Committee staff gave members a step-by-step briefing on subcommittee rules, how to participate remotely, the location of interactive budget tools and how the legislature now uses "positions budgeted" (PB) when calculating personal services in House Bill 2.

The committees standing logistics included a standard meeting time (9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday), a quorum requirement of three members and a rule that no proxies may be used to establish quorum. Committee members were reminded to direct questions through the chair during agency presentations and to provide presentation materials to legislative staff at least three legislative days prior to a hearing.

Remote participation and tools

Committee staff walked members through the public sign-up process on the Legislatures website, explaining that remote participants use the committees explorer on legmt.gov, select the subcommittee and choose House Bill 2 as the related bill when registering for public comment. Staff noted the site asks registrants to sign up two hours in advance.

Staff also demonstrated interactive budget tools and agency-profile materials available on the fiscal pages of the Legislatures website, and pointed members to agency budget histories and decision-package detail intended to support deliberations.

Positions budgeted (PB) and vacancy savings

A staff presentation explained that "positions budgeted" is the budget tool now used to set personal-services authority in HB2. PB differs from headcount or FTE because an agency can have more or fewer actual employees than budgeted positions (for example, multiple part-time workers occupying one budgeted position, or a single incumbent occupying a modified or statutory position). The snapshot used for personal-services calculations is taken from payroll and position records shortly before the session year and serves as the basis for the personal-services budget.

The staff briefing also described vacancy savings: an assumed reduction in personal-services spending to reflect turnover and unfilled jobs. Staff noted actual vacancy savings will differ from the budgeted assumption depending on real turnover and hiring during the biennium.

Why it matters

The procedural guidance sets expectations for presenters and members, helps the subcommittee process decision packages efficiently and clarifies how personal-services authority is computed for House Bill 2. Members were told interactive tools and agency profiles will be available online and that DNRC, MDT and other agencies will present detailed program budgets in coming hearings.

Ending

Committee staff closed by reiterating where members and the public can find agendas, agency profiles and interactive budget dashboards, and by noting the subcommittee will start agency hearings beginning with the Department of Transportation next week.