JFAC approves program maintenance budgets for agencies from Legislature to Health and Human Services

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17 approved a series of program maintenance budgets that set FY2026 base appropriations, added limited statewide cost-allocation or contract-inflation decision units where applicable, and in many cases authorized reappropriation language for ARPA and other carryover funds.

Committee staff described these votes as the routine step that carries forward ongoing operations from previous legislatures into the next fiscal year, minus one-time items the Legislature removed earlier. The measures included base budgets and, where applicable, caps on full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) positions.

Votes at a glance (each item lists the motion maker, the second and roll-call outcome):

- Legislative Branch: Representative Miller moved to set the FY2026 base plus $41,700 for statewide cost allocation; total program maintenance $12,546,100; no FTE cap; motion approved 20‑0. (Second: Senator Ward Engelking.)

- Judicial Branch: Senator Carlson moved to set the FY2026 base plus $116,400 for statewide cost allocation; total program maintenance $96,696,300; no FTE cap; motion approved 20‑0. (Second: Representative Mitchell.)

- Constitutional Officers (six statewide elected offices): Representative Tanner moved maintenance budget including…