Reforestation. Provide $4,600 annually to support the rejuvenation and reforestation of approximately 80 acres of trust land forests annually.
Soil Surveys and Soil Mapping. Amend the statutory enumeration of the types of disbursements that can be made by the Board in the caring for and selling of, trust lands to authorize expenditures for soil surveys and soil mapping activities. Provide $30,000 annually to support the costs of such activities on trust lands.
Protection of Trust Lands Holdings. Provide $3,100 annually for increased trust lands signage ($1,300), additional gating of roads into trust lands ($1,200) and the development of paint with tracer chemicals to aid in the identification of timber stolen from trust lands ($600).
The costs of all of the above projects and activities would be funded from the investment earnings accruing to the Common School Fund, the Normal School Fund, the University Fund and the Agricultural College Fund.
Joint Finance/Legislature: Modify the Governor's recommendation to reduce funding for soil surveys and soil mapping activities on trust lands by $10,200 annually to reflect a six-year, rather than a four-year schedule for undertaking and completing these activities.
[Act 9 Section: 689]
5. TELEPHONE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT
PR $10,400
Governor/Legislature: Provide: (a) one-time funding of $9,000 in 1999-00 to enable the Board to purchase and install a new telephone system in its Madison offices; and (b) on-going funding of $1,400 in 2000-01 for maintenance of the new system.
6. TRUST FUND LOANS -- ORIGINATION AND SERVICING FEES [LFB Paper 232]
Governor: Authorize the Board to charge a fee to eligible borrowers from the Common School Fund, the Normal School Fund, the University Fund and the Agricultural College Fund who repay one or more installments of a loan after March 15 but before August 1 of any year. Specify that the fee would cover any administrative costs incurred by the Board in originating and servicing the loan. Under current law, a borrower from the trust funds may prepay, with no prepayment fee being charged, any part of a loan after March 15 and prior to August 1 of any year and all interest on the amount of the payment is forgiven
Joint Finance/Legislature: Modify the Governor's recommendation by including a session law requirement that the Board report to the Joint Committee on Finance, by December 1, 1999, on the accounting and administrative actions that it has taken to allow the acceptance of loan prepayments during any statutorily authorized annual prepayment period for any trust fund loans issued by the Board.
[Act 9 Sections: 690 and 9140(1d)]
7. REVISED INVESTMENT AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN BOARD INVESTMENTS
Senate/Legislature: Newly specify that if the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) acts to delegate the investment of the assets of the Common School Fund, Normal School Fund, University Fund and Agricultural College Funds to the Investment Board, the Investment Board could invest those assets in any manner authorized for the investment of any of the types of funds under the control of the Investment Board. Delete a current statutory limitation that these trust fund assets are controlled and invested only by BCPL, and instead specifically authorize the delegation of investment of the assets of each fund to the Investment Board. Under this modification, these trust fund assets could be invested by the Investment Board for the first time in such investment vehicles as equities, publicly and privately placed mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities or real estate, consistent with the Investment Board's current standard of responsibility for managing investments.
Require the Executive Director of the Investment Board to assign an investment professional to assist the BCPL in establishing and maintaining its investment objectives and specifically authorize the deduction of the costs of such services from the gross receipts of the fund to which the monies invested belong. Further, specify that if BCPL delegates investment authority to the Investment Board, the latter would be directed to deduct its investment management expenses from the gross receipts of the BCPL funds to which the interest and income of the investment will be added. Clarify that the Investment Board would credit all of these investment management expense payments for BCPL investments to the Investment Board's general program operations appropriation account.
Currently, the BCPL is authorized to invest trust fund assets only in a limited number of statutorily defined investment vehicles such as bonds and notes issue by the federal government and bonds issued by the state and local units of government. BCPL does not have the authority to invest in equities, publicly and privately places mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities or real estate.
Under current practice, BCPL has delegated a portion of its assets to the Investment Board for investment in the state investment fund (SIF). The SIF is invested in obligations of the U. S. government and its agencies and in high quality commercial bank and corporate debt obligations.
Veto by Governor [F-29]: Delete provision.
[Act 9 Vetoed Sections: 593e, 689b, 689d, 689fh, 689j, 689L, 694s, 695b, 695m, 698c, 699g and 699s]
BOARD ON AGING AND LONG-TERM CARE
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $112,600
PR - 7,400
Total $105,200
Governor/Legislature: Provide $52,500 ($56,300 GPR and -$3,800 PR) in 1999-00 and $52,700 ($56,300 GPR and -$3,600 PR) in 2000-01 to reflect: (a) removal of noncontinuing items (-$15,200 PR annually); (b) full funding of salaries and fringe benefits ($56,000 GPR and $10,600 PR annually); (c) full funding of financial service charges ($300 GPR and $400 PR annually); and (d) full funding of lease costs ($400 PR in 1999-00 and $600 PR in 2000-01).
2. OMBUDSMAN SERVICES FOR FAMILY CARE RECIPIENTS [LFB Paper 560]
Funding Positions
PR $698,300 1.00
Governor/Legislature: Provide $255,200 in 1999-00 and $443,100 in 2000-01 and 1.0 position, beginning in 1999-00, to support contracting for ombudsman services for recipients of the new Family Care benefit. Funding for these services would be claimed by DHFS as medical assistance administration costs and transferred to the Board. The additional position for the Board would supervise these contracts.
Require the Board to contract with one or more organizations to provide advocacy services to potential or actual recipients of the Family Care benefit or their families or guardians. Prohibit the Board from contracting with any organization that is a resource center, a care management organization, a provider or an affiliate of a provider of long-term care services. Require the advocacy services to include all of the following: (a) information, technical assistance and training about how to obtain needed services; (b) advice and assistance in preparing and filing complaints and appeals of complaints; (c) assistance in negotiation and mediation; (d) assistance regarding the appropriate interpretation of statutes, rules, or regulations; and (e) assistance in administrative hearings and legal representation for judicial proceedings.
[Act 9 Section: 41]
3. REGIONAL OMBUDSMAN POSITION SALARIES
GPR $73,200
PR 10,600
Total $83,800
Governor/Legislature: Provide $36,600 GPR and $5,300 PR annually to reclassify the regional ombudsman positions into a higher pay range to improve recruiting and retention for these positions.
4. MEDIGAP COUNSELOR POSITION
Funding Positions
PR $73,400 1.00
Governor/Legislature: Provide $31,500 in 1999-00 and $41,900 in 2000-01 and 1.0 position, beginning in 1999-00, to maintain the current staffing level for the Medigap Helpline. One of the Board's three Medigap counselors is supported by a federal grant that expires on September 30, 1999. This item would maintain support for this position. The Medigap Helpline provides information to consumers regarding insurance policies available to supplement federal Medicare insurance coverage, including long-term care insurance.
5. MEDIGAP HELPLINE MAILINGS
PR $33,100
Governor/Legislature: Provide $15,400 in 1999-00 and $17,700 in 2000-01 to: (a) fund costs of mailings for the Medigap Helpline that are not currently reflected in the Board's operating budget ($12,300 annually); and (b) increase funding to support these mailings by 25% in 1999-00 and an additional 15% in 2000-01 ($3,100 in 1999-00 and $5,400 in 2000-01).
6. MISCELLANEOUS ADJUSTMENTS
PR $43,700
Governor/Legislature: Provide $10,100 in 1999-00 and $33,600 in 2000-01 to fund: (a) health insurance premiums ($1,800 in 1999-00 and $4,400 in 2000-01); (b) pay plan compensation reserves ($8,300 in 1999-00 and $16,600 in 2000-01); and (c) the 27th pay period ($12,600 in 2000-01).
7. COMPUTER LINK-UPS WITH REGIONAL OFFICES
GPR $33,600
Governor/Legislature: Provide $16,800 annually to fund ongoing costs for transmission lines that allow interactive communication and transmission of data between the Board's central office and the five regional offices.
8. REPLACE PHOTOCOPIER
PR $2,500
Governor/Legislature: Provide $2,500 in 1999-00 to replace the photocopier at the Board's central office. This amount, which represents approximately 40% of the estimated total cost of the new copier ($6,200), reflects the Medigap Helpline's share of the Board's office copying. The remaining 60% of the Board's copying costs are attributed to other functions. The Board would absorb the unfunded portion of the cost of the photocopier ($3,700).
9. OMBUDSMAN STAFF -- ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AND FUNDING CHANGE [LFB Paper 235]
Joint Finance/Legislature: Delete $268,100 GPR and provide $321,200 PR in 1999-00 and delete $228,000 GPR and provide $348,000 PR in 2000-01 and delete 4.80 GPR positions and provide 6.80 PR positions in 1999-00 and delete 4.20 GPR positions and provide 7.20 PR positions in 2000-01 to reflect: (a) the conversion of 6.0 GPR positions to 6.0 PR positions supported by medical assistance administration funds transferred to the Board from DHFS; (b) the addition of 2.0 regional ombudsman positions (1.20 GPR positions and 0.80 PR position), beginning January 1, 2000; and (c) the addition of 1.0 regional ombudsman position (0.60 GPR position and 0.40 PR position), beginning January 1, 2001. The MA administrative funding increase is reflected under "Department of Health and Family Services -- Medical Assistance."
Veto by Governor [C-1]: Delete $16,000 GPR and $10,600 PR in 2000-01 to reflect the elimination of the third ombudsman position that would have been created in 2000-01. The veto also deletes $5,300 GPR in 2000-01 from the medical assistance benefits appropriation, although funding for this purpose is budgeted in the appropriation that supports contracts and inter-agency agreements for the administration of the MA program. The fiscal impact on medical assistance is reflected under "Health and Family Services -- Medical Assistance."
[Act 9 Vetoed Section: 172 (as it relates to 20.432(1)(a)&(k) and 20.435(4)(b))]
BONDING AUTHORIZATION
Budget Change Items
1. GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDING AUTHORIZATIONS
Governor/Building Commission: Provide $1,064,109,900 in new general obligation bonding authority, as shown in the following table.
Joint Finance: Increase bonding authority by $178,479,100 so that $1,257,589,000 in new general obligation authority would be provided, as shown in the following table:
Assembly: Decrease bonding authority by $52,000,000 from the Joint Finance levels so that $1,205,589,000 in new general obligation bonding authority would be provided, as shown in the following table.
Senate: Increase bonding authority by $458,235,500 over the Joint Finance levels so that $1,715,824,500 in new general obligation bonding authority would be provided, as shown in the following table.
Conference Committee/Legislature: Increase bonding authority by $106,500,300 over the Joint Finance levels so that $1,364,089,300 would be provided, as shown in the following table.
Veto by Governor [A-15, B-48 and B-58]: Decrease bonding authority by $39,212,000 from the levels provided by the Legislature so that $1,324,877,300 in new general obligation bonding authority would be provided, as shown in the following table. As a result, the general obligation bonding authorizations would be reduced from the levels provided by the Legislature for the following purposes: (a) $20,000,000 associated with the creation of a heritage trust program in the State Historical Society; (b) $13,000,000 associated with the creation of a municipal flood control and riparian restoration bonding purpose in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR); (c) $4,100,000 associated with the creation of an urban stormwater loan bonding purpose under the Clean Water fund; (d) $2,000,000 associated with the urban nonpoint source cost sharing program purpose in DNR; and (e) $112,000 associated with the recreation boating development program purpose in DNR. (Summaries of these vetoes are provided in the individual agency summaries.)
Update summary schedules relating to bonding and debt service that appear for informational purposes.
[Act 9 Section: 171]
Building Conference
Commission Jt. Finance Assembly Senate Committee Act 9
Administration*
Educational Communication
Facilities $16,618,100 $18,067,800 $18,067,800 $0 $0 $0
Black Point Estate 0 0 0 -1,600,000 0 0
Agriculture, Trade Consumer Protection
Soil and Water 3,575,000 3,575,000 3,575,000 3,575,000 3,575,000 3,575,000
