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2d ago

Illinois Lists $481.6 Million in FY26 Budget Reserves After Agency Review

The move follows a September directive instructing departments to set aside up to 4% to hedge against federal policy shifts.

Deputy Gov. Grace Hou, left, and Gov. JB Pritzker participate in a roundtable discussion on Jan. 20, 2026, with Illinoisans, including Daphne Williams and Maritza Patricio-Guzmán, on the impact of funding cuts during the first year of Trump’s second presidential term. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget released a reserves list totaling $481.6 million for fiscal 2026 across multiple areas of state government.
  • Health care and human services account for $361.5 million of the reserves, with additional amounts in government services, higher education, public safety, and economic development, environment and culture.
  • The administration will forgo a $200 million transfer to the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund based on projections that the fund can finish the year without it.
  • Officials do not plan to release $29.5 million in higher education money that had been held in reserve under the enacted budget’s contingency authority.
  • Savings stem from operational measures such as limiting overtime and travel, leaving vacancies unfilled, lower caseloads, and about $50 million from group health insurance, with pensions and K–12 left untouched; Republican legislators criticized transparency and cited a denied FOIA request.