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Committee reviews restorations for University of Wyoming, behavioral health and scholarship increases
Summary
Staff described several restorations and program changes: behavioral health preschool cost adjustments, UW operational-review conditional funding, Hathaway scholarship increases, and several smaller restorations to boards and programs; all were explanations rather than final actions.
Paulie Scott and Don Richards walked members through a set of restorations and program-specific amendments in the House and Senate positions.
On behavioral health, Scott said the House restoration included a preschool external cost adjustment that increases general-fund support by about $10.3 million. On higher education, the House originally proposed a $40 million restoration to state aid for the University of Wyoming with an associated operational-review and savings requirement; the Senate alternative restored $20 million and specified additional review requirements. The review language (House and Senate variations) would require UW to submit an operational plan to the governor and joint appropriations committee and could trigger reductions if at least $5 million in cost savings are not achieved by Dec. 1, 2026.
Scott also summarized a significant proposed increase to Hathaway scholarships in the House amendments (honors equal to 100% of tuition; performance 75%; opportunity 50%), described as roughly a 60.7% increase from current levels in the packet. Other items included partial restorations to the Wyoming Business Council divisions, a proposed forensic audit of the Wyoming Business Council, and restoration of positions at the state fairgrounds (two positions and $295,000) noted as essentially identical in both chambers.
No final policy decisions were made in this educational briefing; staff noted differences for members to carry to further discussions with colleagues.
