Joint finance committee approves $14,130 per‑FTE health insurance funding for FY2026

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee voted Friday, Jan. 31, to set health insurance funding at $14,130 per eligible full‑time equivalent (FTE) position for fiscal year 2026, approving increases to state agency budgets to cover higher employer‑paid benefit costs.

The motion to set the per‑FTE health insurance appropriation at $14,130 was offered by Senator Woodward and seconded by Representative Tanner. Committee staff presented three options on the screen: the CEC committee recommendation of $13,960 per FTE, the governor’s recommendation of $14,300 per FTE and the midpoint compromise at $14,130. Mr. Bybee, a staff member, described the three dollar‑amount motions and noted that the largest adjustment in the personnel benefit cost package was the health insurance figure, with smaller agency‑level adjustments for workers’ compensation and Social Security.

Why it matters: the committee’s choice changes the state’s projected reserve balance and flows through agency budgets statewide. Mr. Bybee said the committee’s projected reserve balances for fiscal…