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HR 81 - State budget; limit growth; excess revenue uses - CA

Irvin, Robert A (45th)	Pinholster, Garland (15th)	Ehrhart, Earl (36th)
Evans, Mike A (28th)	Mueller, Anne O'Quin (152nd)	Stancil, Steve (16th)

Status Summary	HC:	App	SC:		FR:	01/26/99	LA:	01/27/99	H - Read 2nd Time

First Reader Summary

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to limit the rate of growth in the state budget and provide for the deposit of certain excess revenue in an emergency account and for tax refunds of the remainder; and for other purposes.

HR 81                                              LC 11 9640 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                             A RESOLUTION 
 
  1- 1  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to limit 
  1- 2  the rate of growth in the state budget and provide for the 
  1- 3  deposit of certain excess revenue in an emergency account 
  1- 4  and for tax refunds of the remainder; to provide for the 
  1- 5  submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; 
  1- 6  and for other purposes. 
 
  1- 7       BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1- 8                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1- 9  Article III, Section IX, Paragraph IV of the Constitution is 
  1-10  amended by adding at the end a new subparagraph to read as 
  1-11  follows: 
 
  1-12      "(e)(1) The General Assembly shall not appropriate funds 
  1-13      for any given fiscal year which, in the aggregate, 
  1-14      exceed the aggregate amount appropriated for the 
  1-15      immediately preceding fiscal year plus a percentage 
  1-16      increase in such appropriation over the appropriation 
  1-17      for the immediately preceding fiscal year which does not 
  1-18      exceed the percentage increase in gross state product 
  1-19      for the most recently available year over the gross 
  1-20      state product for the immediately preceding year, as 
  1-21      such gross state product is computed by the United 
  1-22      States Department of Commerce or its successor agency 
  1-23      or, if such product is no longer computed by any federal 
  1-24      agency, as specified by general law.  Should the gross 
  1-25      state product decline, this subparagraph shall not 
  1-26      require aggregate appropriated funds to be cut.  The 
  1-27      General Assembly may exceed the limitation of this 
  1-28      subparagraph if the Act appropriating such funds is 
  1-29      approved by a two-thirds' vote of both houses of the 
  1-30      General Assembly. 
 
  1-31        (2) Except for moneys refunded in accordance with 
  1-32      subparagraph (e)(3) of this Paragraph IX, any excess of 
  1-33      state revenues over expenditures at the end of a fiscal 
  1-34      year shall be transferred to a State Reserve Account. 
  1-35      Moneys transferred to the State Reserve Account shall 
  1-36      not exceed 8 percent of the current fiscal year's 
 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1      expenditures.  Appropriation from the State Reserve 
  2- 2      Account may be made only upon the exhaustion of all 
  2- 3      other available funds, including federal emergency 
  2- 4      funds, upon the declaration of an emergency by the 
  2- 5      Governor and upon a two-thirds' vote of all members 
  2- 6      elected to each House of the General Assembly concurring 
  2- 7      therein.  For purposes of such appropriation, 
  2- 8      'emergency' means an extraordinary event or occurrence 
  2- 9      which could not have been reasonably foreseen or 
  2-10      prevented and which requires immediate expenditure to 
  2-11      preserve the health and safety of the people.  Income 
  2-12      earned to the State Reserve Account shall accrue to the 
  2-13      State Reserve Account. 
 
  2-14        (3) For any fiscal year, the excess of revenues over 
  2-15      expenditures, except for revenues transferred to the 
  2-16      State Reserve Account, shall be refunded pro rata on the 
  2-17      annual income tax returns." 
 
  2-18                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2-19  The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be 
  2-20  published and submitted as provided in Article X, Section I, 
  2-21  Paragraph II of the Constitution. 
 
  2-22  The ballot submitting the above proposed amendment shall 
  2-23  have written or printed thereon the following: 
 
  2-24    "(  ) YES Shall the Constitution be amended so as to 
  2-25              limit the rate of growth in the state budget 
  2-26     (  ) NO  and provide for the deposit of certain excess 
  2-27              revenue in an emergency account and for tax 
  2-28              refunds of the remainder?" 
 
  2-29  All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the 
  2-30  proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."  All persons desiring 
  2-31  to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote 
  2-32  "No." 
 
  2-33  If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said 
  2-34  Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the 
  2-35  Constitution of this state. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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