JFAC staff outlines program maintenance bills, sales-tax distributions and risks to general fund capacity

Budget staff reviewed how JFAC will structure program maintenance appropriation bills, described what adjustments those bills include, and explained how sales-tax distribution formulas reduce the portion of sales taxes available to the general fund.

Keith Bybee, division manager for budget policy analysis, told the committee program maintenance will be organized into 10 functional appropriation bills (for example, general government, public safety, public school support, health and human services, natural resources and economic development). He described the four decision areas to be included in those program maintenance bills: personnel and benefit cost adjustments (including CEC recommendations and health insurance), contract inflation, statewide cost allocation (SWCAP) and the inclusion of CEC in the maintenance bills this year. "This year, the intent is to include all of the CEC in the program maintenance bills ... This will make for decision making and standardize our past practices," Bybee said.

Bybee also explained the committees reason for separating maintenance and enhancement…