The Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) serves as the "hub" committee for subcommittees of the Joint Appropriations Committee. Under Joint Rule 3-2-402, EAC coordinates the activities of the eight appropriations subcommittees and formulates a state-wide budget for consideration of the Joint Appropriations Committee. The Joint Appropriations Committee - consisting of all members of the Legislature - then debates, modifies, approves, or disapproves the budget on the House and Senate floors.
In addition to its role as a budget clearinghouse, EAC hears and considers directly the budget requests of the following entities:
Funding History
Appropriation Overview
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $111,923,900 from all sources for Executive Appropriations. This is a 7.1 percent reduction from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $43,168,400 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 15 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.
Appropriation Adjustments
In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:
DescriptionOngoingOne-Time
Capitol Building Exterior Security$0$2,800,000
Capitol Building Fire Code Compliance$0$200,000
Capitol Hill Interior Security$0$600,000
Children's Land Alliance$0$5,000
Dedicated Credits Increase - CPB$100,000$100,000
Dedicated Credits Increase - Leg Printing$75,000$75,000
Education/Charter School Task Force$0$72,000
Federal Funds Adjustments$0$30,000
Federal Funds Commission Extension$54,000$0
Honoring Vietnam Vets$0$235,000
House of Representatives$0$200,000
Joint Resolution Authorizing Pay of In-session Employees$4,200$4,200
Joint Rules Resolution Providing for Reimbursement for Legislative Training Days$70,000$70,000
Legislative Staff Compensation$540,000$0
LRGC Funding Issues$400,000$297,600
Memorial Service Reimbursement$0$7,800
Military and Family Life Counselors$210,000$0
Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA)$0$350,000
Reallocation to Executive Branch Ethics Commission$0 ($50,000)
School Safety and Crisis Line ($1,600)$0
Veterans Information Systems Enhancements$0$200,000
Western Regional Partnership$10,000$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$2,800,000General Fund, One-time
A consultant study completed with one-time funds appropriated to the Capitol Preservation Board during the 2014 G.S. looked at the exterior security of Capitol Hill. The consultants were asked to estimate the cost of installing bollards around the campus to keep vehicles away from the buildings. The consultants estimated the cost at $2.7 million. In addition, the CPB has estimated a cost of $0.1 million to improve the lift gates at street entrances.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$0General Fund, One-time
$0$200,000Closing Nonlapsing
The House Majority Caucus Room is insufficient to accommodate all caucus members and staff without violating fire code. Other configuration issues exist in the Senate. This appropriaiton shifts resources from the Legislature to the Capitol Preservation Board to cover costs of space reconfiguration.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$600,000General Fund, One-time
The Department of Public Safety recently completed an in-depth study of the interior security of the Capitol campus. The study examined camera locations, camera types, alarms, card readers, and installation costs. To address the issues identified by the study would cost approximately $600,000. If this item is funded, additional funding will be needed in the Department of Public Safety for personnel to monitor additional cameras.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$5,000General Fund, One-time
No Description
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$100,000$100,000Dedicated Credits Revenue
Due to the tiling project the Capitol Preservation Board estimated a loss of $100,000 in event charges and room rentals. As a result their appropriation was reduced by $100,000. Actual results, however, show that events and room rentals have not declined and in fact are higher than prior years. The Analyst recommends an appropriation increase of $100,000 in FY 2015 and FY 2016 from Dedicated Credits.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$75,000$75,000Dedicated Credits Revenue
Legislative Printing is collecting more revenue from sales of publications and printing services. The increase is primarily due to ordering publications for the Courts. This necessitates an increase in appropriation in order for the agency to use all of the collections.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$72,000General Fund, One-time
Funding to continue the Health Reform Task Force for one more year.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$30,000Federal Funds
Annual adjustments of federal funds based on agency submission of grant changes.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$54,000$0General Fund
Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
This bill appropriates $54,000 ongoing beginning in FY 2016 from the General Fund to legislative offices for costs associated with conducting business of the Federal Funds Commission as outlined in the bill.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$235,000General Fund, One-time
No Description
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$200,000General Fund, One-time
No Description
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$4,200$0General Fund
$0$4,200General Fund, One-time
Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
Enactment of this legislation could cost the Legislature $4,200 from the General Fund beginning in FY 2015 for compensation changes to in-session employees. These costs could be absorbed within existing budgets.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$70,000$0General Fund
$0$70,000General Fund, One-time
Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
Enactment of this legislation could cost the Legislature $70,000 annually from the General Fund beginning in FY 2015 for authorized legislative training days. This cost would be $20,000 for the Senate and $50,000 for the House of Representatives.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$540,000$0General Fund
Equivalent to 1% COLA for all legislative staff (including House and Senate full time staff) to retain high performers.
The EAC requested an estimate of what would be necessary to significantly reward high performers. The estimate is $537,000:
$300,000 LRGC
$125,000 LAG
$112,000 LFA
An additional amount provided to Senate and House staff as a reallocation from Legislative Services:
$37,500 Senate
$37,500 House
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$400,000$0General Fund
$0$297,600General Fund, One-time
No Description
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$7,800General Fund, One-time
Becky Lockhart memorial service reimbursement.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$210,000$0General Fund
This is a budget increase to hire two Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs). Counselors will provide confidential non-medical counseling to support military service members and their families. This is intended to prevent lifestyle conditions that may compromise military and family readiness. Counseling addresses issues such as improving relationships at home, work, stress management, readjustment following a deployment, marital problems, parenting, grief and loss.
In the past 13 years of wartime operations, significant problems have become manifest including suicide (double the rate of the general population), relationship challenges, family reintegration, violent behavior, unemployment, substance abuse, and addiction. MFLCs will assist military members to avoid or overcome these problems.
One of UNG's key performance measures is personnel readiness. The ability of the service members' families to support military service directly affects the members' ability to remain in service. "Family conflicts" is one of the leading reasons for service members separating from military service. The "wellness" of the family directly affects the ability of a service member to perform in training and in combat.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$350,000General Fund, One-time
No Description
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0 ($50,000)General Fund, One-time
The Legislature has appropriated $50,000 to each of three ethics commissions as a nonlapsing reserve in case an investigation is needed. All funding has been appropriated to the Legislature (half to the Senate, half to the House). Since administration of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission is in the Department of Administrative Services, $50,000 needs to be reallocated from the Legislature ($25,000 from Senate, $25,000 from House) to DAS.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
($1,600)$0General Fund
Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
Enactment of this bill appropriates $150,000 ongoing and $150,000 one-time from the Education Fund to the University of Utah - University Neuropsychiatric Institute to implement the School Safety and Crisis Line as outlined in the bill. Enactment of the bill could reduce costs for the Legislature by $1,600 per year for fewer legislators serving on the commission.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$200,000General Fund, One-time
Request for temporary manpower and technical assistance for a special data mining project on the department's current Veterans Information System. Intention is to go through 150,000+ discharge documents and extract numerous data elements that will enable DVMA to 1) have a much better picture of Utah veterans, 2) identify veterans that may be eligible for specific benefits, and 3) tailor information and marketing to specific veterans. The end result should be that a greater number of veterans will be aware of and helped to secure the benefits they have earned.
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$10,000$0General Fund
Utah is one of five states in the Western Regional Partnership (WRP). The WRP's mission (based on their website) is public policy issues, cooperation, and information exchange associated with defense issues including land use, test and training, and military missions. The WRP has been in existence since 2007. Until now the Department of Defense has paid all costs of the WRP; now DOD is asking each member state to pay $10,000 in dues. This should result in states paying approximately one-third of WRP costs, with the DOD continuing to pay two-thirds.
From the website, "WRP develops solutions that support partners and protect natural resources, while promoting sustainability, homeland security and military readiness. In the West, there are significant military assets, infrastructure systems such as energy and transportation, and wildlife ecosystems. Leveraging resources and linking efforts help partners avoid duplication and share best practices. WRP partners benefit from interagency and cross-state collaboration and use of WRP tools."
The Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) serves as the "hub" committee for subcommittees of the Joint Appropriations Committee.
EAC meets each December to:
- adopt revenue estimates;
- set-aside amounts for fiscal notes and other costs;
- consider revenue trend changes;
- allocate revenue to appropriations subcommittees;
- adopt an overall budget figure; and,
- authorize a base budget bill (or bills).
Appropriations subcommittees then convene during the first half of the General Session. They authorize expenditures within the General and Education Funds allocation made by EAC. They also appropriate amounts from restricted funds and other funds within their jurisdiction. Finally, they may prioritize items for further funding and/or reduction.
After appropriations subcommittees have completed their work in February of each year, EAC accepts and reviews subcommittee reports. It then considers the requests of subcommittees relative to one another and relative to total available revenue. By rule, EAC must make decisions necessary to draft final appropriations bills by the 38th day of the General Session.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.