Legislative Council staff present budget packet showing 7.2% net decrease; wildfire committee cost noted

Natalie Castle, director of Legislative Council staff, reviewed the legislative branch budget packet and told the Executive Committee the net impact shows a 7.2% decrease from the introduced package.

Castle said the calculation incorporates House Bill 1332, which transfers $12,700,000 from the legislative department cash fund to the general fund, and incorporates changes from House Bill 1331 that affect interim committee activity. Staff noted the principal budget increases were for employee benefits (health, life, dental and vision) and for aligning legislative compensation with executive-branch pay practices.

The packet also identified a bill that would recreate the Wildfire Matters Review Committee. That measure was estimated to cost about $67,000 and add roughly 0.4 full-time-equivalent staff for fiscal year 2026–27 under typical interim committee costs, though staff said the appropriation impact could be reduced under HB 1331’s limits on per diem and travel.

Castle said most remaining measures affecting the legislative branch have been addressed and that staff will continue tracking bills that add legislators to boards or increase staff workload but do not carry appropriations.

Why it matters: The legislative branch budget determines staffing capacity and program support for the Legislature’s operations and influences decisions about interim committees and member workloads. The committee discussed options for adjusting effective dates to avoid budget-year impacts.

What happens next: Staff will continue to track outstanding bills and return with additional details as needed, including potential adjustments if effective dates change to shift fiscal impacts to a later year.