Committee approves fee‑fund spending and vehicle allowance for Board of Barbering

The Committee on General Government Budget on Oct. 12 approved use of the Board of Barbering’s fee fund for several identified line items and added a direction to produce a five‑year vehicle and operations plan.

The committee’s action authorized the board to draw from its fee fund rather than the State General Fund for a set of line items discussed during the hearing, and it passed a separate amendment allowing up to roughly $5,000 for vehicle repairs and requesting the board submit a five‑year vehicle‑replacement plan to the Division of the Budget and this committee.

Why it matters: the Board of Barbering is funded primarily by fees; authorizing spending out of the fee fund and clarifying carryover and vehicle allowances affects how that small licensing board manages cash flow and basic operations.

The committee voted first to permit use of fee‑fund balances for specified Barbering expenses. The chair described a package of line items the committee would authorize from the board’s fee fund: computer‑based testing fees ($5,200, as discussed), practical examination travel costs (listed in the discussion as 14.8), a $500 national‑conference fee, $500 for service fees, $1,000 for vehicle tires, and the addition of a 0.1 FTE or similar position adjustment tied to increasing the executive director’s weekly hours from 35 to 40. The chair said, “I will make that a motion.” A representative of the Board of Barbering seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Budget staff and the Division of the Budget cautioned the committee about the difference between budget authority (expenditure authority) and cash flow. Adam Proffitt, identified as the budget director, told the panel he expects some fee‑funded agencies will need carryover because not all fees arrive on the first day of the fiscal year: “I don't think all their fees come in on day 1 of the new fiscal year, so there should be a level of carryover from year to year to ensure that we can make the payments,” he said. Proffitt also described past cash‑flow problems at small agencies and reminded the committee there is a state requirement for an ending balance on the State General Fund.

Separately, Representative Turk moved to add language allowing the Board of Barbering to budget roughly $5,000 for vehicle repairs and requested the board prepare a five‑year replacement plan and submit it to the Division of the Budget and this committee; that motion was seconded and passed. Committee members said the plan should be shared with appropriations if it becomes part of a longer budget conversation.

The committee also took routine concurrence votes on the board’s FY 2026 and FY 2027 budget summaries; the record shows the motions to concur passed by voice vote.

What’s next: The committee instructed staff to draft proviso language reflecting the vehicle repair permission and the request for a five‑year plan. Committee members also discussed longer‑term statutory updates for both the Board of Barbering and the Board of Cosmetology.