Executive committee reports $19.2M in legislative cash fund, reviews session calendar

Director Castle presented the legislative department cash fund report, stating the total fund balance is about $19.2 million and that after subtracting amounts reserved based on prior authority, roughly $18 million is available for spending. Castle said the corpus of the cash fund is primarily made up of reverted unexpended appropriations from the legislative department.

She outlined the three largest internal accounts: a shared service agency account (~$9.8 million), the House account (~$4.6 million), and the Senate account (~$3.3 million). Castle told members the packet includes detailed pages showing year-to-date spending and reserved authority by account and project.

Minority Leader Simpson asked whether the cash fund generated interest; Castle said it did — about $800,000 last year — but that a recent bill diverted interest permanently to the General Fund, which is why interest does not appear on the cash fund report.

Deputy Director Christie Chase then reviewed the session calendar and key deadlines: House and Senate bill-introduction deadlines (this Friday for the House and Feb. 6 for the Senate), JBC supplemental introduction on Feb. 9, committee reporting deadlines (Feb. 27 for House committees, March 6 for Senate first-committee reporting), the March 13 Legislative Council staff budget review and executive committee review and vote on the legislative budget, a March 30 long-bill introduction deadline, and scheduling notes for long-bill passage windows in April and adjournment timing in May.

The committee had no further questions and adjourned.