Appropriations committee rejects amendment to move OIT revolving funds into SB290 funding
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Summary
Representative Titone proposed using $25 million from the Office of Information Technology's revolving fund to avoid drawing on the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund; the amendment failed on a 2-8 vote with one excused and opponents said OIT and OSPB warned the money is earmarked for repairs and operational needs.
Representative Titone moved an amendment (L021) to Senate Bill 290 that would shift $25 million from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) revolving fund to avoid tapping the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund for one year.
“I'm very against taking the money out of the unclaimed property trust fund,” Titone said, arguing that OIT had informed the committee it holds about $50,000,000 in a revolving fund and “they only need $25,000,000 to function normally,” so the proposed amendment would use the excess for the first year to prevent drawing on the trust fund.
Committee members opposing the amendment said OIT and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) reported that the revolving funds are not simply an idle balance and are used to meet emergency IT needs and to support the department’s operations. One committee member said, “these funds do have a purpose. This isn't a fund balance,” and that OSPB and OIT do not support the amendment.
Titone and supporters pressed that the revolving fund is an operating account with continuing spending authority and, if overfunded, could be examined for other uses. Opponents emphasized that the account is relied on for repairs, to supplement other funds that balanced the general fund this fiscal year, and that removing the money without stakeholder engagement would be irresponsible.
By roll call the amendment L021 failed on a vote of 2 to 8 with one member excused. The committee later moved SB290 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the chair announced that SB290 passed the committee on a vote of 6 to 4.
The transcript records the substantive exchange between Titone and other committee members and cites OIT and OSPB as having advised the committee on the fiscal implications of diverting the fund.