Bill > S915

This bill, the Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2026, makes base budget appropriations for the State's current operations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. * **Education:** * Community College System: $1,730,176,632 for FY 2025-2026 and $1,880,055,057 for FY 2026-2027. * Department of Public Instruction: $12,386,402,718 for FY 2025-2026 and $13,604,577,403 for FY 2026-2027. * University of North Carolina System: $4,802,203,545 for FY 2025-2026 and $4,142,799,286 for FY 2026-2027. * **Health and Human Services:** $8,704,184,339 for FY 2025-2026 and $9,706,070,011 for FY 2026-2027. * **Justice and Public Safety:** Includes appropriations for the Judicial Department ($824,319,035 for FY 2025-2026), Indigent Defense Services ($174,735,348 for FY 2025-2026), Department of Justice ($69,612,137 for FY 2025-2026), Department of Public Safety ($665,993,291 for FY 2025-2026), and Department of Adult Correction ($2,226,163,079 for FY 2025-2026). * **Highway Fund:** $3,399,889,949 for FY 2026-2027. * **Highway Trust Fund:** $2,568,500,000 for FY 2026-2027. * **Teacher Salaries:** The bill outlines specific monthly salary schedules for teachers for FY 2025-2026 and FY 2026-2027, with increases and supplements for advanced degrees and certifications. * **Principal Salaries:** Annual salary schedules for principals are provided for FY 2025-2026 and FY 2026-2027, based on school growth scores and average daily membership. * **Other Appropriations:** The bill includes numerous other appropriations across various state departments and programs, including those for disaster recovery, education initiatives, and administrative functions. * **Funding Source:** The primary funding source for these appropriations is the General Fund, with specific allocations also coming from the Highway Fund, Highway Trust Fund, Education Lottery Fund, and other designated funds. * **Fiscal Years Covered:** The appropriations primarily cover the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, with some provisions extending beyond or referencing specific fiscal years within that period. * **Conditions on Spending:** Several provisions include specific conditions, such as the non-reversion of certain funds, limitations on fee increases, and specific uses for settlement funds. For example, funds allocated for disaster response and recovery will remain available until expended and are not subject to reversion.