Conference Committee Forms to Resolve HB 289 Budget Differences

A six-member conference committee met Tuesday to start resolving differences in House Bill 289, the fiscal year 2026 supplemental budget, after the House and Senate finished their budget work. Representative Andy Josephson was named presiding chair, with Senator Lyman Hoffman serving as vice chair. The committee also includes Representative Calvin Schrage and Representative Will Stapp, along with Senator Bert Stedman and Senator Mike Cronk. Josephson said the committee unanimously adopted all budget items that were identical between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 289. This streamlines their work to focus only on disputed provisions. Josephson outlined the committee's procedures, noting that public testimony has concluded and only committee members may participate in discussions. The committee requested limited powers to negotiate budget items where differences exist, allowing them to adopt any amount between zero and the higher of the two chamber versions for each disputed item. "Legislative Finance has been directed to prepare motion sheets that summarize the differences between the two versions," Josephson said. The sheets will be posted online and updated after each meeting. Conference committees are formed when the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill. This requires a joint committee to negotiate a compromise version that both chambers can accept. Under legislative rules, any committee action requires majority approval from both House and Senate members. House Bill 289 serves as the state's supplemental budget for fiscal year 2026. It addresses funding adjustments and new appropriations beyond the main operating budget. The supplemental budget typically covers emergency expenditures, program modifications, and funding gaps that emerged after the main budget was approved. The committee will continue meeting to resolve remaining budget disagreements, though no specific timeline for completion was announced.