MADISON - Today, Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Mike Huebsch submitted for approval the lapse allocation budget for fiscal year 2012 to the Joint Committee on Finance. Previously, the Governor directed DOA to give specific exemptions for high-priority programs, including school aids, higher educational financial aid, technical college aid, certain correctional programs and other institutions that operate 24/7, Medical Assistance and direct care programs within the Department of Health Services, child welfare programs within the Department of Children and Families and certain appropriations for the District Attorneys and State Public Defender.

"Each agency has made tough decisions and I thank them for their hard work to meet their lapse allocation requirement," said Secretary Huebsch. "These lapses present challenges and opportunities for every agency. Under Governor Walker's leadership, we took on those challenges to lay the groundwork for a sound fiscal future for our state."

Over the past week, Governor Scott Walker directed DOA to protect funding for various other priority services originally targeted by the lapse requirement, including funds for sexual assault victims services, child pornography and child abuse prevention, workforce development training and animal health inspections, among others.

Today, DOA's plan also showed that the Medical College of Wisconsin would be exempt from a discretionary lapse. Aid to county and district fairs was also exempted from a lapse. The Department of Military Affairs would also be exempt from lapses that would decrease grants for hazardous materials to local communities and fire departments.

In the state budget enacted in Act 32, state Agencies are required to lapse $174.3 million over the biennium, with $123.2 million of that occurring during FY2012, in order to achieve a positive balance at the end of the fiscal year. The lapse allocation budget must be approved by the Joint Committee on Finance.

"I look forward to working with the Joint Committee on Finance, as well as the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, as they work to approve the lapse budget," added Secretary Huebsch.

All agencies were directed to meet their lapse requirement without layoffs, if possible. Unlike practices prior to the Walker Administration, lapses were not taken from segregated funds or funds without a positive cash balance.