Appropriates $175,037,800 for the Welfare Division in the Department of Health and Welfare for fiscal year 2019; limits the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions to 619.50 for fiscal year 2019; provides for transfers to the Cooperative Welfare Fund; prohibits transfers of trustee and benefit payments; provides legislative intent for program integrity; requires biannual forecast reports; and reduces the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions by 9.00 for fiscal year 2018.

This is the FY 2019 original appropriation and the FY 2018 supplemental appropriation bill for the Department of Health and Welfare for the Welfare Division. For FY 2019, the bill appropriates $175,037,800, limits the number authorized full-time equivalent positions to 619.50, and provides for four sections of legislative intent language. For FY 2018, the bill reduces the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions by 9.00. For FY 2019, the bill includes the following adjustments. For benefit costs, the bill removes $1,450 per eligible FTP to bring the annual employer contribution for health insurance down to $11,650 by including a two-month employee and employer premium holiday, adds a 6.8% increase for life insurance, and adjusts funding for workers' compensation in amounts that vary by agency. For statewide cost allocation, $24,000 is reduced for risk management costs. For nondiscretionary adjustments the bill provides $636,300 for caseload growth in the Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Program. The bill also provides funding for a 3% ongoing merit-based salary increase for permanent employees, to be distributed at the discretion of the director, and a 3% increase in the compensation schedule. The bill funds three line items. The first line item adds $8,000,000 for the third and final year of the Child Support Enforcement System replacement. The second line item adds $2,000,000 for the Employment and Training Services Program. The third line item transfers $598,600 from personnel costs to operating expenditures. Intent language in the bill includes three sections that are applied to all appropriation bills for the Department of Health and Welfare. These sections provide for the transfer of General Funds to the Cooperative Welfare Fund, limit transfers between spending classes, and provide for program integrity. The fourth section requires the department to submit two reports on the actual and forecasted caseloads for various welfare programs.