02/15/2024

House Bill 2

Lead Sponsors: Representative Al Cutrona and Representative Terrence Upchurch

Status: Passed the House 75-19 (February 7, 2024)

Description: The bill makes capital appropriations for the biennium that ends June 30, 2026. The bill also creates the Local Jail Facility Funding Program and the Large Local Jail Facility Funding Program within the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC).

Each year, as money is available, DRC is to designate projects involving the construction and renovation of county jails using a formula wherein the Department of Taxation ranks each county by total property value and total taxable retail sales. The formula determines the county's portion of the basic project cost is equal to their percentile ranking (with the exception the county portion cannot exceed 75% of the basic cost or be less than 25% of the basic cost).

Those counties that the formula determines would have responsibility for 75% of the basic project cost are separated into a different funding pool, the Large Local Jail Facility Funding. 

The bill appropriates $150 million to the Local Jail Facility Funding Program and $100 million to the Large Local Jail Facility Funding Program, for a total of $250 million for county jail construction and renovation. 

The bill also appropriates $350 million from the One Time Strategic Community Investment Fund, created in the state operating budget (House Bill 33) for one-time projects. The $350 million will fund 318 projects in across the state, with a full list included in the Legislative Service Commission's Fiscal Note, beginning on page 13. 

CCAO Position: Proponent

Other Notes: The One Time Strategic Community Investment Fund is funded with $700 million, with an informal agreement between the House and the Senate that each chamber would allocate $350 million during the capital budget process.