Harris (HB 437) Act No. 419
REVENUE ESTIMATING CONFERENCE
Existing law sets forth requirements relative to the expenditure of state funds and establishes
the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) to prepare and publish initial and revised
estimates of money to be received by the state general fund and dedicated funds for the
current and next fiscal years which are available for appropriation, the most recent of which
is called the official forecast. In each estimate, the REC must designate money as recurring
or nonrecurring.
New law adds that the REC shall include a forecast of all funds as defined in Art. VII, ยง10(J)
of the Const. of La., with an estimate of money available for appropriation from each
dedicated fund. Further authorizes the REC to designate as nonrecurring, money available
for appropriation from any source defined in existing law (R.S. 39:2(27)) as nonrecurring.
(R.S. 39:24 (A))
EXECUTIVE BUDGET
Existing law requires the governor to prepare an executive budget to include
recommendations for appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds which
shall not exceed the official forecast of the REC.
New law prohibits the executive budget from including recommendations for appropriations
from any fund in excess of the official forecast of money available for appropriation from
that fund. (R.S. 39:34(A))
APPROPRIATION BILLS
Existing law requires, after submitting his executive budget, that the governor then cause to
be introduced a General Appropriation Bill (GAB) for the ordinary operating expenditures
in conformity with the budget estimate.
New law adds the prohibition that the general appropriation bill and other appropriation bills
appropriate any funds which are not part of the official REC forecast, except for financing
from prior year's fund balances of existing statutorily dedicated funds for appropriations
other than the fund's intended statutory purpose. (R.S. 39:51(A))
EXPENDITURE OF STATE FUNDS
Existing law provides that appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds
shall not exceed the official forecast.
New law specifies that unless otherwise authorized by law to avoid a projected deficit, the
amount appropriated out of any fund shall not exceed the official forecast of money available
for appropriation from that fund. New law further provides that financing for any
appropriation from statutorily dedicated funds shall be limited to the prior fiscal year fund
balance and shall not include anticipated fund balances for the ensuing fiscal year unless
otherwise provided by law. (R.S. 39:54(A))
Effective July 1, 2013.
(Amends R.S. 39:24(A), 34(A), 51(A), and 54(A))