FY 1996 Appropriations Report

Business, Labor, Agriculture and Environmental Quality

The Legislature approved total funding for the departments for $159,984,700 for FY 1996. This was a decrease of 5.2 percent compared with the FY 1995 amount, which included supplementals of $2,818,200.

Department of Agriculture

The amount approved by the Legislature for the Agriculture Department in FY 1996 is $11,420,500. The appropriation includes the following increases:

Personnel Analyst ($41,400)Fish Pathologist ($50,000)Agriculture Inspector ($35,800)Agribusiness ($7,500) (H. B. 65) Loan Officer ($45,900)Brand Renewal ($82,300)Utah Horse Racing Commission Funding ($16,000)

The Department also received FY 1995 supplemental funding for the following:

Motor Pool Funding ($13,400)Weights and Measures Truck ($70,000)Metrology Equipment ($13,500)Chemistry Laboratory Supplies ($2,800)Utah Horse Racing Commission Funding ($16,000)Dyers' Woad Research ($20,000)

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

The Legislature approved a total FY 1996 budget for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control of $10,909,200. The FY 1996 appropriation for the department included:

Data Processing Equipment ($87,500)Distribution and Operations Equipment ($192,500)Store Remodeling ($113,000)New Retail Outlet ($196,000)Credit Card Sales Processing Equipment ($18,000) (S. B. 37)

Citizens' Council on Alcoholic Beverage Control

The Legislature approved continuation funding for the Council at $6,000 for FY 1996.

Department of Commerce

The Legislature approved a total budget of $9,170,225 for the Department of Commerce in FY 1996. The appropriation included funding for 8.5 new FTEs, of which three FTE will be in the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing and two FTE in Corporations. In addition, funding of $200,000 was provided for optical scanning equipment. The following bills passed, also adding funding and FTEs to the department:

S. B. 115, Residence Lien Restriction and Lien Recovery Fund Act Amendments, added $55,800 and one FTE to the Division of Occupational and Professional LicensingS. B. 82, Digital Signatures Act and S. B. 156, Business Trust Registration Act, added $178,600 and 2 FTEs to Corporations.

Supplemental funding of $169,200 for institution of S. B. 87 from the 1994 Legislative General Session was appropriated to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

Department of Employment Security

The Legislature approved a FY 1996 budget for the Department of Employment Security of $34,220,900.

Department of Environmental Quality

The Department of Environmental Quality's FY 1996 budget is $69,818,500 and includes the following:

Air Monitoring Station ($60,000)Air Monitoring Equipment ($88,000)Remote Air Sensing Monitors ($150,000)Financial Assistance Administration ($16,000)Used Oil Management Funding ($312,600)Water Quality Loans ($300,000)Drinking Water Loans ($300,000)

H. B. 401 creates the restricted Environmental Quality Account and funds $435,000 for legal expenses and hazardous substance mitigation. H. B. 304, Used Tire Management, appropriates $16,000. H. B. 94, Wastewater Treatment and Sludge Management, adds one FTE to the Solid and Hazardous Waste Division for $56,600.

The department also received $1,922,700 in supplemental funding for the following items:

Remote Air Sensing Monitors ($250,000)Local Health Department Emergency Equipment ($26,700)Underground Storage Tank Cleanup ($1,580,000)Underground Storage Tank Database ($50,000)Financial Assistance Administration ($16,000)

Department of Financial Institutions

The FY 1996 appropriation for the Department of Financial Institutions was approved at $2,106,900.

Industrial Commission

The amount approved for FY 1996 for the Industrial Commission is $5,613,000 and includes the following items:

Applications Programmer ($54,200)Industrial Accidents Travel ($3,000)Wells Building Operations and Maintenance ($38,400)

The department also received $70,600 in supplemental funding for the following items:

Computer Upgrades ($33,600)Wells Building Operations and Maintenance ($37,000)

Insurance Department

The Legislature approved a FY 1996 budget for the Insurance Department of $3,432,200, which included the startup cost of $400,000 for the Fraud Division that also adds five FTEs to the department. H. B. 305, Health System Improvement Act, ($20,000) and H. B. 26, Insurance Investment Amendments, ($5,400) are included in the departments FY 1996 budget appropriation.

The Department also received $100,000 as a FY 1995 supplemental for the second of two phases in converting its data processing capabilities. $400,000 was appropriated as a FY 1995 supplemental to begin operation of the Fraud Division.

Utility Regulation

The amount approved for the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Division of Public Utilities (DPU), and the Committee of Consumer Services (CCS) was $13,287,275. This funding includes the following:

Computer Upgrade CCS ($4,800)Training Travel CCS ($2,600)Current Expense for DPU and CCS ($3,200)Regulation of Interstate Motor Carriers (decrease of $31,300) (H. B. 220)Increase Funding Level of CCS Professional and Technical ($20,000)Telecommunications Reform Act ($83,300) (H. B. 364)

Supplemental funding of $20,000 for data processing support was appropriated to the Public Service Commission for FY 1995.

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