Management Council approved sponsorship of the legislative FEED bill for the 2026 session after an extended presentation by Legislative Service Office (LSO) staff that outlined recurring staff costs, reclassified IT charges, and several below-the-line items.

Director Obrecht and LSO budget staff presented a proposed biennial total of $27,039,878: $26,118,778 in recurring (above-the-line) appropriations and $921,100 in one-time (below-the-line) items. Staff increases and benefit costs drove most of the change from the current biennium: the proposed LSO permanent and temporary staff appropriation was $11,499,818. The draft also included two new regulatory impact analyst positions (to support rule-review work under Senate File 127), one additional IT position, and administrative assistant / session staffing adjustments.

LSO staff explained subtotals and drivers: increased employer retirement contributions and insurance premiums, annualized costs for positions created in the prior fiscal year, and a decision to move recurring IT project funding into the standard budget rather than leave it as a one-off. Director Obrecht noted that some savings are expected from fewer interim meeting days and more centrally located meeting sites (e.g., Casper) but that the proposal carries contingencies.

The council also considered a $492,000 one-time appropriation to buy an economic-modeling and predictive-analytics package to support regulatory impact analyses and complex fiscal notes, with an estimated annual maintenance fee of roughly $85,000. LSO said a county-level license (detailed local modeling) would cost more than a statewide-only license and offered a phased option (statewide initially; add county granularity later).

Members moved and seconded the FEED-bill sponsorship. During floor discussion the council approved an amendment to strike a $350,000 special-contingency line item (the amendment passed). After that amendment the council recorded a motion to sponsor the bill and the sponsorship motion carried on a roll-call vote.

LSO staff said they will continue to refine numbers and that the appropriation for the regulatory impact-analysis positions (from Senate File 127) had been biennialized to reflect ongoing workload. The council's sponsorship places the bill on the 2026 session track and opens the draft to committee drafting and amendment during session.

Ending: The FEED draft is sponsored by Management Council for 2026 with the contingency removed and with the modeling-software request and personnel increases now part of the proposed legislative branch budget.