Committee approves shifting federal authority to Fort Harrison barracks project, 4-1

The Interim Budget Committee voted 4-1 to approve the Department of Military Affairs's request to transfer $7,620,000 in federal spending authority from the capital reserve fund back to the Fort Harrison open-bay barracks project.

Matt Dorrington, DMA's construction and facilities administrator, said the National Guard Bureau advanced the state's execution year for the 28,000-square-foot MILCON barracks to federal fiscal 2027 and that the state must hold the matching authority to accept discretionary federal construction funds. "We're asking for the balance of that federal authority," he said, adding that the design has reached about 90% and the project is ahead of schedule and under budget.

Committee members pressed DMA on alternatives and the consequences of declining the request. Dorrington warned that without state authority to accept federal funds the state "would lose our place in line" and the project could be removed from the MILCON queue. The project's design follows federal MILCON standards and allows alternates to manage nonessential finishes, DMA staff said.

Representative Tusk moved to accept the department's request. A roll call recorded four votes in favor and one opposed; the chair instructed staff to notify the budget director that the subcommittee approved the request and that the department may proceed with the formal budget filing.

The subcommittee's approval acts only on the request to move authority between state funds and does not itself obligate construction dollars beyond the federal authority asked for by DMA.