PRINTER'S NO. 43
No. 70 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY EVANS, DeWEESE, ITKIN, M. COHEN, COY, VEON,
BELARDI, McCALL, TANGRETTI, STETLER, WOZNIAK, LaGROTTA,
JOSEPHS, COLAIZZO, LLOYD, SCRIMENTI, MUNDY, CAPPABIANCA,
COWELL, GORDNER, TIGUE, BUXTON, VAN HORNE, COLAFELLA,
JAROLIN, BEBKO-JONES, TRICH, GIGLIOTTI, HERMAN, SANTONI,
TRELLO, GEORGE, STABACK, ROONEY, LUCYK, STURLA, CAWLEY,
KUKOVICH, HALUSKA, PESCI, SURRA, MANDERINO, STEELMAN, DeLUCA,
ROBINSON, LAUGHLIN AND GRUITZA, JANUARY 19, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, JANUARY 19, 1995
AN ACT
1 Providing deadlines for budgetary actions by the General
2 Assembly; and imposing certain sanctions.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Budget Reform
7 Act.
8 Section 2. Legislative intent.
9 It is the intent of the General Assembly that this act
10 promote the timely passage of the annual State budget and
11 broaden the opportunities for participation in the budget
12 process by all members of the General Assembly.
13 Section 3. Definitions.
14 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
15 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
1 context clearly indicates otherwise:
2 "Balanced budget." A budget that sets forth in detail:
3 (1) The amounts to be appropriated to the General
4 Assembly, the Judicial Department, the Governor and the
5 several administrative departments, boards and commissions of
6 the State government, and to institutions within this
7 Commonwealth, and for all public purposes, classified by
8 department or agency and by program, including those
9 institutions covered under section 30 of Article III of the
10 Constitution of Pennsylvania. Total appropriations, including
11 executive authorizations, from any fund shall not exceed the
12 estimated revenues or receipts from that fund as defined in
13 paragraph (2).
14 (2) The total estimated revenues or receipts available
15 from all current and proposed sources for Federal
16 appropriations, including executive authorizations, from the
17 General Fund, for State appropriations, including executive
18 authorizations, from the General Fund and for appropriations,
19 including executive authorizations, made by the General
20 Assembly from any other funds.
21 Section 4. Required budget introduction.
22 No later than the third week of May, the Majority Leader and
23 the Minority Leader of the Senate or the majority chair or
24 minority chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and
25 the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the House of
26 Representatives or the majority chair or minority chair of the
27 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives shall
28 introduce, jointly or separately, a balanced budget along with
29 any legislation concerning proposals for new revenues and
30 receipts included in the total estimated revenues or receipts.
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1 Section 5. Initial passage of proposed budget.
2 No later than June 7, the Senate and the House of
3 Representatives shall each be required to pass a balanced budget
4 along with any legislation concerning proposals for new revenues
5 and receipts included in the total estimated revenues or
6 receipts.
7 Section 6. Budgetary limitation on conference committees.
8 (a) Meeting.--No committee of conference on the budget for
9 the ensuing fiscal year can meet until both chambers have passed
10 a balanced budget bill along with any legislation concerning
11 proposals for new revenues and receipts as required under
12 section 5.
13 (b) Budget report.--The report of the Committee of
14 Conference on the budget for the ensuing fiscal year may not be
15 brought to a final vote in either chamber until 24 hours after
16 the report has been signed.
17 (c) Revenue report.--The report of the Committee of
18 Conference on any revenue-raising bill may not be brought to a
19 final vote in either chamber until 24 hours after the report has
20 been signed.
21 Section 7. Final passage and certification.
22 No later than June 30, the General Assembly shall finally
23 pass a balanced budget and all legislation necessary for the
24 implementation of the budget. The Majority Leader and the
25 Minority Leader of the Senate and the Majority Leader and the
26 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall certify to
27 the President pro tempore of the Senate and to the Speaker of
28 the House of Representatives that legislative authorization has
29 passed for the expenditure of all funds appropriated in the
30 passed budget.
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1 Section 8. Sanctions.
2 (a) Failure to comply with section 4.--In the event that the
3 presiding officer of either chamber has determined that the
4 Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the Senate or the
5 Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the House of
6 Representatives by the third week of May has not complied with
7 the requirements of section 4, then the operating accounts of
8 that leader's caucus of the General Assembly shall be suspended
9 so that no moneys can be expended from such operating accounts
10 until the requirements of section 4 are met without regard to
11 date.
12 (b) Failure to comply with section 5.--In the event that the
13 presiding officer of either chamber has determined that the
14 Senate or the House of Representatives by June 7 has not
15 complied with the requirements of section 5, then the operating
16 accounts of that chamber shall be suspended so that no moneys
17 can be expended from such operating accounts until the
18 requirements of section 5 are met without regard to date.
19 (c) Failure to comply with section 7.--In the event that a
20 balanced budget is not passed and the certification required
21 under section 7 is not made by June 30, the operating accounts
22 of the General Assembly shall be suspended so that no moneys can
23 be expended from such accounts until such requirements have been
24 met without regard to date.
25 (d) Definition.--As used in this section, the term
26 "operating account" means any account or portion of an account
27 used for, but not limited to, expenditures for any and all
28 personnel costs for elected members or employees, operating
29 expenses and the purchase of fixed assets.
30 Section 9. Rules and procedures.
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1 Each chamber of the General Assembly shall adopt rules and
2 procedures necessary to implement this legislation.
3 Section 10. Effective date.
4 This act shall take effect immediately.
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