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Appropriations bill reported with disaster relief, teacher bonuses and scholarship funding; committee approves HB 6005
Summary
The Finance, Ways and Means Committee reported the special-session appropriations bill, House Bill 6,005, on Jan. 28, a package described by sponsors as roughly $910.4 million in spending that bundles hurricane recovery, local disaster relief, teacher bonuses and education-related allocations.
House Bill 6,005, the special-session appropriations measure, was reported by the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 28 after the committee considered a series of related bills and untimely amendments. Leader Peter Lambert described the bill as containing approximately $910.39 million in spending to cover emergency relief and education measures considered elsewhere in the committee.
Key appropriations described by the sponsor included:
- Approximately $910,390,700 in total spending included within the appropriations bill as described in committee remarks. - $110,000,000 nonrecurring for the Hurricane Helene interest payment fund (to pay up to 5% of loan interest for three years). - $100,000,000 nonrecurring for a governor’s response-to-recovery loan fund. - $240,000,000 for local disaster relief targeted to Northeast Tennessee. - $62,700,000 recurring estimated receipts from sports wagering to support programs described in the education bill. - $198,000,000 nonrecurring for teacher bonuses or a figure described in committee remarks (committee discussion referenced $190.8M and an approximate $198M figure for nonrecurring teacher bonus/assistance items); the sponsor described nonrecurring payments intended to reach roughly 86,000 teachers. - $20,000,000 for reconstruction of Hampton High School (nonrecurring), and other line items described by the sponsor.
Procedure and amendments: the sponsor filed a clerical amendment and an untimely administration amendment during the hearing; both were adopted and the bill was then reported out. Committee members debated a stand-alone amendment to strip the scholarships language from the appropriations vehicle; that tabling motion was passed and the committee ultimately voted to report the full appropriations bill, as amended, to Calendar and Rules.
Vote: The committee took a roll-call vote and the clerk recorded 21 ayes and 5 noes; the chair announced the bill passes out to Calendar and Rules.
Next steps: House Bill 6,005 will go to Calendar and Rules and then, if scheduled, to the floor for consideration. Committee sponsors said they would provide more granular fiscal detail in the Rules process and during floor debate.
