Budget Section approves four emergency‑commission requests including DPI EMIRA research grant

The Budget Section approved four emergency-commission requests after OMB summarized the items and DPI and DHHS provided additional detail.

Joe Morrissette (Office of Management and Budget) outlined the requests: DPI request #2160 for $5,260,000 in federal authority to expand an AI-enabled tutoring platform (EMIRA learning) and to provide spending authority through the end of the biennium; Department of Corrections request #2161 to transfer $105,000 from the general contingency appropriation to expand GPS monitoring to transitional facilities; DHHS request #2162 for about $1,960,000 in federal CMS funds for IT enhancements to eligibility systems to track work requirements tied to Medicaid expansion; and a DHHS USDA grant for about $1,200,000 to improve SNAP eligibility determination and reduce error rates.

Anne Ellifson, interim superintendent for academic support at DPI, said the EMIRA grant is a federal research award to support an evidence-based tutoring platform and that the award is five years with annual funding; DPI requested authority now to spend what is needed in this biennium, with the remainder to be reported during the next legislative session.

Senator Davison moved to approve all four items; after a second and no further discussion, Brady conducted a roll call vote. The chair announced the motion carries. Alan Knudson (Legislative Council) then reported remaining contingency balances: roughly $645,000 in the general contingency, $18.5 million in special funds and $41.5 million in federal funds available for interim emergency use.

Committee members asked procedural and programmatic questions — including whether DPI’s request is a lump sum or annual draw — and DPI confirmed the award issues funds annually and DPI is seeking authority only for the amount needed this biennium.