Bill Text: MS SB2332 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Budget cuts in the event of revenue shortfalls; include the Legislature.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-23 - Died In Committee [SB2332 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2016-SB2332-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2016 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) McDaniel

Senate Bill 2332

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-104-13 AND 27-103-103, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE THE LEGISLATURE IN THOSE STATUTES REQUIRING MANDATORY BUDGET CUTS IN THE EVENT OF REVENUE SHORTFALLS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 27-104-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     27-104-13.  (1)  The State Fiscal Officer may disapprove or reduce and revise the estimates of general funds (including the Legislature) and state-source special funds for any general fund (including the Legislature) or special fund agency and for the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, in an amount not to exceed five percent (5%), if at any time he finds that funds will not be available within the period for which the budget is drawn, or if at any time he finds that the requested expenditures, or any part thereof, are not authorized by law, and that action shall be reported to the Legislative Budget Office.  In revising the budgets of the Legislature under authority of this section the revision shall specifically include percentage reduction of the salaries, per diem reimbursement and out-of-session expense allowance of members of the Legislature.

     The State Fiscal Officer may, upon his determination of need based upon a finding that funds will not be available within the period for which the budget is drawn, transfer funds as provided in Section 27-103-203, from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund to the General Fund to supplement the general fund revenue.

     If the estimates of general funds and state-source special funds of all general fund and special fund agencies and of the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation have been reduced by five percent (5%), additional reductions may be made, but shall consist of a uniform percentage reduction of general funds and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies (including the Legislature) and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

     Any state-source special funds reduced under the provisions of this subsection (1) shall be transferred to the State General Fund upon requisitions for warrants signed by the respective agency head, and the transfer shall be made within a reasonable period to be determined by the State Fiscal Officer.

     The provisions of this subsection (1) authorizing the State Fiscal Officer to disapprove or reduce and revise the estimates of general funds and state-source special funds for the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall be suspended during the period from June 30, 2009, through June 30, 2010.

     (2)  The Department of Revenue and University Research Center, utilizing all available revenue forecast data, shall annually develop a general fund revenue estimate to be adopted by the Legislative Budget Office as of the date of sine die adjournment.  If, at the end of October, or at the end of any month thereafter of any fiscal year, the revenues received for the fiscal year fall below ninety-eight percent (98%) of the Legislative Budget Office general fund revenue estimate at the date of sine die adjournment, the State Fiscal Officer shall reduce allocations of general funds (including the Legislature) and state-source special funds to general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, in an amount necessary to keep expenditures within the sum of actual general fund receipts, including any transfers to the General Fund from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund for the fiscal year.

     The State Fiscal Officer may, upon his determination of need based on the revenue shortfall, transfer funds as provided in Section 27-103-203 from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund to the General Fund to supplement the general fund revenue.  State-source special funds in an amount equal to any reduction made under the provisions of this subsection (2) shall be transferred to the State General Fund upon requisitions for warrants signed by the respective agency head, and the transfer shall be made within a reasonable period to be determined by the State Fiscal Officer.

     No agency's allocation shall be reduced in an amount to exceed five percent (5%); however, if the allocations of general funds and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation have been reduced by five percent (5%), any additional reductions required to be made under this subsection (2) shall consist of a uniform percentage reduction of general funds (including the Legislature) and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.  Any receipt from loans authorized by Sections 31-17-101 through 31-17-123 shall not be included as revenue receipts.

     The State Fiscal Officer shall immediately send notice of any action taken under authority of this subsection (2) to the Legislative Budget Office.

     The provisions of this subsection (2) requiring the State Fiscal Officer to reduce allocations of general funds and state-source special funds to general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall be suspended during the period from June 30, 2009, through June 30, 2010.

     (3)  For the purpose of this section, the term "state-source special funds" means any special funds in any agency derived from any source, but shall not include the following special funds:  special funds derived from federal sources, from local or regional political subdivisions, from agricultural commodity assessments, or from donations; special funds derived from additional fees paid for the issuance of distinctive motor vehicle license tags or plates authorized under the provisions of Chapter 19, Title 27, Mississippi Code of 1972; special funds held in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of specific persons or classes of persons; special funds of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board that are paid to the board by the veteran residents of state veterans homes to fund their monthly expenses at the state veterans homes; self-generated special funds of the state institutions of higher learning or the state community or junior colleges; special funds of Mississippi Industries for the Blind, the State Port at Gulfport, Yellow Creek Inland Port, Pat Harrison Waterway District, Pearl River Basin Development District, Pearl River Valley Water Management District, Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District, Yellow Creek Watershed Authority, or Coast Coliseum Commission; special funds of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the Department of Marine Resources derived from the issuance of hunting or fishing licenses; and special funds generated by agencies whose primary function includes the establishment of standards and the issuance of licenses for the practice of a profession within the State of Mississippi.

     SECTION 2.  Section 27-103-103, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     27-103-103.  (1)  For the purpose of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 * * *and 27‑104‑1 through 27‑104‑27, the term "state general-fund agency" or "general-fund agency" shall mean any agency, department, institution, board or commission of the State of Mississippi which is supported in whole or in part by appropriations from the General Fund; but such term shall not include the Legislature.  Provided that the budget of the Legislature shall be included in the provisions of Section 27-104-13 relating to revision of budget estimates in the event of revenue shortfalls.

     (2)  For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "state special-fund agency" or "special-fund agency" shall mean any agency, department, institution, board or commission of the State of Mississippi which receives no appropriation from the General Fund, but which is supported entirely from special-fund sources, by appropriation, or otherwise, but such term shall not include the State Highway Department; nor shall such term include the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

     (3)  For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "state agency" shall mean any general-fund agency or special-fund agency as defined in this section, or the State Highway Department, or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the State Highway Department as is evident from the context wherein it is used.

     (4)  For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "special funds" shall mean all revenues and/or income other than appropriations from the State General Fund which are received, collected by, or available for the support of or expenditure by any state general-fund agency or special-fund agency or the State Highway Department or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the State Highway Department, whether such funds be derived from taxes or fees collected by or for such general-fund agency or special-fund agency or the State Highway Department or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the State Highway Department, as the case may be, or from any other types of revenue from any other source.

     (5)  For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "special funds" shall include revolving funds and all funds received from the United States Government by any state general-fund agency or special-fund agency, but shall not include any revolving fund established prior to July 1, 1984, for the purpose of paying or retiring any indebtedness as is authorized by statute.

     SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.


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