State Budget Update: Conference Committee Sets PLF at 1.7%

The Conference Committee on House Bill (HB) 166, the biennial state budget bill, met this evening to work out the 600+ differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill. The Conference Committee agreed to the Senate version of the bill setting the Public Library Fund (PLF) at 1.7% for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and 2021.

 

In addition, the Committee accepted a true-up amendment from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) that will make public libraries whole for the month of July. As we indicated in previous communications, the July PLF distribution was based on the PLF at 1.66%. The true-up language accepted tonight will appropriate an additional $916,705 from the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) to the PLF and it will be distributed based on the current formula in statute.

 

 

A video recording of the Conference Committee hearing is available on the Ohio Channel. The key portion of the hearing for the PLF begins at the 1:22:25 mark. House Finance Committee Chairman Scott Oelslager (R-N. Canton) mentions item “RDFCD6” which is the Conference Committee budget item addressing the PLF. He announces that they have selected the Senate version of the bill (1.7%) for the conference report and then Chairman Dolan offers the true-up amendment.

 

Both the House and the Senate will meet tomorrow to formally vote on the conference report and send HB 166 to Governor DeWine for his signature. The bill must be signed before the interim budget expires Wednesday night (July 17).

 

Thank you to everyone who contacted legislators on the State Budget Bill. This would not have been possible without your advocacy efforts and the entire public library community speaking with one voice.

 

Additional information will be shared in the coming days regarding the numerous tax reform changes in the final bill.