Conference committee tentatively resolves multiple H 493 appropriations, moves $4 million education transition to education bill

The conference committee working on H 493 on May 6 reached tentative agreements on a series of budget items and program changes, and agreed to shift $4 million for an education transition into the separate education bill.

Committee members agreed to reduce the tech business assistance line to $550,000 and to lower the agricultural security fund to $500,000. The panel also accepted the House position on a Department of Transportation retrofit line by reducing that allocation to $200,000. Members said they would move a $4 million appropriation for an education transition into the education bill (referred to in the session as the “ed bill”) and treat that funding as a one-time allocation.

Why it matters: the conference committee is reconciling competing House and Senate budget positions for H 493; the decisions determine whether certain programs receive ongoing base funding or one-time funding and affect how agencies will implement or seek continuation in future budgets.

Most important outcomes and unresolved items

- Education transition: The committee agreed to transfer $4 million for an education transition into the education bill and to treat the funds as one-time money to be accounted for in that separate bill. The committee discussed needing clear plan language and the potential for the education bill to carry language similar to the budget’s current text.

- Tech business assistance and related economic items: Members said they were willing to reduce the tech business assistance appropriation to $550,000. The sustainable jobs fund was discussed as taking a 2.5 percent increase and some adjustments to timing of one-time items were proposed to free funding for earlier raises.

- Agriculture and farm-to-school funding: The farm-to-school grant was discussed at length. Committee members said the House position reduced the line to $750,000 from $1 million, and that USDA and other federal funds had been used historically to support parts of the program; the committee accepted the reduced amount as a backfill for federal funds.

- Trade and tourism lines: The committee considered funding for a Montreal trade office and a $30,000 LCI line. Participants recalled differing Senate and House positions (one speaker recalled a $50,000 Senate position); ultimately the group agreed to a one-time appropriation for the Montreal office and to move the $30,000 LCI allocation into the tourism and marketing budget, with future pickup subject to the tourism budget process.

- Personnel classification and cost questions: The land use review board requested converting limited-service positions to permanent classified status. Committee members emphasized that the positions existed previously and were not net additions, but said converting two limited-service positions to permanent classified positions might add roughly $150,000 to base costs; members asked the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) and agency staff to confirm the mapping and cost details. Members noted this change could be handled administratively but said they would propose language to clarify the classification if needed.

- Other agreed items and directions: The committee affirmed keeping one transport deputy for the sheriff’s office, agreed to move some one-time appropriations to October to better align funding for early pay increases, and accepted the House position to keep $450,000 in the base for U.S. Army Reserve search-and-rescue (USAR) funding. Members also said they would not delay action on the item covered by Section E333 and proposed removing delay language so the policy would proceed this year.

Debate, process and next steps

Committee discussion repeatedly returned to whether certain sums should be base funding or one-time funding and whether language in the budget or the education bill should carry program conditions. Members requested clearer cost tables and asked JFO and agency staff to verify contract and facility line items tied to the $4 million education transition package. Several members said they had only received some spreadsheets and contract detail that day and requested follow-up information before finalizing text.

On personnel classification, members asked for clarification on why similar jobs had been set up as exempt versus classified and requested a fiscal estimate of the base impact of converting existing limited-service positions. Members noted the historical use of different funding sources (including a question whether ARPA had covered prior costs) and asked JFO to deliver mapping and costing information.

Several items remain to be resolved in a follow-up meeting: contract-level details for the education transition, precise final amounts and language for the Montreal trade office appropriation, and confirmation on the cost impact of converting limited-service positions to classified permanent positions. The committee scheduled another conference follow-up and said it would circulate updated spreadsheets and proposed language by e-mail before reconvening.

The committee indicated its next meeting would be the following day at noon to continue reconciling remaining items and finalizing agreed text for H 493.