Ways & Means committee reports H.493 favorable after high-level FY26 budget briefing

Ways & Means met March 25 and voted to find H.493 — the House appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026 — favorable to the full House after a Joint Fiscal Office briefing and committee discussion.

The nut graf: The committee’s action advances the legislature’s FY26 spending plan after the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) walked members through high-level revenue and transfer estimates and noted a number of carry‑forwards and transfers. Several members said they were uncomfortable voting without more time to review line‑by‑line appropriations, but moved to report the bill so it can proceed to floor consideration and further amendment.

Emily Byrne and Chris Roehm of JFO summarized the financing underlying H.493. Byrne said the House Appropriations Committee’s FY26 plan is “built on the official consensus revenue forecast that was adopted in January of $2,400,000,000.” She and Roehm added JFO’s accounting of direct applications and transfers into the general fund — about $108,000,000 — produces roughly $2.5 billion in general‑fund resources for appropriations and transfers, and that the budget relies on roughly $136,000,000 in…