What's in the Senate Budget? - Commonwealth Foundation

Earlier today the state Senate passed an amended version of a House budget proposal, which included the largest spending increase in a decade. The House must now agree to the Senate's changes before sending it to the governor.

So, what's in the new budget proposal? More spending.

The Senate added $74 million in new spending to the House's proposal. But the spending increase appears smaller because $95 million from the “Transfer to the Commonwealth Financing Authority” line item was shifted off the General Fund Budget. The Senate budget reduces that line item to $0, but taxpayers are still required to foot the bill for the payments, even if it comes out of a different pot of money.

Counting that expenditure, the Senate budget is $31.63 billion—$1.6 billion (5.3 percent) more than last year's enacted budget.

The biggest Senate increases were in the areas of higher education. They also added $9 million in DCED programs—that is, corporate welfare programs and “walking around money” (WAMs) used for local projects in their districts.

The table below summarizes the differences between the two budgets. One last point: The legislature has still not agreed to a plan to balance the budget. So we will continue to monitor what revenue sources will be used to pay for the additional spending.

Department	House	Senate	Difference	Notes
Executive Offices	$182,918	$184,068	$1,150	Increases to Human Relations Commission and Law Enforcement Activities
Treasury	$1,163,015	$1,163,265	$250	Increase to General Government Operations
Agriculture	$140,527	$143,658	$3,131	Increases to multiple programs, shows
Community and Economic Development	$231,851	$240,847	$8,996	Includes Commonwealth Financing Authority funding moved offline; Major Increases in Marketing to Attract Tourists and Keystone Communities
Conservation and Natural Resources	$106,336	$106,961	$625	Increase to Heritage and Other Parks
Drug and Alcohol Programs	$52,354	$47,604	-$4,750	Elimination of Emergency Addiction Treatment
Education	$11,770,661	$11,781,340	$10,679	Increases to Job Training Programs and Community Colleges
Penn State	$244,400	$250,510	$6,110
Pitt	$143,193	$146,773	$3,580
Temple	$146,913	$150,586	$3,673
Lincoln	$14,084	$14,436	$352
State System of Higher Education	$433,389	$444,224	$10,835
Thaddeus Stevens College	$12,949	$13,273	$324
PHEAA	$313,554	$321,289	$7,735	Increases to four programs
Environmental Protection	$147,808	$148,356	$548	Increases for Environment Program Management and Chesapeake Bay Commission
General Services	$114,886	$119,390	$4,504	Increase for Capitol Fire Protection
Health	$214,218	$215,493	$1,275	Increases for General Government Operations and Bio-Technology research
Human Services	$11,968,156	$11,982,401	$14,245	Increases in 11 programs
Judiciary	$354,503	$355,503	$1,000	Increases in all courts, reduction in Reimbursement of County Costs
Government Support Agencies	$51,665	$51,765	$100	Increase in Center for Rural Pennsylvania
General Fund Total	$31,554,717	$31,629,079	$74,362	Includes Commonwealth Financing Authority funding moved offline; The state must make this payment, even if it comes from another fund. It does not represent a reduction in spending.