A new subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee began the task of reviewing the standing appropriations within the state’s budget.
The Budget Review Subcommittee will help set the foundation for the Standing Appropriations bill that will be started in the House this year. Meetings for the new subcommittee will be held on Mondays in room 102 and on Wednesdays at noon in room 304 at the State House. They are open to the public.
Unlike other line items in the state budget, there are a series of state appropriations that are established in either the Iowa Code or Iowa Constitution. These appropriations are known as standing appropriations. The largest standing appropriation — State Foundation School Aid — is reviewed every year as the Legislature sets the annual Supplemental State Aid figure for growth in school funding. But, most of the remaining standing appropriations continue to be funded every year without serious legislative review.
The Budget Review Subcommittee will spend the next few weeks reviewing many of the existing standing appropriations. They will work to identify what each line item does, review its level of funding, and determine if any efficiencies or reforms can be implemented to improve that line item’s function.
The review will begin with an examination of Legislative budget. Funding for the Legislature is set out in the Iowa Code, which grants the General Assembly a standing unlimited appropriation.
These funds are used to cover the costs of the House of Representatives, Senate and central non-partisan offices like the Legislative Services Agency and State Ombudsman’s office.
Future subcommittee work will focus on local grant funding in the Department of Cultural Affairs and tourism funding under the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Discussion will then turn to child development funding distributed to local schools by the Department of Education and non-public school transportation funding.
As always, please join me at one of my legislative forums this month:
Jan. 29
8 a.m. – Corydon – Farm Bureau
10 a.m. – Chariton – Mosaic
Noon – Osceola – Lakeside Casino
2 p.m. – Leon – Community Center