Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HJR1001 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/15/2021

                             
 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE 
JOINT 
RESOLUTION NO. 1001 By: Fugate, Baker, Bashore, Bell, Bennett, 
Blancett, Boatman, Boles, Brewer, 
Burns, Bush, Caldwell (Chad), Caldwell 
(Trey), Conley, Cornwell, Crosswhite 
Hader, Cruz, Culver, Davis, Dempsey, 
Dills, Dobrinski, Dollens, Echols, 
Fetgatter, Ford, Frix, Gann, Goodwin, 
Grego, Hardin (David), Hardin (Tommy), 
Hasenbeck, Hilbert, Hill, Humphrey, 
Johns, Kannady, Kendrix, Kerbs, 
Lawson, Lepak, Lowe (Dick), Lowe 
(Jason), Luttrell, Manger, Marti, 
Martinez, May, McBride, McCall, 
McDugle, McEntire, Miller, Mize, 
Moore, Munson, Newton, Nichols, 
Nollan, O'Donnell, Olsen, Osburn, Pae, 
Patzkowsky, Pfeiffer, Phillips, 
Pittman, Provenzano, Randleman, 
Ranson, Roberts (Dustin), Roberts 
(Eric), Roberts (Sean), Roe, 
Rosecrants, Russ, Sims, Sm ith, Sneed, 
Stark, Steagall, Stearman, Sterling, 
Stinson, Strom, Talley, Townley, 
Turner, Vancuren, Virgin, Waldron, 
Walke, Wallace, West (Josh), West 
(Kevin), West (Rick), West (Tammy), 
Williams, Wolfley and Worthen of the 
House 
 
  and 
 
 	Montgomery of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
A Joint Resolution directing the Secretary of State 
to refer to the people for their approval or 
rejection a proposed amendment to Section 23 of 
Article X of the Constitution of the State of 
Oklahoma; modifying provisions related to maximum 
balance of the Constitutional Reserve Fund; providing 
for sources of revenue to be included or excluded 
from computation; providing ballot title; and 
directing filing.   
 
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 
1ST SESSION OF THE 58 TH OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE: 
SECTION 1.  The Secretary of State shall refer to the people for 
their approval or rejection, as and in the manner provided by law, 
the following proposed amendment to Section 23 of Article X of the 
Constitution of the State of Oklahoma to read as follows:  
Section 23.  The state shall never create or authorize the 
creation of any debt or obligation, or fund or pay any deficit, 
against the state, or any department, institution or agency thereof, 
regardless of its for m or the source of money from which it is to be 
paid, except as may be provided in this section and in Sections 24 
and 25 of Article X of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. 
To ensure a balanced annual budget, pursuant to the limitations 
contained in the foregoing, procedures are herewith established as 
follows: 
1.  Not more than forty -five (45) days or less than thirty -five 
(35) days prior to the convening of each regular session of the 
Legislature, the State Board of Equalization shall certify the total 
amount of revenue which accrued during the last preceding fiscal 
year to the General Revenue Fund and to each Special Revenue Fund 
appropriated directly by the Legislature, and shall further certify 
amounts available for appropriation which shall be based on a 
determination, in accordance with the procedure hereinafter 
provided, of the revenues to be received by the state under the laws   
 
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in effect at the time such determination is made, for the next 
ensuing fiscal year, showing separately the revenues to accrue to 
the credit of each such fund of the state appropriated directly by 
the Legislature. 
Amounts certified as available for appropriation from each fund, 
as hereinbefore provided, shall be ninety -five percent (95%) of an 
itemized estimate made by t he State Board of Equalization, which 
shall include all sources of revenue to each fund for the next 
ensuing fiscal year; provided, however, appropriated federal funds 
shall be certified for the full amount of the estimate.  Said 
estimate shall consider an y increase or decline in revenues that 
would result from predictable changes in the economy. 
Legislative appropriations for any fiscal year, except for 
special appropriations provided for in paragraph 6, 7 or 8 shall be 
limited to a sum not to exceed the t otal amount appropriated from 
all funds in the preceding fiscal year, plus twelve percent (12%), 
adjusted for inflation for the previous calendar year.  Said limit 
shall be adjusted for funds not previously appropriated.  The limit 
on the growth of appropr iations shall be certified to by the State 
Board of Equalization. 
2.  Such certification shall be filed with the Governor, the 
President and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives.  The Legislature shall not pa ss or 
enact any bill, act or measure making an appropriation of money for   
 
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any purpose until such certification is made and filed, unless the 
State Board of Equalization has failed to file said certification at 
the time of convening of said Legislature.  In such event, it shall 
be the duty of the Legislature to make such certification pursuant 
to the provisions of this section.  All appropriations made in 
excess of such certification shall be null and void; provided, 
however, that the Legislature may at any regular session or special 
session, called for that purpose, enact laws to provide for 
additional revenues or a reduction in revenues, other than ad 
valorem taxes, or transferring the existing revenues or 
unappropriated cash on hand from one fund to anothe r, or making 
provisions for appropriating funds not previously appropriated 
directly by the Legislature.  Whereupon, it shall be the duty of the 
State Board of Equalization to make a determination of the revenues 
that will accrue under such laws and ninety -five percent (95%) of 
the amount of any increase or decrease resulting, for any reason, 
from such changes in laws shall be added to or deducted from the 
amount previously certified available for appropriation from each 
respective fund, as the case may be.  The State Board of 
Equalization shall file the amount of such adjusted certification, 
or additional certification for funds not previously appropriated 
directly by the Legislature, with the Governor, with the President 
and President Pro Tempore of the Se nate, and the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and such adjusted amount shall be the   
 
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maximum amount which can be appropriated for all purposes from any 
such fund for the fiscal year being certified. 
3.  The State Board of Equalization shall meet wi thin five (5) 
days after the monthly apportionment in February of each year, and 
at that time may adjust the certification, based upon the most 
current information available, and determine the amount of funds 
available for appropriation for that legislativ e session.  At said 
meeting the Board shall determine the limit on the growth of 
appropriations as provided for in this section. 
4.  Surplus funds or monies shall be any amount accruing to the 
General Revenue Fund of the State of Oklahoma over and above th e 
itemized estimate made by the State Board of Equalization. 
5.  All such surplus funds or monies shall be placed in a 
Constitutional Reserve Fund by the State Treasurer until such time 
that the amount of said Fund equals fifteen percent (15%) of the 
General Revenue Fund certification for the preceding fiscal year 
total state expenditures for the fiscal year ending on June 30 
immediately preceding the month of the succeeding fiscal year during 
which the surplus monies are deposited into the Constitutional 
Reserve Fund, such expenditures to be computed using expenditures 
from funds from which the Legislature appropriates money, inclusive 
of all federal funds, but exclusive of monies expended from 
revolving funds, exclusive of any expenditures from a fund from 
which public monies are derived from fees or other charges not   
 
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consisting of tax revenues, and exclusive of the proceeds from any 
general obligation bond or other evidence of indebtedness issued by 
a state governmental entity and which is repaid in whole or in part 
using executive branch agency appropriations or appropriations to 
The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education .  Appropriations made 
from said Fund shall be considered special appropriations. 
6. a. Up to three-eighths (3/8) of the balance at th e 
beginning of the current fiscal year in the 
Constitutional Reserve Fund may be appropriated for 
the forthcoming fiscal year, when the certification by 
the State Board of Equalization for said forthcoming 
fiscal year General Revenue Fund is less than that of 
the current fiscal year certification.  In no event 
shall the amount of monies appropriated from the 
Constitutional Reserve Fund be in excess of the 
difference between the two said certifications. 
b. (1) In years when the provisions of subparagraph a o f 
this paragraph are not applicable and the balance 
at the beginning of the current fiscal year in 
the Constitutional Reserve Fund is equal to or 
greater than Eighty Million Dollars 
($80,000,000.00), up to Ten Million Dollars 
($10,000,000.00) may be expend ed for the purpose 
of providing incentives to support retention of   
 
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at-risk manufacturing establishments in this 
state in order to retain employment for residents 
of this state.  Such incentives shall be paid by 
the Oklahoma Tax Commission upon a unanimous 
finding by the Governor, the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore 
of the Senate that: 
(a) such incentives have been recommended by an 
independent committee created by the 
Legislature for such purposes as provided 
herein pursuant to criteria set out by law, 
(b) the incentive will result in a substantial 
benefit to this state, and 
(c) payment of the incentive would be in 
accordance with the provisions of this 
subparagraph and laws enacted to implement 
provisions of this subpar agraph. 
(2) The independent committee will be composed of not 
less than seven (7) people appointed or otherwise 
determined pursuant to laws enacted by the 
Legislature providing for membership on the 
committee.  The committee shall make 
recommendations to t he Governor, the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President   
 
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Pro Tempore of the Senate for the awarding of 
incentives.  Such recommendations shall give 
priority to establishments which: 
(a) are at greater risk of losing jobs because 
the plant is no longer competitive or 
leaving the state and thereby causing the 
loss of more employment in this state than 
other eligible recipients, and 
(b) provide the largest economic impact to the 
state. 
(3) For any fiscal year, the incentives shall not 
exceed ten percent (10%) of the amount invested 
by an establishment in capital assets to be 
utilized in this state.  Incentives may only be 
paid pursuant to an investment contract between 
the establishment and a state agency designated 
by law, which provides for a specified amount of 
investment in a capital asset to be made by the 
establishment over a period of not to exceed five 
(5) years.  No incentive payment shall be made 
prior to the actual investment by the 
establishment.  The contract shall make payment 
of any incentives in any fiscal year contingent 
on the balance at the beginning of such fiscal   
 
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year in the Constitutional Reserve Fund being 
equal to or greater than Eighty Million Dollars 
($80,000,000.00) and on the certification by the 
State Board of Equali zation for such fiscal year 
of the amount available for appropriation from 
the General Revenue Fund being greater than the 
amount certified for the preceding fiscal year.  
Investment contracts authorized by this 
subparagraph shall provide that if any incen tive 
payment is payable during a fiscal year in which 
either the balance at the beginning of the fiscal 
year in the Constitutional Reserve Fund is not 
equal to or greater than Eighty Million Dollars 
($80,000,000.00) or when the certification by the 
State Board of Equalization for such fiscal year 
General Revenue Fund is less than that of the 
immediately prior fiscal year certification, then 
any incentive payments which would have been 
payable during such fiscal year shall be payable 
in the first fiscal year when funds are available 
pursuant to the provisions of division (1) of 
this subparagraph.  In the event that the amount 
of incentives payable under investment contracts 
authorized by this subparagraph is greater than   
 
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the amounts available for payment unde r this 
subparagraph in a fiscal year, then no new 
contracts may be authorized during such year and 
incentive payments which are made shall be 
reduced pro rata as necessary to apply all 
available funds to incentive payments which are 
payable in such year. 
(4) The Legislature is authorized to enact laws 
necessary to implement the provisions of this 
section. 
7.  Up to three-eighths (3/8) of the balance at the beginning of 
the current fiscal year in the Constitutional Reserve Fund may be 
appropriated for the cu rrent fiscal year if the State Board of 
Equalization determines that a revenue failure has occurred with 
respect to the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury.  In no 
event shall the amount of monies appropriated from the 
Constitutional Reserve Fund pu rsuant to this paragraph be in excess 
of the amount of the projected revenue failure in the General 
Revenue Fund, which total amount shall be computed by the State 
Board of Equalization, for the entire fiscal year.  Monies 
appropriated to any state governm ental entity from the 
Constitutional Reserve Fund pursuant to this paragraph may only be 
made in order to ensure that the monies actually received by the 
entity for the then current fiscal year are equal to or less than,   
 
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but not in excess of, the total app ropriation amount for such entity 
in effect at the beginning of the then current fiscal year. 
8.  Up to one-quarter (1/4) of the balance at the beginning of 
the current fiscal year in the Constitutional Reserve Fund may be 
appropriated, upon a declaration by the Governor that emergency 
conditions exist, with concurrence of the Legislature by a 
two-thirds (2/3) vote of the House of Representatives and Senate for 
the appropriation; or said one -quarter (1/4) could be appropriated 
upon a joint declaration of em ergency conditions by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the 
Senate, with a concurrence of a three -fourths (3/4) vote of the 
House of Representatives and Senate. 
9.  That portion of every appropriation, at the end of each 
fiscal year, in excess of actual revenues collected and allocated 
thereto, as hereinafter provided, shall be null and void.  Revenues 
deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Revenue 
Fund or of any special fund (which derives it s revenue in whole or 
in part from state taxes or fees) shall, except as to principal and 
interest on the public debt, be allocated monthly to each 
department, institution, board, commission or special appropriation 
on a percentage basis, in that ratio tha t the total appropriation 
for such department, institution, board, commission or special 
appropriation from each fund for that fiscal year bears to the total 
of all appropriations from each fund for that fiscal year, and no   
 
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warrant shall be issued in exces s of said allocation.  Any 
department, institution or agency of the state operating on revenues 
derived from any law or laws which allocate the revenues thereof to 
such department, institution or agency shall not incur obligations 
in excess of the unencumb ered balance of cash on hand.  Nothing in 
this section shall prevent, under such conditions and limitations as 
shall be prescribed by law, the governing board of an institution of 
higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher 
Education from contracting with a president of such institution of 
higher education for periods extending more than one (1) year, but 
not to exceed three (3) years beyond the fiscal year in which the 
contract is signed. 
10.  The Legislature shall provide a method whereby 
appropriations shall be divided and set up on a monthly, quarterly 
or semiannual basis within each fiscal year to prevent obligations 
being incurred in excess of the revenue to be collected, and 
notwithstanding other provisions of this Constitution, the 
Legislature shall provide that all appropriations shall be reduced 
to bring them within revenues actually collected, but all such 
reductions shall apply to each department, institution, board, 
commission or special appropriation made by the State Legislature in 
the ratio that its total appropriation for that fiscal year bears to 
the total of all appropriations from that fund for that fiscal year; 
provided, however, that the Governor shall have discretion to issue   
 
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deficiency certificates to the State Treasurer for the benefit of 
any department, institution or agency of the state, if the amount of 
such deficiency certificates be within the limit of the current 
appropriation for that department, institution or agency, whereupon 
the State Treasurer shall issue war rants to the extent of such 
certificates for the payment of such claims as may be authorized by 
the Governor, and such warrants shall become a part of the public 
debt and shall be paid out of any money appropriated by the 
Legislature and made lawfully avai lable therefor; provided further, 
that in no event shall said deficiency certificates exceed in the 
aggregate the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) in 
any fiscal year. 
SECTION 2.  The Ballot Title for the proposed Constitut ional 
amendment as set forth in SECTION 1 of this resolution shall be in 
the following form: 
BALLOT TITLE 
Legislative Referendum No. ____ State Question No. ____ 
THE GIST OF THE PROPOSITION IS AS FOLLOWS: 
This measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution.  It amends 
Section 23 of Article 10.  The Constitutional Reserve Fund is 
also known as the Rainy Day Fund.  The Fund has a maximum 
allowed balance.  This measure changes the way the maximum 
balance amount would be computed.  Instead of using revenue 
estimates provided by the State Board of Equalization for the   
 
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annual appropriations process, the maximum balance allowed for 
the Rainy Day Fund would be based on a percentage of total state 
expenditures.  Total expenditures would include all appropriated 
monies and federal funds.  Total expenditures would exclude 
money from revolving funds which are used by state agencies.  
Total expenditures would exclude fees or similar charges that 
were not derived from tax revenue.  Total expenditures would 
exclude money obtained by issuing state government bonds. 
SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED? 
FOR THE PROPOSAL — YES _____________ 
AGAINST THE PROPOSAL — NO  _____________ 
SECTION 3.  The Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, 
immediately after the passage of this resolution, shall prepare and 
file one copy thereof, including the Ballot Title set forth in 
SECTION 2 hereof, with the Secretary of State and one copy with the 
Attorney General. 
Passed the House of Representatives the 11th day of March, 2021. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2021. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate