Bill No.:         HB0042                                             Drafter:     DRN

 

LSO No.:       14LSO-0131                                     Effective Date:        Immediate/ 7/1/2014

 

Enrolled Act No.:    HEA0056

 

Chapter No.:                        CH0082

 

Prime Sponsor:       Joint Appropriations Interim Committee

 

Catch Title:              School facilities appropriations.

 

Subject:                     2015‑2016 biennial appropriations for school facilities projects.

 

Summary/Major Elements:

 

·        Forwards a biennial budget for school facilities projects, which has previously been funded for an annual budget, and restricts any supplemental budget request to emergency or unanticipated needs;

·        Requires the School Facilities Department to develop an estimated schedule for deployment of appropriations for projects funded for the biennium, together with projects funded by previous appropriations, and to report fund deployment and project progression to the select school facilities committee, the joint education and appropriations committees and to the governor;

·        Appropriates $307,376,540 for the biennium as follows:

For Fiscal Year 2014‑2015:

§  $100,000 for project planning;

§  $14,319,722 for design projects;

§  $230,819,144 for capital construction projects, $9,903,883 of which is effective immediately for previously funded projects;

§  $2,683,054 for demolition projects;

§  $6,754,600 for land acquisitions tied to specified projects;

§  $2,000,000 for land acquisitions if opportunities become available to meet design guidelines;

§  $1,092,797 for ancillary building projects;

§  $1,000,000 for track construction projects;

§  $6,210,346 for component level projects;

§  $18,414,096 for unanticipated costs over the biennium;

§  $6,481,277 to reimburse amounts appropriated for unanticipated costs associated with projects funded for fiscal year 2013‑2014.


For Fiscal Year 2015‑2016:  (Amounts appropriated subject to approval by the School Facilities Commission and authorization by the Legislature.)

§  $250,000 for project planning;

§  $6,001,594 for design projects;

§  $500,000 for demolition projects;

§  $750,000 for land acquisitions;

§  $1,000,000 for ancillary building projects;

§  $9,000,000 for school security projects;

 

·        Of the total biennial budget appropriation, $16,485,160 is effective immediately;

·        In addition to the biennial appropriation, up to $600,000 is appropriated from the school facility major maintenance program for lease payments to school districts with approved and operating charter schools;

·        In addition to the project deployment report, the School Facilities Department is to report to the Select School Facilities Committee on the following:

§  Specific projects tied to fiscal year 2015‑2016 appropriations;

§  Processes and mechanisms directed at reducing future project cost overages;

§  A refined process used to identify and prioritize school district building component level needs which allows for full consideration of the proper use of major maintenance payments by districts in addressing building facility needs;

§  School security projects tied to the 2015‑2016 appropriation, together with a process to identify and prioritize school security needs.