Note: This year IFF rated maintenance bills according to a more refined system. This is an enhancement bill, and will be rated as a standalone bill. IFF will only consider enhancement line items in these ratings. This means that FTP reductions passed in maintenance legislation will not be evaluated here, among other things.

NOTE: This legislation will be updated with the actual bill number when the bill has printed.

Bill Description: Senate Bill 1453 is an appropriation of $299,142,800 and 12.00 new full-time positions for the DHW’s Indirect Support Services for fiscal year 2027. This legislation appropriates a total of $299,142,800. This legislation also establishes the RHTF (Rural Health Transformation Fund) Committee. 

Note: This bill has been referred to as a trailer, yet the legislation (S1264aa) is being held in the House committee without a hearing. Therefore, this bill will be rated. Furthermore, this legislation establishes the RHTF Committee in contravention of the ordinary JFAC rule to abstain from writing policy.

Rating: -3

Does this budget incur any wasteful spending among discretionary funds, including new line items? Conversely, does this budget contain any provisions that serve to reduce spending where possible (i.e. base reductions, debt reconciliation, etc.)?

This legislation authorizes onetime spending for the RHTF of $299,142,800. This consists of two onetime expenditures.

The first is a onetime supplemental in FY26 of $3,767,600 of federal funds to spin up the personnel at DHW who will administer the RHTF money.

The second onetime expenditure is an enhancement $295,405,200 of federal funds for part of FY26 and all of FY27 to begin disbursing the first two tranches of grant money awarded to the state.

(-1)

Does this budget perpetuate or expand state dependence on federal dollars, thereby violating principles of federalism? Conversely, does this budget actively reduce the amount of federal dollars used to balance this budget?

This budget appropriates $299,142,800 of federal grant dollars in FY26 and FY27 to the DHW. This represents a commitment to continued reliance on borrowed federal dollars, deepening the dependence on the federal government and violating the principles of federalism.

(-1)

Does the budget grow government through the addition of new, objectionable, permanent FTPs or through funding unlegislated efforts to create new or expanded existing programs? Conversely, does this budget reduce the size of government staff and programs except where compelled by new legislation?

This legislation appropriates 12.00 new FTP to administer the rural health grants.

(-1)