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Committee advances bill to earmark half of lapsing general‑fund dollars for children’s programs
Summary
Lawmakers endorsed a first substitute to redirect 50% of small, end‑of‑year lapsing general‑fund balances to a restricted children’s account split among childcare, behavioral health, and K–3 education supports; supporters say the change uses existing one‑time funds, critics warned about caps and constitutional constraints.
Representative Matthews introduced a bill to capture a portion of what she described as modest, end‑of‑year lapsing general‑fund balances and place half of that money into a restricted account for children’s needs. "The 3 uses for the money in this restricted account will go to the 3 things that we feel like are most impactful for Utah’s kids," she said, describing allocations of 34% to the Office of Childcare, 33% to the Behavioral Health Commission, and 33% to the State Board of Education for K–3 interventions and paraeducator support.
Members asked constitutional and policy…
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