The Legislative Budget Board met on September 5 to hear from the Office of the Governor to review the agency’s Legislative Appropriation Request for the 86th Session and key exceptional items. The agency was asked questions by a joint panel of representatives from the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Legislative Budget Board, and legislative committees.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Agency Presentation

Jordan Hale, Director of Administration and staff

  • Request is level funding & reprioritization of some funds
  • Same funding requested from 85th – $24,861,747 in GR for Office of Governor and $439,465,659 in GRD & GR for Trusteed Programs
  • 2 exceptional items – $100 million for disaster programs and $20 million from the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grants Programs from the ESF (LAR points out this is the same level of funding and the same MOF as last session)

 

Questions from Joint Legislative/LBB Panel

  • Question – can you talk through your 10% cuts?
    • Would do across the board reductions
  • Question – how did you arrive at $100 million for disaster programs?
    • Same amount as last session and given demands in Harvey – decision was this would be a good amount
    • Agreed they are projected to use up more than the current remaining balance in this program
  • Question – asked about timing struggles with disaster funds?
    • Usually it takes multiple years to get funding back from FEMA so they give grants to other departments who request the funding through FEMA and return back to the Governor– in Harvey have received back about $65 million from DPS and the Military Department so balance is approx. $58 million (at one point was down to the single digits)
  • Question – asked about funding for bulletproof vests last session received $25 million from the ESF but this year a request is $5 million out of GR?
    • Correct, think another $5 million is enough to cover all the remaining needs/applicants