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Appropriations committee presents House Bill 1 supplemental budget; referred to conference committee
Summary
The Senate Appropriations Committee reviewed House Bill 1 (general government appropriations / supplemental budget), discussed multiple amendments and technical changes, and referred the bill to a conference committee of five senators and five representatives to reconcile differences with the Senate budget proposal.
The Senate Appropriations Committee presented House Bill 1, the supplemental appropriations package for the current biennium, and the Senate voted to refer the bill to a five-member conference committee to reconcile differences with the Senate's supplemental budget (Senate File 1).
Senator Salazar, chair of the Appropriations Committee, reported the committee's review and summarized a series of house amendments and technical adjustments affecting multiple agencies and programs. Key items discussed in the committee report included: increases for behavioral health services to preschool children, adjustments for state parks and cultural resources, funding for wildfire-related restoration through the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, and targeted energy-design and engineering funds (including $10 million LSRA for design/engineering of projects related to Wyoming coal and critical minerals).
The committee outlined 19 amendments from the House position (two of which offset one another) and explained agency-level footnotes and carry-forwards. Senator Larson and other appropriators reviewed items ranging from human resources reporting for alternate work locations to $4 million for preschool services for children with disabilities.
After review, the Senate referred House Bill 1 directly to a conference committee under Joint Rule 14-1 to negotiate differences between Senate File 1 and the House supplemental bill. The Senate named the conference committee: Chair Senator Salazar, and members Senators Nethercott, Larson, Garou and Beitman.
Why it matters: House Bill 1 contains supplemental appropriations that affect the operation of state government for the 2024–2026 biennium. The conference committee will reconcile major fiscal differences between chambers before a final budget is enacted.
Next steps: Conference committee meetings will work through the outstanding differences and produce a report to both chambers; the session calendar requires timely resolution.
