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.
Bill Description: House Bill 949 is an enhancement of $3,084,200 and a transfer of 6.00 full-time positions for the Workforce Development Council (WDC) for fiscal year 2027. This legislation appropriates a total of $33,270,900 and 253.25 full-time positions to the agency. This legislation also consolidates the STEM Action Center into the WDC, reducing appropriations to the STEM AC by $6,277,000 General and dedicated funds. This results in an overall negative appropriation, even though only positive enhancements are shown in Table 1.
Rating: +2
Is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending, if any, inappropriate for the changes in circumstances, scope of the agency, or current economic environment? Conversely, is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending appropriate given any change in circumstances or economic pressures?
This legislation authorizes an ongoing negative spending enhancement for the WDC of -$2,982,700 (a negative enhancement is actually a reduction from the maintenance budget already approved). There was no enhancement budget for this agency in FY26. FY26’s ongoing spending is wrapped into FY27’s base increase, making ongoing spending especially important to scrutinize. Volatility in these increases (or decreases) is to be expected, and makes discernment on the propriety of new spending imperative.
The ongoing spending enhancement moves the STEM AC to the WDC ($3,007,800 GF) while closing out the STEM AC appropriations.
(0)
As a result of the STEM action center being consolidated, appropriations were reduced to the agency by $3,060,600 in General Funds and $2,929,900 in Dedicated Funds. This results in a negative ongoing spending enhancement, due to the fact the STEM AC gave up its dedicated funds during the Consolidation.
(+1)
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 WDC of $76,400, adding additional expenditures after last year’s (FY26) onetime spending of $9,900. Onetime spending is often even more volatile than ongoing spending, which is to be expected due to these onetime expenses generally being utilized for projects or capital outlay. This also calls for special scrutiny and discernment.
The onetime expenditure consists of STEM AC Contract Payments ($76,400 DF). However this legislation also includes an FY26 supplemental reducing onetime expenditures by $76,400 dedicated funds. This is a technical correction due to contract payments possibly being unable to be completed in FY26 due to the consolidation.
(0)
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 6.00 new FTP to WDC, but this represents a reduction of one employee from the 7.00 FTP in the STEM AC FY27 Base
(+1)
