The House and Senate have introduced each chamber’s version of the appropriations bill. While the differences between the two bills are not as great as in years past, there are some differences highlighted in the comparison document below.
Following the appropriation comparison table is the summary Exceptional Item table for the Commission. There are 22 exceptional items in all. Read more
This summary of the General Appropriations Bill publication provides an overview of the appropriations included in the General Appropriations Bill, otherwise known as the state budget. The version of the… Read more
Globally in the past week, cases of COVID-19 have increased by 8%, compared to the previous week, resulting in over 3.6 million new cases, while new deaths have increased by… Read more
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today revised the Certification Revenue Estimate (CRE) and now projects a fiscal 2021 ending shortfall of $4.58 billion. The shortfall, which Hegar attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and… Read more
This article is provided as courtesy of Billy Millwee with Millwee & Associates Consulting. Billy served as the Texas Medicaid Director and Deputy Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner for a number of years, and he and his firm have been engaged in Medicaid consulting on a national level since 2012. Overview
Across the nation, states are facing significant budget challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As revenues decline, state expenditures are simultaneously increasing due to increasing demands on state services. In many cases, anticipated general fund revenues will be less than the costs to maintain state services. Despite these challenges, states must continue to balance their budgets.[1] There are three main budgetary impacts of COVID-19:
Higher Direct Costs – States have already incurred and will continue to incur significant direct costs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key areas impacted include law enforcement, health systems, infrastructure, and education. For example, states may allocate funding to expand hospital and laboratory capacity, purchase and refurbish medical supplies, and fund state health programs to provide testing and treatment.
Higher Indirect Costs – States will incur higher indirect costs from changes in the state’s economic conditions that are resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, as unemployment rises and income falls, more people will qualify for health and social service programs funded by state governments.
Lower Revenues – States will face revenue implications driven by economic changes resulting from COVID-19.
Prior to the legislative session, the Comptroller issues a Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) to tell lawmakers how much they can spend over the next two years. This is the basis… Read more
INTRODUCTION.
This report is provided to address many of the key issues identified during the 86th Legislative Session.
Section 1 of the report summarizes appropriation issues at a very high level. Only items addressed in HB1 are included. Items requested, but not funded are not included. The summary is organized by topic area. Additionally, there is a specific section where appropriation issues identified by the Department of Family and Protective Services and the Department of State Health Services are summarized.
Section 2 of the report addresses both rider summaries and summaries of substantive legislation by subject area. Riders that appear in one area are not repeated in another area. Similarly, substantive legislation is only referenced and summarized once, although they may address several substantive areas. Read more
The Conference Committee Report for HB1 was filed and distributed on May 25th, just two days before the end of the 86th legislative session. The bill provides $250.7 billion all… Read more
