JFAC advances multiple appropriations and enhancements; ombudsman funding fails in House

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee (JFAC) on Feb. 14 advanced a series of supplemental appropriations and fiscal‑year 2026 budget enhancements across several state agencies while rejecting a separate request to fund a new Office of Health and Social Services ombudsman in the House.

The committee voted to approve supplemental funding and one‑time appropriations for the Military Division to reimburse hazardous‑materials cleanup costs, finish public‑safety vehicle installations, and upgrade IT infrastructure. It also approved the division’s FY2026 enhancement package that includes funding for hazardous materials regional response teams. The committee approved similar supplemental or enhancement requests for Veterans Services, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance, the Department of Insurance, the State Board of Education special programs, health education programs and the State Independent Living Council. A motion to provide an initial $50,000 general‑fund allocation for a Health & Social Services ombudsman failed to get the necessary support in the House.

Why it matters: the motions recorded Tuesday convert prior policy requests and fiscal notes into committee recommendations that will be included in JFAC’s budget bills. Several approvals add one‑time capacity (vehicle installations, IT upgrades, hazmat equipment) while other votes add ongoing positions and program funding that affect agency staffing and operations in FY2026.

Summary of analyst presentations and key remarks Keith Bybee, Division Manager of Budget Policy Analysis for the Legislative Services Office, opened with a general fund daily update and highlighted bills “under the category titled APP for appropriation,” noting those are measures that carry fiscal notes and may require additional appropriations if enacted. “The bills that I’m gonna highlight for the committee are the ones under the category titled APP for appropriation,” he said.

Frances Lippitt, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, presented the Military Division packet and walked the committee through specific supplemental and FY2026 enhancement requests, including a recommended $8.6 million transfer to fund hazardous materials regional response teams distributed to local fire departments.

Representative Petzke, who carried several of the…