Capital Budget Subcommittee advances dozens of bond authorizations, reauthorizations and program changes; $45 million shifted from Healthy School Facility Fund

The Capital Budget Subcommittee on Oct. 27 reviewed a decision document and supplemental pages from the Department of Legislative Services and adopted or rejected motions on dozens of general obligation (GO) bond authorizations, preauthorizations, deauthorizations and project-specific funding adjustments.

The meeting opened with Department of Legislative Services staff noting, “You have 5 packets in front of you. The main 1 is the decision document,” and then proceeded page-by-page through the white decision document and a yellow supplemental packet that contained additional items, tally sheets and project-specific language changes. The committee completed consideration of the documents and approved the committee’s decisions by voice vote at the end of the session.

Why it matters: the subcommittee’s actions change the timing or source of money for school construction, court buildings, public-safety facilities, university capital projects and a long list of local miscellaneous grants. Several items included reductions from one funding source with a preauthorization or direction to replace the funds in a future fiscal year.

Key actions and outcomes (votes at a glance)

- Healthy School Facility Fund: The subcommittee approved reducing $45,000,000 in current funding for the Healthy School Facility Fund so remaining funds could be used in fiscal 2027 to extend the program, and added a preauthorization for the 2026 session to replace the $45,000,000 in GO bonds; the agency disagreed with the recommendation but the committee moved to reject the original DLS action and adopt the alternate language as described in the decision packet.

- Supplemental Capital Grant Program (local cost share match language): The committee moved to adopt the additional page amending language for the supplemental capital grant program’s local cost share match and rejected the original DLS recommendation for that item shown in the white packet.

- Access Maryland (Department of Disabilities): DLS recommended and the committee adopted approval of GO bond authorizations for the Access Maryland program; the agency concurred.

- Historic St. Mary’s City Commission: The committee adopted DLS’s recommendation requesting a report on on-site improvements, encumbrances and expenditures; the agency concurred.

- Board of Public Works: The committee adopted the DLS recommendation to approve all GO bond authorizations,…