House Passes State Operating Budget, Bill Moves to Senate

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the state operating budget for fiscal biennium 2019-21.

HB 2200 HD1, also known as the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020, adjusts amounts appropriated or authorized for Executive Branch agencies and programs in the General Appropriations Act of 2019.

The budget is several million dollars less than Gov. David Ige’s request because several items, including homelessness, affordable housing and some education issues, will be funded through separate bills.

HB2200 HD1 appropriates:

General Fund

FY2020: 7.962 Billion
FY2021: 8.133 Billion

All MOF

FY2020: 15.564 Billion
FY2021: 15.656 Billion

Department of Agriculture

$1,113,400 increase for the Pesticides Division to establish a pesticide disposal program
$2,386,316 for Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle and other pest programs

Department of Accounting and General Services

$7,764,000 for health and safety repairs to Aloha Stadium

Department of the Attorney General

$980,000 and (10) positions to establish the complex litigation, fraud and compliance unit
$99,000 for (1) public information officer

Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism

$200,000 from the Energy Security Special Fund for the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Taskforce

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

· $2,000,000 for renovations of the King Kalakaua Building
· $3,500,000 to increase efficiency in the processing of filings for Business Regulation and Securities Regulation
· $250,000 for the Public Utilities Commission to gain additional expertise on matters relating to major energy dockets
· $131,860 for (1) staff attorney position to address increasing consumer fraud and protection cases

Department of Defense

(6) positions and funds to process FEMA disaster reimbursements
$125,000 to pave parking lot of Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery

Department of Education

$750,000 for Title IX Phase II training
(2) positions for the Teacher Mentor Program for entry-level special education teachers
$180,000 for (2) JROTC instructors at Moanalua and Waipahu High Schools

Department of Education – Libraries

$1,000,000 for security services
$500,000 for repairs and maintenance
$250,000 for library books and materials

Office of the Governor

$75,000 in preparation for Washington Place’s 175th Anniversary in 2022

Department of Human Services

$155,000 for (1) IT Enterprise Officer to oversee all of Human Services IT modernization initiatives
$950,000 for the Business Process Redesign of the Child Protective Service’s system
$76,951 for (1) program specialist position with additional expenses, for the Commission on the Status of Women

Department of Health

$188,559 to upgrade the x-ray system at the Lanakila Health Center
$1,671,152 for (3) positions and operating costs to allow the state family planning programs flexibility to fully serve Hawaii’s families
$2,500,000 for the Developmental Disabilities Medicaid Waiver Administrative Claiming Special Fund
$150,466 to create a Newborn Screening State Evaluation Program Project
$5,000,000 for the Deposit Beverage Container Special Fund to assist in timely payment of contracts
$30,240 for (1) Office Assistant for support at the Hawaii island district health office
$18,000,000 for Maui Health Systems

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

$1,000,000 for unemployment insurance modernization
$238,700 from the Labor Law Enforcement Special Fund to collect penalties and fees assessed

Department of Land and Natural Resources

$725,000 for motor vehicles and equipment at State Parks statewide
$100,000 for the final phase of the Historic Preservation digitization project
$1,600,000 for Rapid Ohia Death surveys and control
$2,100,000 for lifeguard services contracts at State Parks statewide

Department of Public Safety

(15) Adult Corrections Officer positions for Maui Community Correctional Center
(4) additional Human Resources staff to speed up the processing and hiring of Adult Corrections Officers and State Sheriffs
(9) intake positions to implement Act 179, SLH 2019 which requires the department to produce a risk assessment and bail report in three days
$800,000 for contracted medical and mental health services
(10.5) Registered Nurse positions for 24hr nursing coverage at community correctional facilities on Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai islands
$205,000 for communications equipment for the Airport Sheriff’s Division

Department of Taxation

$250,000 for the operations of the Tax Review Commission
$386,056 for (11) positions for the Special Enforcement Section on the neighbor islands

Department of Transportation

$1,207,100 for traffic signal maintenance on Hawaii Island
$985,000 for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting equipment at Lihue Airport
$127,658 for (2) harbor traffic controller I at Honolulu Harbor
$74,436 for (1) marine cargo specialist I at Kahului Harbor

University of Hawai‘i

$1,400,000 and (8) positions to establish a medical education and residency support program on Maui
$1,500,000 for mental health services systemwide
$1,000,000 for security services at community colleges
$907,400 and (5) positions for operations and maintenance of community college facilities