Appropriations Committee advances a package of agency budgets and appropriations, including aeronautics, NDSU extension, veterans home and DEQ changes

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday moved a slate of agency budgets and related bills forward, approving amendments and recommending do-pass for several measures affecting airports, higher-education research centers, veterans care and environmental testing.

Key outcomes: the committee approved amended appropriations for the Aeronautics Commission (Senate Bill 2006), the NDSU Extension and research centers (Senate Bill 2020), amended and advanced the Veterans Home Agency budget (Senate Bill 2007), approved a policy-and-funding change for forensic exams for victims of criminal conduct (Senate Bill 2209), advanced a Life Skills/transition-center placement change (Senate Bill 2112), and amended the Department of Environmental Quality budget (Senate Bill 2024) to absorb a petroleum-tank fee into DEQ’s special funds.

What the committee did and why it matters: - Aeronautics Commission (SB2006): The committee adopted an amendment that includes increases for salaries, an increase in operating costs tied to moving projects, and roughly $3.775 million in special funds for airport projects (runway and equipment projects named for Bismarck, Minot, Devil’s Lake, Jamestown and Williston). The amendment also included $120 million in SIF authority that will be held pending leadership decisions; committee members discussed federal matching and deadlines for ARPA/SIF funds. The amendment and the bill as amended were approved by…