Utah Executive Appropriations Committee adopts budget recommendations for 2023 legislative session, proposes $1.48 billion to social services

By

Boram Kim

|

The Utah Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) approved its budget recommendations for the upcoming legislative session on Tuesday. 

 

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The 2023 budget allocation for the Social Services Committee’s ongoing base budget is $1.48 billion, which would incorporate $141.8 million toward the Governor’s budgeted line items for Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) funding.

Total subcommittee allocations plus base budget adjustments for next year’s state budget exceed $21 billion, of which $11.6 billion is one-time spending.

The committee passed a motion to develop FY 2023 base budget bills for each of the appropriations subcommittees in time for the first day of the 2023 general session

With over $1.2 billion in available free revenue after budget allocation, EAC members expressed confidence that the recommendations are fiscally responsible. 

“Utah has made smart, conservative policy decisions that have enabled our state to navigate the uncertainty of a global pandemic,” said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, Co-Chair of EAC. “While Utah’s economy remains robust, we are taking note of concerning trends and preparing for the uncertainties that lay ahead by spending additional funds on one-time expenses.

As we budget for the state, we will be diligent to not burden Utahns now or in the future. Utah will continue to be a leader in fiscal policy and we will work to ensure success for years to come.”

Specific line items budgeted by the Governor’s Office for Medicaid include nearly $65 million to account for changes to projected Medicaid costs based off upcoming redeterminations, $2.9 million to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months, and $2.3 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for intermediate care facilities. 

The state’s total Medicaid & CHIP costs for FY 2023 is estimated at $105.2 million. Meanwhile, the state has a surplus of $254 million in its Medicaid Expansion Fund earmarked for FY 2023. 

Other DHHS line items include $18.8 million to improve healthcare for incarcerated individuals, $12 million to the behavioral health crisis system, and $4.5 million for school-based mental health telehealth services. 

The legislature will consider and refine the EAC budget recommendations through various appropriations subcommittees during the general session. 

The session is expected to pass the final state budget before it adjourns on March 3rd. FY 2023-24 begins on July 1st, 2023.