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Senate Appropriations committee moves FY25–FY26 budget adjustment bill forward after technical and reversion changes
Summary
Committee staff summarized changes between the governor's proposed closeout and the version passed by the House; members discussed reversion language, transfers to the treasurer and municipal flood grants before a motion to report the budget-adjustment bill favorably passed on a roll-call recorded in the transcript.
Senate fiscal staff and the Appropriations Committee reviewed a series of technical and policy changes between the governor's recommended FY25 closeout and the House-passed budget-adjustment language, and then considered the updated budget-adjustment act (referred to in committee papers as H.141 and H.489 versions and described as the new budget adjustment).
The fiscal summary covered items including reversions, an appropriation to the treasurer to backfill bond-redemption funds, municipal flood relief grants, the governor's requested transfers and changes to general-assistance emergency housing language. Committee staff noted that, after the revisions, roughly $133,500,000 would be reserved and carried forward into FY26 for appropriation.
Why it matters: the budget-adjustment act rewrites some FY25 closeout treatment, reassigns certain one-time appropriations and preserves or removes reversion language that affects how funds are carried into FY26. The committee highlighted the fiscal implications for the GA (general assistance) program and for the treasurer's bond redemption work.
Key points from staff and committee discussion
- Treasurers and bond redemption: The committee reviewed a $14,000,000 appropriation restored to the treasurer's office to backfill bond redemption needs (the administration's original recommendation). Committee staff said that prior action had left $6,000,000 still at the treasurer's office.
- General Assistance (GA) and cold-weather policy: The committee discussed an extension of the cold-weather policy to June 30 without additional funding; staff said the Department for Children and Families had savings to cover the extension through June 30 and so the budget adjustment did not add a new appropriation for GA in the current fiscal year.
- Municipal flood grants: The bill changes how the flood-impacted municipal grants are funded, with a net movement described in committee materials and a partial reversion/restore depending on the FY26 budget negotiated in the House.
Committee action
Committee Chair called for a motion to report the budget-adjustment bill favorably. A motion was made and seconded. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript. The votes captured on the record included: Senator North (No); Senator Watson (Yes); Senator Brew (Yes); Senator Lyons (Yes); Senator Westman (No); Senator Brennan (No); Senator Birchlake (Yes). The partial roll call recorded four recorded yes votes and three recorded no votes in the excerpt available in the transcript. The committee chair then announced the committee would report the bill (procedural record in transcript indicates the motion carried as reported to the floor).
Ending
Committee staff said they would circulate language clarifications and that committee members could follow up with staff. The bill is expected to proceed to the floor; committee members noted timing sensitivity tied to FY25 closeout dates and FY26 appropriation decisions.
