Corrections & Institutions panel reviews two-year capital bill spreadsheet, bonding capacity

The Health, Corrections and Institutions committee on Jan. 9 examined the spreadsheet that tracks the enacted two‑year capital bill and discussed how bonded and cash funding is allocated across fiscal years.

Scott Moore, an attorney with the fiscal office, walked committee members through the spreadsheet and the bill text, saying, “This is the bill that we put together and the final version on the House and Senate. This is now session law. It is not in the green books. It is law, but it is session law.”

Moore and committee members emphasized that the capital bill is a two‑year process: enacted line items reflect amounts for the first and second fiscal years, and the committee can move dollars between those years during budget adjustment and markup. Committee members were told the governor’s budget recommendation is expected Jan. 28 and that the committee will use that, plus its own markup, to reconcile totals across columns representing Acts 69 and 162.

Why it matters: Bonded dollars and cash funds in the capital bill are treated differently and carry limits that shape what projects can be funded. Moore warned that bonded…