| August 29, 2012

At a glance: Changes in state appropriations

State appropriations made by lawmakers are one portion of total state spending. The “FY-13 Oklahoma Budget Overview,” prepared for the chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee by the House Fiscal Division, documents the changes in state appropriations from FY-2012 to FY-2013.


On page six of the presentation is a bar graph depicting total appropriations for each fiscal year from FY-04 to FY-13. The bar graph depicts total FY-2012 appropriations as $6.5106 billion and FY-2013 appropriations as $6.8285 billion. This bar graph depicting (comparing) total annual state appropriations is consistent with previous charts prepared by the House Fiscal Division after each legislative session. The graph compares annual state appropriations made by the legislature for the upcoming fiscal year. See chart below. (We highlighted FY-12 and FY-13 for the sake of easy viewing.)

On page seven of the presentation is a listing of “FY-13 Appropriations by Agency.” At the beginning of page seven (and the beginning of each page thereafter) is a “Totals” category. This chart reports total FY-2012 appropriations as $6,510,637,282 and total FY-2013 appropriations as $6,828,529,375. See picture of page seven below. (Portions highlighted by OCPA for the sake of easy viewing.)

According to this presentation prepared by the House Fiscal Division, the change in total appropriations is an increase of over $300 million. OCPA highlighted the amount of the change in total appropriations in a previous article. According to reports, much of the increases will be allocated towards the following:

State Department of Education:
• Annualization of FY 2012 $52.4 million supplemental for flexible benefit allowance for teachers and support staff and National Board Certified Teacher bonuses

CareerTech:
• Annualization of FY 2012 $1.4 million supplemental for operations

Higher Education:
• Annualization of FY 2012 $10 million supplemental for operations

Military:
• $500,000 for renovation of armories

Transportation:
• $99 million increase to repay FY-2012 fund transfer; ensures eight-year road and bridge plan remains intact and anticipates implementation of the Bridge Improvement and Highway Modernization plan proposed by the governor in future fiscal years

Health Department:
• $1 million increase for infant mortality initiatives
• $500,000 for Cord Blood Bank

Health Care Authority:
• $3.080 million to fund the rural residency program to increase access to health care in rural and underserved areas
• $57 million – Maintenance of effort and growth
• $118,492,703 – Transfer of Behavioral Health dollars to the Department of Mental Health

Department of Human Services:
• $25 million to fund Pinnacle Plan reforms
• $17 million for maintenance of effort and replacement of one-time funding in FY-2012
• $1.5 million for Advantage Waiver Program to provide reimbursement rate increases for home health care providers that serve the elderly
• $1.5 million to provide Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) reimbursement rate increases
• $1 million to reduce the current DDSD waiting list

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:
• $5.5 million for Systems of Care grant and for an additional crisis center
• $667,000 for mental health screenings to determine the risks and needs of each offender; justice reinvestment
• $118,492,703 – Transfer of Behavioral Health dollars from OHCA

Department of Rehabilitation Services:
• $300,000 increase to reduce the waiting list for services

University Hospitals Authority:
• $3 million increase for Tisdale center in Tulsa

Veterans Affairs:
• $1 million increase to increase nursing staff and reduce staff/patient ratios

Commerce:
• $500,000 for Base Realignment and Closure Commission

Conservation Commission:
• $500,000 increase for water monitoring projects

Water Resources Board:
• $1.5 million increase for water monitoring projects

Attorney General:
• $5 million supplemental for water lawsuit and $2 million for justice reinvestment grants to local law enforcement agencies

Department of Public Safety:
• $5 million for authorization of an annual trooper academy with capacity for 40 participants

Corrections:
• $2.9 million to close designated wings of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, build a lethal fence, transfer up to 800 prisoners to private beds
• $1 million for justice reinvestment

Medicolegal Investigations:
• $1 million supplemental and $1.5 million annualization of supplemental to obtain re-accreditation (personnel, equipment and infrastructure improvement)

According to the presentation, the total net reductions in annual agency appropriations are $375,000.

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