PRINTER'S NO. 170
No. 156 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY FARGO, TRELLO, WILSON, BIRMELIN, MERRY, DISTLER,
HERMAN, REINARD, HALUSKA, BOOK, GREENWOOD, J. L. WRIGHT,
BURNS, ARGALL, PERZEL, POTT, JOHNSON, GODSHALL, LASHINGER,
PUNT, LANGTRY, CORNELL AND MICOZZIE, FEBRUARY 4, 1985
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, FEBRUARY 4, 1985
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," providing for the creation,
21 operation and administration of a Budget Reserve Account.
22 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
23 hereby enacts as follows:
24 Section 1. Sections 613(1) and 619(a) of the act of April 9,
25 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of
26 1929, added September 27, 1978 (P.L.775, No.149), are amended to
1 read:
2 Section 613. Submission of Budget to General Assembly.--As
3 soon as possible after the organization of the General Assembly,
4 but not later than the first full week in February of each year,
5 except in the case where a Governor has been elected for his
6 first term of office and then no later than the first full week
7 in March, the Governor shall submit to the General Assembly
8 copies of agency budget requests and a State budget and program
9 and financial plan embracing:
10 (1) A balanced operating budget for the ensuing fiscal year
11 setting forth in detail:
12 (i) The amounts recommended by him to be appropriated to the
13 General Assembly, the Judicial Department, the Governor, and the
14 several administrative departments, boards, and commissions of
15 the State Government, and to institutions within the State, and
16 for all public purposes, classified by department or agency and
17 by program.
18 (ii) The estimated revenues or receipts from any and all
19 sources, and an estimated amount to be raised by taxation or
20 otherwise, including proposals for new revenues and receipts.
21 (iii) The estimated unencumbered funds remaining at the end
22 of the current fiscal year which are to be deposited into the
23 Budget Reserve Account.
24 * * *
25 Section 619. Transmission of Budget Information to the
26 General Assembly.--(a) In December of each year, the Governor
27 shall meet with the Majority and Minority Chairmen of the
28 Appropriations Committees and the officers of the General
29 Assembly to brief the legislative leadership on the issues he
30 can foresee as being imminent in the budget for the next fiscal
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1 year and exchange views with them on issues on the budget before
2 it is formally submitted to the General Assembly. The Governor's
3 briefing shall include:
4 (1) Major anticipated increases or decreases in programs.
5 (2) The results or anticipated results of employee union
6 negotiations for salaries, wages and other benefits.
7 (3) The statistics involved in preliminary forecasts of the
8 major programs mandated by statute such as education subsidies,
9 all public assistance programs, debt service and forecasts of
10 revenue.
11 (4) The amount of the Budget Reserve Account at the end of
12 the preceding fiscal year.
13 (5) Other appropriate budget information.
14 The legislative officers shall also inform the Governor of
15 financial matters which should be considered in the budget.
16 * * *
17 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
18 Section 622. Budget Reserve Account.--(a) There is
19 established within the General Fund a restricted account to be
20 known as the Budget Reserve Account. The funds for the Budget
21 Reserve Account shall come from the estimated General Fund
22 surplus existing at the end of each fiscal year after deducting
23 tax anticipation notes or bonds, estimated and actual
24 encumbrances and estimated and actual continuing appropriation
25 amounts necessary for the current fiscal year. In no
26 circumstances shall the amount to be deposited in the Budget
27 Reserve Account exceed five percentum (5%) of the total revenues
28 raised for the General Fund.
29 (b) Any or all of the funds in the Budget Reserve Account
30 may be appropriated from time to time by the General Assembly in
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1 the event of emergencies involving the health, safety or welfare
2 of the citizens of Pennsylvania. Any appropriation from the
3 Budget Reserve Account shall require approval by a vote of two-
4 thirds of the members elected to each house of the General
5 Assembly.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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