Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Contingency Allocations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board recommends $5 million to restore statutory contingency, approves multiple contingency allocations
Summary
The State Board of Examiners recommended $5 million to restore the statutory contingency fund and approved four other contingency allocations totaling roughly $5.9 million for staffing, court sanctions, VAWA activities, and wildfire response after staff explained limits on replenishing the tort-claims fund and the Division of Forestry described reimbursement delays.
The State Board of Examiners recommended sending $5,000,000 to restore the statutory contingency fund and approved four other contingency-account recommendations during its meeting.
The board voted to recommend to the Interim Finance Committee that it allocate $5,000,000 to the statutory contingency fund (agenda item 6c). Attorney General Ford questioned whether tort-related liabilities should be routed to the tort-claims fund rather than statutory contingency; budget staff replied that the tort-claims fund lacks a direct appropriation for IFC contingency access and that larger claims must be managed from statutory contingency until the Legislature acts.
In separate votes the board approved: a $1,062,055 recommendation for the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public and Behavioral Health, to fund professional contract staffing (6a); $447,000 to pay sanctions imposed by the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County (6b); and $1,278,250 to the Office of the Attorney General for ongoing Violence Against Women Act formula grant activities (6d).
The board also approved a $3,143,971 recommendation for the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry (6e) to cover in‑state emergency response and fire suppression expenses. Casey Casey, representing the Division of Forestry, said the division has improved its invoicing system and has invoiced about $53,000,000 in reimbursables since October 2024, but that federal reimbursements continue to fluctuate and some older bills remain outstanding. “Every single day, these numbers changed,” Casey said, adding that staff continue to press federal partners to pay older claims.
Craig Newby, First Assistant Attorney General, said he did not have a recent update on the timetable for federal VAWA funds; staff said they would follow up with the governor’s office as needed. Attorney General Ford and other members sought clarification about why the request would move through statutory contingency rather than the tort-claims fund; budget staff said the tort-claims account does not have the appropriation needed to access the IFC contingency outside of session.
All contingency recommendations on the agenda were moved, seconded and approved by the board by voice vote. The board’s actions were recommendations to the Interim Finance Committee, not direct appropriations; follow-up with that committee will determine final disbursement.
