Committee advances $59.7 billion Appropriations Act, sends bill to calendar and rules

The Finance, Ways and Means Committee advanced the Appropriations Act, House Bill 14‑09, sending the package to calendar and rules after a 27‑0 committee vote Thursday.

Committee Chairman Hicks described the fiscal year 2025–26 spending plan as a $59.7 billion budget composed of state appropriations, federal funds and other sources. “This is the Appropriations House Bill 14 o 9,” Chairman Hicks said as he introduced the bill and its three amendments, which the committee adopted in sequence.

The budget outlined by Chairman Hicks relies on several revenue sources and a mix of recurring and nonrecurring appropriations. The chair said the bill assumes roughly a 50/50 split between state and other monies, listing the high‑level composition as about $29.7 billion of state appropriations, $20.8 billion in federal funds and about $9.2 billion from other sources. He told members the package programs a 2% growth in recurring state revenue for fiscal year 2026 and incorporates more than $959 million in TennCare shared savings to date.

Major allocations listed in the presentation included: - Disaster relief:…