Committee of Conference makes partial agreements on HB 1 and HB 2; several items held for further negotiation

The Committee of Conference on HB 1 and HB 2 advanced a mix of technical fixes, appropriations and policy changes on Tuesday while leaving a number of contested items for further negotiation.

The panel, meeting in a hybrid session, largely agreed to accept or “exceed” the Senate positions on multiple technical sections and appropriations while flagging higher-profile policy items for later caucus or committee-of-conference meetings.

The committee accepted a number of technical corrections and items that the transcript shows both chambers already had passed or that address agency requests. Representative McGuire summarized one of those technical housekeeping decisions: “line 16 … was house bill 781, so we we can agree to delete that,” reflecting an agreement to remove language already enacted or otherwise resolved. Senators and representatives also agreed to accept a short, agency-requested extension — changing a 30-day implementation deadline to 120 days — for a Medicaid outpatient procedure incentive plan at the Department of Health and Human Services’ request.

Why it matters: The Committee of Conference reconciles differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the two main budget bills. Agreements on technical text and timing clear the path for appropriations to be implemented; unresolved items will determine final policy direction and revenue assumptions before a completed budget goes to the full Legislature and the governor.

What the committee agreed to - Technical fixes and conformity: Multiple sections that duplicate or correct provisions already passed into law were removed or conformed to the enacted language. - Education-related technical items: Members accepted several Education Trust Fund and EFA (education freedom/accounting) technical corrections and agreed, in places, to the…