Georgia Revenue Primer for State Fiscal Year 2022
Introduction
Georgia plans to spend $27.3 billion in state money raised through taxes and fees for the 2022 fiscal year. The budget maintains nearly $850 million in cuts from FY 2020 levels, a reduction equivalent to cutting approximately 4 percent of General Funds from the budget.
Although lawmakers restored about half of the previous year’s cuts to K-12 education, public schools remain underfunded by $416 million compared to pre-pandemic levels. The budget also maintains $145 million in cuts to higher education, $44 million in cuts to health services and programs and continued cuts to the Departments of Human Services and Labor and other critical agencies. Some federal funding provided under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was sent directly to agencies; however, these dollars are meant to address additional needs due to COVID-19, not help fund the basic services agencies provide.
Overview: 2022 Fiscal Year Budget for the Department of Public Health
Gov. Brian Kemp proposed a 2022 budget of $269.8 million in state general funds for the Department of Public Health (DPH). The agency is also set to receive $13.7 million from a tobacco industry legal settlement and $1.4 million from the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund. In addition to these state funds, the proposed budget includes $396 million in federal funds. About 57 percent of the agency’s total budget comes from the federal government through programs such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant (TANF).