Senate appropriations chair lays out budget adjustment, boosts flood grants and preserves $17M for nursing homes

The chair of the Senate appropriations committee outlined a budget adjustment (BAA) on the floor Wednesday that reconciles mid‑year spending against updated revenue and spending data and sets priorities for county and municipal flood recovery, nursing‑home relief and other one‑time needs.

"You can't spend the $29,000,000 twice," the chair said, describing a January revenue upgrade and the committee's decision to defer many one‑time requests into the FY25 budget process so lawmakers can evaluate priorities comprehensively. She said the BAA's purpose is to "true up" estimates with actuals and to present annotated materials—one a one‑page summary and another a line‑by‑line web report—to members for review.

Why it matters: The adjustment affects how the state distributes limited one‑time funding and which programs receive immediate assistance versus consideration in next year’s budget. The chair said many items removed from the BAA are not being rejected; instead, they are deferred for assessment in the larger FY25 process.

The BAA includes several specific allocations and policy choices. The committee retained a $17,000,000 appropriation intended as extraordinary relief for nursing homes, citing staffing shortages, closures and higher operating costs that threatened access to care in parts of the state. The chair said the committee reviewed testimony and determined the $17 million request was necessary to cover workforce and other pandemic‑era shortfalls.

Flood recovery: The Senate increased a House proposal of $10,000,000 in municipal flood‑relief grants to $12,500,000 and is developing a methodology to allocate those funds across 143 FEMA‑designated municipalities. Under the approach discussed, the pot could be split so one component addresses municipal losses subject to FEMA reimbursement and another addresses residential or nonpublic infrastructure damage. The chair described technical constraints—FEMA’s use of zip codes, and privacy limits when fewer than 10 properties in a town appear in federal data—that complicate precise allocations. To ease local burdens, the BAA fully funds the state's 10 percent FEMA match and includes roughly $6.25 million intended to buy down municipal matching obligations; the proposal also contains language to advance up to 70 percent of that match so municipalities can access money sooner.

Emergency housing and other items: The chair said senators should expect an amendment before third reading to address emergency housing and adverse‑weather needs, including about $4,000,000 aimed at creating shelter capacity in approximately five communities and additional funds for general assistance. Other adjustment items noted include a replacement of $20,000,000 advanced earlier from broadband grant match (with a commitment to restore the funds), a $1,000,000 boost to adult basic education programs and a one‑time payment to reconcile a statutory cap that limited the teacher retirement cost‑of‑living adjustment.

Procedure and next steps: The chair emphasized that many policy questions will be further examined in committee work and the FY25 budget debate. She told colleagues the committee planned to offer technical refinements and amendments—particularly on the flood‑grant allocation—before third reading, and to confirm details such as whether municipal allocations rely on FEMA public or individual assistance declarations. Senator Hardy pressed the chair on that point; the chair said the BAA would account for both public and individual FEMA declarations and pledged to confirm specific eligibility details.

No final floor votes on the BAA items were recorded during the discussion; the chair repeatedly framed the document as an interim truing‑up measure and signaled additional deliberation over pending amendments and the upcoming FY25 appropriations process.