Bill > SB223

This bill modifies a previous workforce housing appropriation law by adding a provision that allows the interest and income earned from the $12 million general fund appropriation to the board of investments to be retained in the fund. The original law, passed in 2023, was designed to support housing for employees working in state-owned facilities that house inmates or behavioral health patients, specifically in counties with populations under 15,000 inhabitants. The bill's key addition is a new subsection (4) that explicitly states that all interest and income generated from these funds must be kept within the same fund, rather than being transferred elsewhere. The bill is effective immediately upon passage and applies retroactively to interest and income earned on or after June 14, 2023. By allowing the retention of earned interest, the bill provides an opportunity for the workforce housing fund to potentially grow and have additional resources for supporting housing initiatives in small, rural counties with state-owned facilities.