Stopgap Funding Plan Highlights

The Governors stopgap funding plan will serve as a bridge to a

comprehensive balanced budget for fiscal year 2017. This plan
does not count on enactment of a tax hike or reforms. This plan
provides a full year of funding for elementary and secondary
education, road construction, federal programs and other nonGRF programs. It also provides funding to support 6 months of
critical operations for higher education, state-operated facilities
including prisons and veterans homes, fuel for the State Police
to patrol our roads, and other core operations and programs for
public safety, health and welfare. Funds are available under
current law for all components of this bridge plan. The plan is
contained in two bills: one bill which has K-12 education
funding, and a second bill which has all other funding.
For fiscal year 2017 operations, the total package is $50.3
billion. This includes $8.2 billion in general funds, $33.7
billion in other state funds and $8.4 billion federal funds. The
FY17 appropriations include:
o K-12 education. The Governor has proposed an
increase of over $240 million over this years
enacted education budget, for a total of $7 billion
in general funds. This plan would fully fund the
foundation level for the first time in many years,
and ensure that all school districts get at least as
much as they received in this past school year (a
hold harmless). This plan does not include a
bailout for Chicago Public Schools.
o Higher education funding of $1.0 billion. This is
on top of $600 million already approved in FY16.
The new funding is from the Education
Assistance Fund, at $680 million (which is the

amount of money expected to be available in that

fund in the first six months of FY17), $200
million from the Fund for the Advancement of
Education, $20 million from GRF, and
approximately $100 million from the Personal
Property Tax Replacement Fund for community
colleges.
This plan should ensure that universities are
able to open on time and complete the full
fall semester.
Community colleges are funded at $114
million, plus funding for adult and career
tech and other grants.
Includes $151 million in funding for MAP
for spring semester 2016. This goes to
public and private colleges, for all students
who were awarded MAP grants for the
spring semester
Funds the Illinois Math and Science
Academy, East St. Louis and Lake County
centers and some higher education and
community college board operations.
o Funding for critical State government operations
with GRF totaling $454 million. This GRF
comes from $454 million freed up by removing
the requirement to repay interfund borrowing.
Also relies on full use of the rainy day fund
($275 million). These resources will be used to
cover critical needs at agencies, including:
Utilities, food and medical services at state
prisons, mental health centers and veterans
homes.
Fuel and vehicle repairs for six months for
State troopers vehicles to ensure public
safety and IDOT vehicles to ensure repairs,
salt distribution and snow removal.

 Funding to continue child support collection.

Continued operations of other key State
government services, such as collection of
cigarette and other taxes.
No GRF is appropriated for health insurance
providers for State and university
employees, which has a bill backlog of over
$3 billion.
This stopgap funding means that approximately 20%
of all State government operations are funded,
counting health insurance (or 50% without health
insurance.)
o Human services funding of $650 million from
the Commitment to Human Services Fund. This
is the amount of resources projected to be
available in this fund through December 2016.
This plan will help cover critical services not
being paid under consent decrees or court orders.
Includes $35 million in additional human
services grants. This funding level means that
human services will get over 90% of the amount
they typically would get over 18 months when
you include spending authorized by court orders.
o Full-year appropriations of federal funds of $8.4
billion. Includes federal funding that goes
directly to providers, and takes full advantage of
all available federal funds.
o Full-year appropriations of non-GRF/other state
funds of $33.2 billion, and capital appropriations
of $17.0 billion. This non-GRF funding includes:

 Capital appropriations, which will ensure

continuation of road and bridge
improvements, payment of school
construction grants and local water and
sewer improvements. Includes new pay-asyou-go IDOT projects, covered by available
projected Road Fund revenue. Will allow
completion of projects for colleges and key
state facilities which were halted in FY16.
Debt service payments for the Metropolitan
Pier and Exposition Authority, the Illinois
Sports Facilities Authority, and the States
Civic Center bonds.
Lottery prizes, local government distributions
(including motor fuel taxes), low-income
heating assistance and other services.
Appropriations of all remaining non-GRF items in FY16 which
ends June 30th, generally at the Governors estimated level
recommended in his fiscal year 2016 budget, totaling $25
billion. Fiscal year 2017 appropriations include language
allowing those appropriations to be used to pay FY16 bills, if
necessary.
Spending under consent decrees, court orders,
continuing appropriations and statutory transfers will
continue in FY17 without enacted appropriations.