JBC approves technical corrections and a short‑term appropriation to cover sales‑and‑use lookup shortfall

The Joint Budget Committee approved several technical adjustments to the long bill and a short‑term funding package to cover higher‑than‑expected use of the state’s sales‑and‑use tax lookup system.

Craig Harper (JBC staff) asked the Committee to move a $10 million transfer from the OIT revolving fund from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, to smooth OIT’s cash flow; the Committee approved the technical correction. Mr. Kurtz later summarized a memo of drafting corrections that returned the long bill to its intended form and identified a net $1.6 million general‑fund increase driven mainly by changes to health care coding accounting.

On the sales‑and‑use tax lookup system (SUDS), staff reported utilization has outpaced the fiscal note estimate of 75 million annual lookups; year‑to‑date usage through March was roughly 115 million, and staff projected annualized utilization closer to 150 million. John Cabot (staff) briefed the Committee on a short‑term package that combined a $925,000 general‑fund appropriation for the current fiscal year, a $250,000 intra‑department reallocation, and a planned interim review to develop a sustainable funding recommendation.

Some members pushed back, calling the annualized projection volatile; Representative Taggart said the data looked inconclusive and cautioned against funding to the high point of a volatile series. Staff noted the appropriation would revert if not spent and emphasized the request was a bridge to a long‑term solution to be developed in the interim.

The Committee approved staff recommendations for SUDS funding on a 6–0 vote and accepted the technical corrections and long‑bill alignments.