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Fiscal committee removes one line from budget request and hears ARPA timeline concerns
Summary
Committee approved a change removing one line from a budget request and discussed ARPA spending deadlines; state officials said remaining ARPA-funded capital projects are ongoing and unspent funds return to the federal government if not expended by Dec. 31, 2026.
The Fiscal Committee approved a revision to a multipage request and discussed the timeline for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expenditures during its June 20 meeting.
Committee members accepted a department request to remove row 7 from an attachment to a larger request after officials said the positions and funds in that row were an oversight that had been resolved. The chair called for a motion; Senator Birdsall moved approval with the exception of row 7 and Representative Wallner seconded. The committee adopted the change by voice vote.
Commissioner Caswell addressed committee questions about ARPA-funded projects under a separate item on the agenda. Caswell said the ARPA spending authority for remaining projects requires that “everything has to be expended by 12/31/2026.” He explained that most of the outstanding items are ongoing capital projects that are taking longer to complete and that some projects might finish “next month” while others could take another year. Caswell added: “Were there to be any funds that were left at the end of that period, it would go back to the federal government.”
Committee members pressed whether projects repeatedly appearing year after year reflected projects not being ready or shifting funds among projects; Caswell said the items are largely ongoing capital projects and that shifts within previously obligated contracts would be brought forward for committee review.
Senator Birdsall also praised agency staff for catching and correcting budget oversights ahead of the vote.
The transcript records the motion to remove row 7 and the ARPA deadline comments; the committee adopted the exception and the ARPA-related informational responses were recorded on the public record.
