House Appropriations panel adopts committee amendments to HB 1600, directing $1.1 billion tax relief and targeted spending across education, housing, health and

House Appropriations Committee Chairman opened the session to consider committee-recommended amendments to House Bill 1600, the revised biennial budget for fiscal years 2024–26, and told members the package focuses on tax relief, housing, childcare, education and worker protections.

The committee adopted the resources report and then voted to report HB 1600 as amended to the full House. Committee members approved the resources report and each subcommittee report by unanimous recorded votes; the final motion to report HB 1600 as amended carried on a voice/recorded vote reported as 21 in favor.

The amendment package dedicates $1.1 billion to tax relief, including a one-time $200 payment for individual filers and $400 for joint filers (estimated cost $978,000,000) and an expansion of the standard deduction to exempt the first $8,750 of individual income ($17,500 for joint filers). The package also increases the refundable portion of the earned income tax credit to 20% of the federal credit.

On K–12 and early childhood, the committee adopted subcommittee recommendations that add $558,000,000 in direct state funds to school divisions; provide $140,500,000 for one-time $1,000 teacher bonuses effective Sept. 1; allocate $222,900,000 to remove the…