JFAC moves $291.7 million reappropriation into new broadband office for transparency

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17 approved corrective motions to move $291,737,000 in reappropriated funds out of the Department of Commercecommerce program and into the Broadband Office so the broadband dollars can be tracked separately.

Legislative Services budget and policy analyst Janet Jessup told the committee that last year the legislature added the broadband office to the Department of Commerce after reappropriation had already been recorded, so the funds landed in the commerce program instead of the broadband program. "This action would remove the monies that were reappropriated to the commerce program and then also add them back into the broadband office so they can be tracked for transparency moving forward," Jessup said.

Representative Greg Handy moved the first motion to reduce the commerce program by $291,737,000 in reappropriated funds and to add the same amount to the broadband program; Senator Cook seconded. The committee then took the companion motion to add $291,737,000 in reappropriated funds to the Broadband Office. Both motions were recorded as net-zero adjustments in the fiscal year 2025 books and passed on roll call with unanimous support: 20 ayes, 0 nays.

Committee clerks conducted roll call votes after brief procedural discussion; no substantive debate followed the staff explanation. The committee characterized the pair of motions as technical corrections intended to align the appropriation ledger with the organizational change made last year.

The motions carry a "do pass" recommendation to the next steps in the budget process.