2017-07-01                     House Journal                      Page 1720
HB 59                                                                                                                         
The following was engrossed and enrolled, signed by the Speaker and                                                             
Chief Clerk, President and Secretary of the Senate, and the engrossed                                                           
and enrolled copies were transmitted to the Office of the Governor at                                                           
3:22 p.m., June 28:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
    CONFERENCE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 59                                                                                         
    "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital                                                                 
    expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health                                                              
    program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Also transmitted was a copy of the following letter dated June 19 to                                                            
Mr. Russ Webb, Chair, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
"Dear Mr. Webb:                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Pursuant to the requirements of AS 37.14.005(c), this letter and the                                                            
enclosed reports describe how the funding contained in HB 59 (the                                                               
FY18 Mental Health budget) and SB 23 (the Capital Bill) differ from                                                             
the FY18 Mental Health Trust Authority's (Authority) funding                                                                    
recommendations for the State's integrated comprehensive mental                                                                 
health program. While the statute requires reporting only on general                                                            
fund expenditures, information regarding expenditures of Authority                                                              
receipts is also included in the attached reports.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Operating Appropriations                                                                                                      
For mental health operating program funding, the Agency Summary                                                                 
report compares the FY18 Mental Health Trust Authority operating                                                                
budget recommendations to the Governor's request and to the                                                                     
appropriations passed by the legislature.  Note that, for comparison                                                            
purposes, Authority recommendations include FY18 salary                                                                         
adjustments and base transactions requested by the Governor. This                                                               
brings the FY18 total recommendations to $218.5 million (column 1).                                                             
The Governor requested $218.3 million (column 2), and the                                                                       
Conference Committee's budget totaled $218.1 million (column 3).                                                                
The Conference Committee budget is $215.4 (0.1 percent) less than                                                               
the Governor's request.