2013 BUDGET ACT.

Printer-friendly: Click to view
View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
House Bill 329 (Public) Filed Monday, March 18, 2013
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO RESTRUCTURE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET PROCESS SO AS TO ASSURE MORE STABLE BUDGETING BY REQUIRING THAT THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR'S COLLECTIONS BE USED AS THE AVAILABILITY ESTIMATE OF THE GENERAL FUND.
Intro. by Stam, Collins, S. Ross, Wells.

Status: Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Finance (House Action) (Jun 18 2013)
H 329

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Mar 18 2013 - View Summary

    Enacts new GS 143C-3-6 to restructure the General Fund budget process as the title indicates. Requires that the General Fund availability is to be calculatedbased on the provisions of proposedsubsections (b), (c), and (d) or subsection (e) of thisproposed statute. Providesthat the term Recommended Continuation Budget refers to the part of the Recommended State Budget (1) prepared by the Governor and (2) balanced using the General Fund availability ascalculated under the aforementioned subsections.

    Provides in subsection (b) that in odd-numbered years, for the first yearof the upcoming fiscal biennium,the Governor is to use the amount of total state funds actually received by the General Fund in the prior fiscal year that ended June 30, with the specified changes andadjustments to the availability estimate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Gross Domestic Price deflator (GDP), whichever is lower, as the availability estimate for the General Fund.

    Provides in subsection (c) the formula and factors to be considered for the calculation of the General Fund availability estimate in odd-numbered years in preparation of the Recommended Continuation Budget for year two of the fiscal biennium.

    Provides in subsection (d) that in even-numbered years, in preparing recommended changes to the enacted budget for the second year of the fiscal biennium, theGovernor is to calculate the General Fund availability for the budget year in the same manner as in subsection (b).

    Subsection (e) provides that if there is a revenue shortfall in the prior fiscal year ending on June 30, instead of determining the General Fund availability for the Recommended Continuation Budgetunder subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section, General Fund availability is to be determined using a consensus revenue estimate as authorized by new subsection (e1) under GS 143C-3-5.

    Prohibits the Governor from adjusting the General Fund availability for reasons as specified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (f) of this section but permits the Governor to prepare a Recommended Supplemental Budget that includes these factors. Provides that a Recommended Supplemental Budget is a part of the Recommended State Budget as described in GS 143C-3-5(b)(1), as amended by this act. Authorizes the Governor to present the Recommended Supplemental Budget to the General Assembly only after having presented a Recommended Continuation Budget to the General Assembly.

    Makes conforming changes to GS 143C-3-5. Also requires that the Budget Support Document must include as continuation requirements the amounts that the Governor proposes to fund for the enrollment increases in public schools, community colleges, and all statutory appropriations (was, statutory appropriations). Provides that the Governor and the General Assembly may request an independent consensus revenue estimate.

    Amends GS 143C-5-2 regarding the order of appropriation bills. Requires the General Assembly to enact a Current Operations Appropriations Act that includes a continuation budget in which the General Fund appropriations are not more than the General Fund availability estimate as calculated under new GS 143C-3-6(b), (c), and (d) or (e) before placing any other appropriations bill on the calendar for second reading (was, directed each chamber to pass its version of Current Operations Appropriations Act on third reading and order it sent to the other chamber before placing any other appropriations bill on the calendar for second reading). Provides that this section is to be considered as a rule of procedure in the Senate and the House of Representatives, unless otherwise provided by a rule of either chamber.

    Effective when the act becomes law and applies to the 2015-16 fiscal year, the recommended State Budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, and each subsequent Recommended State Budget and fiscal year.