HF 2020 (LSB 5219YH (2) 90)

HOUSE FILE 2020

BY  WILLS

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for standing appropriations for the annual operations of state government, and including effective date and applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  8.37  Annual appropriations for operations of state government.
   1.  If the general assembly adjourns a regular session without the passage of any Act containing annual appropriations for the operations of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of the calendar year in which the regular session occurs, all of the following apply:
   a.  (1)  For all line item appropriations, standing limited appropriations, and standing unlimited appropriations otherwise limited by law, including appropriations from federal and nonstate funds, made for the prior fiscal year, the department of management, in consultation with the legislative services agency, shall determine the amount of the appropriations by taking into consideration all of the following:
   (a)  All Iowa Acts appropriating moneys for the prior fiscal year.
   (b)  All interdepartmental and intradepartmental transfers made pursuant to section 8.39 and other provisions of law for the prior fiscal year.
   (c)  Any other provisions of law affecting appropriations for the prior fiscal year.
   (2)  The department of management, in consultation with the legislative services agency, shall also identify the entities to which such appropriations were made, or the entities’ successors.
   b.  There is appropriated from the appropriate state fund or account to the entities identified pursuant to paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2), for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of the calendar year in which the regular session occurs, amounts, or so much thereof as is necessary, equal to the amounts of the appropriations made for the prior fiscal year, as determined pursuant to paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1), each reduced by one-half of one percent.
   2.  Appropriations made pursuant to subsection 1 shall not include any of the following from the prior fiscal year, as determined by the department of management, in consultation with the legislative services agency:
   a.  Transfers of moneys.
   b.  Appropriations for capital or infrastructure projects that do not require another appropriation.
   c.  Appropriations for pilot projects or other temporary measures that do not require another appropriation.
   3.  If appropriations made from the general fund of the state pursuant to subsection 1 would not comply with the general fund expenditure limitation under section 8.54, the department of management, in consultation with the legislative services agency, shall further reduce appropriations made from the general fund of the state pursuant to subsection 1, each by the same percentage, such that appropriations made from the general fund of the state pursuant to subsection 1 comply with the general fund expenditure limitation under section 8.54.
    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
    Sec. 3.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2024.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   If the general assembly adjourns a regular session without the passage of any Act containing annual appropriations for the operations of state government for the upcoming fiscal year, this bill appropriates moneys for the operations of state government for that fiscal year based on the appropriations for the prior fiscal year, reduced by 0.5 percent.
   In order to accurately make the appropriations under the bill, the bill requires the department of management, in consultation with the legislative services agency, to identify for the prior fiscal year (1) the amounts appropriated, (2) the entities that received the appropriations, and (3) any appropriations, such as those for infrastructure projects or pilot projects, which would not require another appropriation.
   If necessary, any general fund appropriations are further reduced by an equal percentage in order to comply with the state general fund expenditure limitation (Code section 8.54).
   The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2024.