Fiscal Staff Division Information Page

The Fiscal Staff is charged with aiding Representatives in the development of the state budget. A staff member is assigned to each House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee and is responsible for analyzing fiscal issues associated with the Subcommittee. The primary focus of the staff is to analyze the budgetary needs and funding resources available to state agencies under each Subcommittee’s purview. The Fiscal Staff also analyzes all proposed legislation for potential fiscal impact to the state budget. For a better understanding of the systematic development of the state’s annual budget see the Appropriations Process.

Appropriations and Budget Committee

	Education Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: Net proceeds from the Oklahoma Lottery, $63.4 million in FY-010, are dedicated to Education in the following amounts: 45% allocated to K-12 public education; 45% allocated to Higher Education, Career and Technology Education and/or the Schools for the Blind and Deaf; 5% allocated to the School Consolidation and Assistance Fund and 5% allocated to Teachers’ Retirement. Additionally, Common Education receives a portion of revenues generated by Gross Production Taxes, Cigarette Taxes, Income Taxes, Sales Taxes, Mineral Leasing and Gaming. Higher Education also receives a portion of revenues generated by Gross Production Taxes.
		FY-10 Education Appropriation Summary
	General Government and Transportation Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: Oklahoma will receive approximately $503.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for state and local bridge construction and improvements and public transit projects. ODOT will utilize ARRA State Highway System funds on 55 “shovel ready” projects identified in the Eight Year Construction Program, allowing the agency to accelerate the starting date for 55 other projects within the Program. All ARRA funds allocated for State Highway System and Public Transportation projects must be obligated by no later than February, 2010, and State Transportation Program funding by no later than September 2010. Conditions of the Act provide that ARRA funds may not be used to supplant the planned expenditure of state appropriations, that ODOT comply with Davis-Bacon minimum wage standards and meet Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Minority Contracting requirements.
		FY-10 Gen. Gov't Appropriation Summary
	Human Services Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: The Advantage Care Waiver Program provides medical services to low-income elderly persons within their homes, providing an alternative to the placement of seniors in nursing homes. The program allows the elderly to remain in their personal residences and the cost to the state of doing so is less than one-third the cost of placement in nursing homes. In FY-09, there were 19,255 participants in the Nursing Home program at a state cost of $502 million, while over the same period there were 24,165 participants in the Advantage Waiver program at a state cost of only $213 million. Costs of the Advantage Waiver program are expected to rise dramatically in the coming years as the baby-boomer generation becomes classified as elderly and requires additional services.
		FY-10 Human Services Appropriation Summary
	Natural Resources and Regulatory Services Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: Rural fire departments receive an annual appropriation of $4.5 million. This is split between the 875 departments allowing each rural fire department $5,100 a year for needed expenses. The Legislature also appropriates funds into a revolving account, which allows the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to purchase needed equipment such as fire hoses and pumps in bulk, then sell that equipment to the rural fire districts at a meaningful discount.
		FY-10 Natural Resources Appropriation Summary.pdf
	Public Health and Social Services Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: The Insure Oklahoma Employer Sponsored Insurance Program is designed to assist small business employees with health insurance premiums. As of September 2009, the Employer Sponsored Insurance component of the program currently has 5,344 approved business and 17,344 enrolled employees. The Insure Oklahoma Individual Plan component of the program is designed to provide individuals with health insurance for themselves and their spouses who are not qualified for the employer sponsored insurance. Eligible persons must work for an Oklahoma small business, be temporarily unemployed adults receiving unemployment benefits or be working adults with a disability who have a “ticket to work.” The Individual Plan component currently has 9,756 persons enrolled.
		FY-10 Public Health Appropriation Summary
	Public Safety and Judiciary Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: As of January 1, 2009, Oklahoma had over 24,000 incarcerated persons, 90% of whom are male and 10% of whom are female. The prison system is currently at 98% capacity. State-owned facilities house 76% of the prison population while contracted private facilities house the remaining 24%. Fifty percent of those incarcerated are housed at either community or minimum security facilities, 44% are housed at medium security facilities and 6% are housed at maximum security facilities. With the system currently near capacity, policy makers must determine whether it is more feasible to build new state-owned facilities or contract with private prisons for additional bed space.
		FY-10 Judicial Appropriation Summary
	Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee
	Fiscal Staff Notes: Currently, the top state income tax rate is 5.5% which is down from the previous top rate of 7% in 2003. An additional reduction to 5.25% will take effect when an increase of at least 4% occurs in the current year’s General Revenue Fund estimate compared to the prior years’ General Revenue Fund collections. The state’s standard deduction has continued to increase since 2004 and will increase to the federal level by 2010. In 2010, the standard deduction is $11,400 for a married couple filing jointly, $8,400 for a person filing as head of household, and $5,700 for a person filing as single. These amounts increased from a maximum standard deduction of $2,000.
		Legislative Tax Guide
Fiscal Staff Publications and Supplemental Data
	The Appropriations Process
	Legislative Tax Guide
	FY-10 Appropriations Overview
	FY-10 Appropriations by Agency
	FY-10 Appropriations by Source
	FY-10 Revenue Certification
	FY-10 Total Budgetary Resources
	FY-10 Session Fee Modifications
	FY-10 Director Salary and FTE Limits
	Rainy Day Fund History
	Selected Information on Retirement Systems