Administration presents budget amendment with $315M nonrecurring funds, new spending priorities and higher-education capital needs

The administration presented its amendment to the FY‑26 budget to the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, describing a plan that relies mainly on nonrecurring resources and adds targeted spending for health, education, infrastructure and justice priorities.

Commissioner Bryson, presenting the administration amendment, told the committee the amendment assumes slow tax growth and focuses on “nonrecurring opportunities using cash in hand,” citing $115 million in department reversions and $200 million in treasurer’s earnings that together provide about $315 million in nonrecurring funding. Bryson said recurring available funds are limited and that the amendment contains roughly $30.9 million in recurring availability after adjustments.

Major allocations described in the presentation included $28 million in state provider-stability funding for nursing homes (described as matchable with federal funds to produce roughly $81 million in total support), $20.7 million to buy back a hospital assessment that can be matched to produce about $58 million in total for hospitals, $10 million for mental-health infrastructure for children’s hospitals, $20 million added to school-safety grants and $20 million for the charter schools facility fund. The amendment also adds $25 million nonrecurring for general-aviation airport maintenance, keeping an existing program at about $50 million, and contains directed…