SCHOOL AID SUPPLEMENTAL H.B. 5531 (CR-1): CONFERENCE SUMMARY
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House Bill 5531 (Conference Report 1)
Sponsor: Representative Matthew Gillard
House Committee: Appropriations
Senate Committee: Appropriations


Date Completed: 4-17-08

CONTENT
House Bill 5531 (CR-1) would provide supplemental appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2007-08 in the School Aid budget. Due to savings accruing from fewer pupils and smaller program costs than anticipated, the bill would reduce foundation allowance payments and special education costs; those estimates of savings (totaling $117.0 million) were agreed to by the State Budget Office and the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies.


In addition to the technical cost adjustments noted above, the bill contains several other positive supplemental adjustments, totaling $12.1 million in State funds. Specifically, the bill would appropriate $4.7 million to ensure that districts receive at least their prior-year funding amounts for the School Readiness Program; $3.3 million for the establishment of an assessment item test bank; $2.0 million in additional School Bond Loan Fund debt service; $1.3 million for grants to sparsely populated, rural districts; $0.6 million for end-of-course prototype assessments; $0.1 million for competitive Cultural Access Grants; and $80,000 for Newsline, a news service for visually impaired individuals. The bill also would transfer $3.3 million in Federal assessment funding to the Department of Education to support more assessment functions performed in-house rather than under contract.

FISCAL IMPACT
House Bill 5531 (CR-1) would provide for negative supplemental appropriations for FY 2007-08. The bill would reduce Gross appropriations by $108.2 million and School Aid Fund (SAF) appropriations by $104.9 million.

Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers-Coty

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. 5531/0708