SF 430 – Economic Development Budget FY14 & FY15
SF 435 – Ag & Natural Resources Budget FY14 & FY15
SF 447 – Justice Systems Budget FY14 & FY15
HF 603 – Administration & Regulation Budget FY14 & FY15
HF 604 – Education Budget FY14 & FY15
HF 638 – Infrastructure Budget FY14 & FY15
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 430, as proposed by the Conference Committee, appropriates a total of $41.1 million from the General Fund and 480 FTE positions for FY14. This is an increase of $3.4 million and a decrease of 98.8 FTE positions compared to estimated FY13. SF 430 also appropriates $6.3 million from other funds, no change compared to estimated FY13. Highlights (different from SF 430, as passed by the Senate) include:
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA):
• Historical Division – $3.2 million from the General Fund.
• Arts Division – $1.2 million from the General Fund. The Conference Committee recommends the allocation of $300,000 for the operation of a Film Office.
• The Conference Committee recommends requiring the Treasurer of State to transfer $50,000 from the Cultural Trust Fund to the Cultural Trust Grant Account in fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
Economic Development Authority (IEDA):
• Economic Development Appropriation – $15.5 million from the General Fund.
• World Food Prize – $800,000 from the General Fund.
• Workforce Development Fund – $4 million from the Workforce Development Fund (non-General Fund dollars)
Iowa Finance Authority: Rent Subsidy Program – $658,000 from the General Fund.
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD):
• Labor Services Division – $3.5 million from the General Fund. The Conference Committee recommends the allocation of $53,280
• Workers’ Compensation Division – $3.3 million from the General Fund.
FY15: Funding for FY15 is at 50 percent of the FY14 appropriation levels for General Fund and other fund appropriations, and 100 percent for FTE position appropriations.
Appropriations to Iowa Economic Development for business incentives and Regents Economic Development are no longer funded out of SF 430. They are funded out of the new Iowa Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund. [5/15: 27-18, party-line (Bertrand “yes”; Behn, Guth, Houser, Kapucian, Zumbach absent)]
SF 435 – In resolving the differences between the House and the Senate, we have arrived at an agreement that total General Fund spending for FY14 will be $5,350,000 above FY13. That includes:
• Funding for IDALS will be $500,000 above FY13
• Funding for DNR will be $250,000 above FY13
• Funding for the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at Iowa State will be $525,000 above FY13
• Funding for forestry health programs in DNR will be $100,000 above FY13
• We will have $2.4 million for the water quality initiative, with the Senate language
• There is an additional $75,000 for Loess Hills Conservation and Development
• There is $1.5 million for a nutrient research center. We have come to an agreement with the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture on the establishment of this center, which will use the knowledge and expertise of our Regents institutions to support the water quality initiative and to ensure its success. [5/16: 29-19, party-line (except Kapucian, Rozenboom, Segebart “yes”; Behn, Houser absent)]
SF 447 is the Justice Systems budget bill, which includes these highlights:
Policy language and other significant aspects of the bill:
• Victim Assistance Grant – Permits the unencumbered or unobligated balance of the appropriation to carry forward into FY15.
• Luster Heights Prison Camp – The bill includes intent language that with the appropriation to Anamosa State Penitentiary, the Legislature intends for Luster Heights to continue to be operated.
• Corrections Education – Appropriation for Corrections Education is to be used only for education. It cannot be transferred for any other purpose.
• Biennial Budgeting – Includes FY15 at 50 percent of FY14 level.
• Public Safety Interoperable and Broadband Communications Fund – Creates a fund relating to Interoperability and Broadband Communications in anticipation of federal grants relating to broadband and interoperability.
• Public Safety Training and Facilities Task Force – Creates a task force charged with developing a coordinated plan for a consolidated fire and police training facility. The task force will report to the Legislature, with a final report due December 31, 2016.
• Cigarette Fire Safety Standard Fund – Repeals the fund, requires future revenues be deposited into the General Fund and legalizes already spent monies from the fund by the Fire Marshal’s Office. Ending balance goes to Victims Assistance Grants.
• Gaming Enforcement – Requires the gaming industry to pay a regulatory fee for the salaries of no more than three special agents for each gaming facility. DCI is required to reduce the total number of special agents to 54 by July 1, 2016 (FY17). Requires reports relating to DCI activities at the facilities.
Appropriations:
• Total For Justice System (Excluding Judicial Branch): $547,300,811
• Attorney General – A total of $16,882,892 including $6,734,400 for Victims Assistance Grants, which is $3,858,000 more than the Governor proposed. It also includes Legal Aid money at approximately $73,000 over the Governor’s level.
• Corrections:
• $2,608,109 for Corrections Education. This is $250,000 above the Governor’s proposal; must be spent for education in conjunction with Community Colleges.
• Corrections Operations – $2,571,309, which is a new generic line item in the Justice Budget. [5/15: 27-18, party-line (Breitbach “yes”; Behn, Guth, Houser, Kapucian, Zumbach absent)]
HF 603, as proposed by the Conference Committee, appropriates a total of $55.2 million from the General Fund and 1,296 FTE positions for FY14. This is an increase of $2.2 million and 1.6 FTE positions compared to estimated FY2013. HF 603 also appropriates $51.2 million from other funds. This is a decrease of $2.7 million compared to estimated FY13. Office of Public Information set at $275,000 with three FTEs. HF 603, as proposed by the Conference Committee, appropriates for FY15 at 50 percent of the FY14 appropriations with the following exceptions:
• All FTE positions are appropriated at 100 percent of the FY14 level.
• The I/3 distributions outside the Subcommittee’s purview are appropriated at 100 percent of the FY14 level.
• A one-time FY14 appropriation for the gambling socioeconomic study that is repeated every eight years. [5/15: 26-19, party-line (Behn, Guth, Houser, Kapucian, Zumbach absent)]
HF 604, as proposed by the Conference Committee, contains these highlights:
Department for the Blind – increase of $350,000
College Student Aid Commission
• Kibbie Grant of $5 million transfers to new Skilled Worker Training and Job Creation Fund.
• DMU Health Care Professional Recruitment – An increase of $75,000 to allow expansion of the program into additional medical specialties.
• National Guard Educational Assistance Program – An increase of $300,000.
• Iowa Tuition Grant Program – An increase of $1 million to fund awards at the maximum level.
• Rural Primary Care Loan Forgiveness Program – New appropriation of $1.6 million; $400,000 is earmarked for physician assistants students and advanced registered nurses.
Department of Education – increase of $24.3 million
• Administration – increase of $175,000 to fund positions that had been moved to federal administration funds.
• State Library – increase of $500,000 to fund positions that had been moved to federal administration funds.
• State Library, Enrich Iowa – increase of $350,000.
• Core Curriculum – $1 million in status quo funding with another $1 million from FY13 one-time funding.
• Competency-Based Education – $425,000.
• Student Achievement/Teacher Quality – increase of $1.5 million to make up for artificially low appropriation last year since the Department of Education had carry-over funds they used.
• Jobs for America’s Graduates – increase of $130,000.
• Nonpublic textbooks – increase of $40,000.
• Education Reform – new appropriation of $6,840,000 to implement education reform.
• Early Literacy – new appropriation of $8 million for school districts to provide intensive instructional services for the successful progression of early readers; $1.3 is provided for the Early Reading Center operations and an additional one-time appropriation of $669,000 is provided in HF 648.
• $400,000 to expand Early Head Start Pilot Projects addressing comprehensive cognitive, social, emotional and developmental needs of children from birth to three years old, including prenatal support for qualified families.
• Vocational Rehabilitation – increase of $150,000 for client services.
• Iowa Public Television – increase of $474,000 for the Ready for School Initiative.
Board of Regents – an increase of $14 million over FY13.
• The conference committee did not fund the Senate’s proposed $10 million in need-based student financial aid, in lieu of the previous practice of tuition set-aside funding. However, the $14 million increase provides for 2.66 percent increase, which the Board of Regents has indicated is enough funding to make sure we don’t need an increase in undergraduate tuition rates. This is the first time in a decade that students at Regents universities won’t see a tuition increase.
• Prohibits the Board of Regents from using tuition dollars for any scholarship activities, effectively prohibiting the Board of Regents from establishing any type of new Tuition Set-Aside program.
• University of Iowa (UI) – increase of $5.6 million (2.6 percent).
• UI Hygienic Laboratory – increase of $866,000.
• Iowa State University – increase of $4.4 million (2.6 percent).
• ISU Cooperative Extension – increase of $330,000.
• University of Northern Iowa (UNI) – increase of $2.1 million. UNI also gets $10 million in one-time funds out of HF 648 to be spent in the next two years. This accounts for the second and third installment of a $4 million additional funding as well as an additional $2 million since UNI has a significant decrease in enrollment.
• UNI Math and Science Collaborative – increase of $500,000 to support the role of IT initiatives.
• Iowa School for the Deaf – A general increase of $177,000 (2 percent).
• Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School – A general increase of $73,000 (2 percent)
Skilled Workforce Training and Job Creation Fund – $66 million new fund
• $1.5 million in new funding for the Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network
• $15.3 million to the Workforce Training 260C funds, an increase of $7.5 million
• $5 million for the Pathways for Academic Career and Employment (PACE) Program.
• $5.5 million for the Adult Literacy for the Workforce Program, including adult basic education, high school equivalency testing and English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. This is a new appropriation.
• ACE Infrastructure for Community Colleges – $6 million
• Economic Incentives IEDA – $16.9 million
• AMOS – $100,000
• Regents Innovations Fund – $3 million
• UI Entrepreneurial Program – $2 million
• ISU Economic Development – $209,279
• UNI Economic Development – $1,066,419 [5/16: 27-21, party-line (Bertrand “yes”; Chelgren, Houser absent)]
HF 638 – Highlights from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund & the Technology Fund include:
Department of Administrative Services
• Major Maintenance – $15.3 million
• Wallace Building Renovation – $500,000
Department of Corrections – $18.7 million to finish Mitchellville & Fort Madison
Department of Cultural Affairs
• Great Places – $1 million
• Historical Building Renovation – $1 million in FY14 & $3.8 million in FY15
• Grout Museum Veterans Oral History – $129,450
Department of Education
• ICN Park II Maintenance & Leases – $2.7 million
• Statewide Education Data Warehouse – $600,000
• IPTV Equipment Replacement – $960,000
• State Library Computers – $250,000
Economic Development
• Community Attraction & Tourism (CAT) grants – $7 million ($2 million increase)
• River Enhancement CAT grants – $1 million increase (was not funded in FY13)
• Regional Sports Authorities – $500,000
• World Food Prize Borlaug/Ruan Scholar Program – $100,000
Department of Human Rights – Criminal Justice Info System (CJIS) $1.45 million
Department of Human Services
• Nursing Home Facility Improvements – $300,000
• Medicaid Technology – $3.4 million FY14, $3.34 million in FY15 (MMIS funded in FY15)
• Homestead Autism Clinics Technology – $154,000
ICN Equipment Replacement – $2.2 million
Iowa Finance Authority, State Housing Trust Fund – $3 million
Department of Management, Searchable Online Budget & Tax Database – $45,000
Natural Resources
• State Park Infrastructure – $5 million
• Lake Restoration – $8.6 million ($2.6 million increase)
• Lake Delhi Dam Restoration – $2.5 million (fulfills commitment)
• Water Trails & Low Head Dam Grants – $1 million
Department of Public Health, Technology Consolidation Projects – $480,000
Public Defense
• Facility Armory Maintenance – $2 million
• Statewide Modernization of Readiness Centers – $2 million
• Camp Dodge Infrastructure Upgrades – $500,000
Department of Public Safety, Radio Upgrades – $2.5 million
Regents
• Tuition Replacement – $27.9 million
• ISU Ag/Biosystems Eng. Complex Phase II – $21.75 million
• UI Dental Building – $9.75 million
• UNI Bartlett Hall Renovation – $10.27 million
State Fair, Cultural Center Renovation: $250,000
Transportation
• Recreation Trails – $3 million
• Public Transit Vertical Infrastructure – $1.5 million
• Commercial Service Air Vertical Infrastructure – $1.5 million
• General Aviation Vertical Infrastructure – $750,000
County Fairs – $1.1 million
Items to be funded in HF 649 (from FY13 Ending Balance)
• Capitol Lightning Protection System – $330,000
• Four Oaks PMIC – $1 million
• Homestead Autism Clinics – $800,000
• Dept. of Corrections, Mitchellville – $11.2 million
• Community College Fire Safety/Deferred Maintenance – $1 million
• AAU Junior Olympics – $250,000
• ISU Veterinary Surgery Modernization – $1 million
• Camp Sunnyside Renovations – $250,000
• Department of Veterans Affairs, Building Relocation/Renovation – $137,940
• Iowa Veterans Cemetery, Equipment Building – $250,000
• Iowa Veterans Cemetery, Legion Community Center – $600,000
• Judicial Branch, Electronic Database Management System – $3 million
• Regents, Fire Safety/Deferred Maintenance – $2 million
• State Fair Authority, Plaza Improvements – $1 million
• Total from FY13 ending balance – $22.8 million [5/17: 28-17, party-line (except Johnson, Segebart “yes”; Behn, Bertrand, Houser, Kapucian, Sorenson absent)]