The Senate appropriations subcommittee advanced a large package of agency budgets on title-sufficient, do-pass motions, largely following the Legislative Budget Recommendation (LBR) levels and treating many bills in blocks without extended debate.

Subcommittee motions covered multiple subcommittees and agencies, including higher education and agricultural programs (Senate bills 3002–3010), Department of Mental Health (SB3018 items reported in LBR), state aid and local road funding (SB3018), the Department of Public Safety (SB3016), workforce and employment programs (SB3011–3013), regulatory boards (several special-fund agencies such as pharmacy, chiropractic and dental examiners — SB3028–3030), and other agency budgets across the numbered bills in the packet. Committee chairs repeatedly said most measures were at LBR levels and contained reverse-repealer language where noted.

Two items the subcommittee highlighted specifically:

- State Aid Road/Local-State Bridge Program: The subcommittee left a prior “not to exceed $40,000,000 annually” clause in the program language and removed that ceiling this year, noting that actual expenditures will be limited by available appropriations and by a 5% diversion enacted in 2018. Committee members said future tax debates could affect the program’s final funding levels.

- Reappropriation (Senate Bill 3053): The panel approved a reappropriation bill that moves $54,000,000 of unspent COVID/ARPA or other previously appropriated funds to the Department of Transportation for a three-year maintenance plan. The subcommittee record states the transfer is from funds that other agencies said they could not spend in the current fiscal year.

Most bills in the packet were advanced by bloc motions from subcommittee chairs; committee clerks recorded voice votes with the chairs indicating “the ayes have it.” The subcommittee provided that a summary worksheet will be provided on the Senate floor and that final budget recommendations will be presented as the session proceeds.

Why it matters: Advancing multiple agency budgets on first action keeps the appropriations timetable on track and clears many items for floor debate and final action. The $54 million reappropriation to transportation maintenance shifts previously unspent funds to a high-priority infrastructure plan and could accelerate road maintenance projects if enacted.