senate Finance committee adopts package of budget provisos, redirects funds and approves pilot programs

The Senate Finance and Ways and Means Committee on Monday adopted a package of budget provisos that will change how several state agencies may use previously appropriated funds, authorize short-term transfers and establish pilot programs.

Committee staff described each proviso and recommended action to the chairman and members; the committee approved most measures by voice vote. Committee staff said the packet was intended to conform budget language to current program activity, delete expired redirects and authorize limited pilot programs tied to earlier appropriations.

Among the measures the committee adopted, Committee staff reported that Section 44.2 in the Department of Agriculture will allow temporary fruits-and-vegetable inspectors to receive a $30 daily subsistence payment instead of separate meals-and-lodging reimbursements. Committee staff described the recommendation as "to adopt proviso as amended." The committee approved the change.

The panel also approved a new proviso for the Forestry Commission that would authorize the treasurer and comptroller general to transfer up to $3,000,000 from the emergency reserve fund to cover response costs if the Forestry Commission is activated for a declared emergency; if the reserve lacks sufficient balance, the proviso allows use of the general fund, with required reporting and reimbursement back to the original fund. Committee staff recommended adoption, and the proviso was adopted.

At the Department of Natural Resources, the committee restored language that would prohibit use of general funds to support the agency's wildlife magazine, reversing proposed language that would have allowed general-fund support; the committee adopted the restored proviso. The committee also approved Section 47.19, a pilot grant program for deer processors that conditions grants on processors handling antlerless deer without charging hunters and on donations to qualifying nonprofits, with a reporting requirement to the committee.

The committee agreed to several fund-redirect deletions where staff said funds already have been expended: multiple county-specific redirects in the 49 and 50 series and other line items the staff described as spent and recommended for deletion. For the film commission, the committee adopted amended carry-forward language that would allow up to $2,000,000 to support a pilot rebate program for film projects with budgets between $250,000 and $999,000 and clarified definitions and carry-forward use.

On transportation and ports, the committee adopted a proviso directing the State Ports Authority to pay $1,000,000 to the Transportation Infrastructure Bank to continue the Cooper River bridge project. Committee discussion also addressed prior appropriations for port development in Jasper County: staff told members that a completed study on the developability of dredge spoil (compacted dredged material) cleared the way for negotiating release of spoil easements now held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, identifying potential need to locate a replacement spoil site and coordinate with forestry authorities before construction of a terminal facility can proceed.

Committee members amended and adopted a resilience-related proviso updating the list of qualifying disaster funding streams (including HUD disaster recovery) whose funded improvements are protected from reassessment if completed by specified dates; the committee adopted the amendment. The committee also approved a general-provisions amendment directing the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, the Department of Natural Resources and SCORES to run a rice-fields and wetlands pilot permitting program to restore fallow rice fields and managed wetlands for conservation, wildlife management and flood mitigation, allowing up to 100 qualifying properties and directing that permit fees fund the program; the progress report due date was updated in the amendment.

Senator Gambrell described efforts to advance a parks project and said, "I've had meetings with BRT folks, the JVRC folks, and our administration. They've all pledged to try to go ahead and get this part the project done," and asked that the item be included in the proviso packet. Committee staff and members also requested copies of completed Department of Insurance studies on the coastal property insurance market and civil insurance issues; staff said the reports were completed and would be provided to the committee.

At the end of the session the committee approved a motion giving staff authority to make technical conforming changes to the adopted language. The committee adjourned after the packet was finalized.