House Bill hb0027C

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

        By Representative Lacasa






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to transfers to the General

  3         Revenue Fund from other funds; amending s.

  4         216.222, F.S.; authorizing the Comptroller to

  5         use funds of the Budget Stabilization Fund to

  6         offset a projected deficit in the General

  7         Revenue Fund; providing conditions and

  8         requirements for such transfer of funds;

  9         providing for repayment of the amount

10         transferred; authorizing use of the Budget

11         Stabilization Fund to provide temporary loans

12         to the General Revenue Fund; amending s.

13         215.32, F.S.; authorizing use of the Working

14         Capital Fund to provide temporary loans to the

15         General Revenue Fund; amending s. 215.18, F.S.;

16         authorizing use of the Budget Stabilization

17         Fund and the Working Capital Fund as sources

18         for loans to the General Revenue Fund;

19         providing conditions and requirements for such

20         loans; providing an effective date.

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22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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24         Section 1.  Section 216.222, Florida Statutes, is

25  amended to read:

26         216.222  Budget Stabilization Fund; criteria for

27  withdrawing moneys.--Moneys in the Budget Stabilization Fund

28  may be transferred to the General Revenue Fund for:

29         (1)(a)  Offsetting a deficit in the General Revenue

30  Fund. A deficit is deemed to occur when the official estimate

31  of funds available in the General Revenue Fund for a fiscal

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

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  1  year falls below the total amount appropriated from the

  2  General Revenue Fund for that fiscal year. Such a transfer

  3  must be made pursuant to s. 216.221, or pursuant to an

  4  appropriation by law.

  5         (b)  If, after consultation with the Revenue Estimating

  6  Conference, the Comptroller believes that a deficit will occur

  7  in the General Revenue Fund and there are fewer than 30 days

  8  left in the fiscal year, the Legislature is not in session,

  9  and neither the Legislature nor the Legislative Budget

10  Commission is scheduled to meet before the end of the fiscal

11  year, the Comptroller may withdraw funds from the Budget

12  Stabilization Fund to offset the projected deficit in the

13  General Revenue Fund.  The Comptroller shall consult with the

14  Governor and the chair and vice chair of the Legislative

15  Budget Commission before any funds may be withdrawn from the

16  Budget Stabilization Fund.  At the beginning of the next

17  fiscal year, the Comptroller shall immediately repay the

18  Budget Stabilization Fund for the withdrawn amount as soon as

19  feasible from the General Revenue Fund balance carried forward

20  from the just completed fiscal year.  If the General Revenue

21  Fund balance carried forward is not sufficient to repay the

22  Budget Stabilization Fund, the repayment of the withdrawn

23  funds shall be as provided in s. 215.32(2)(c)3.

24         (2)  Providing funding for an emergency as defined in

25  s. 252.34. The emergency must have been declared by the

26  Governor pursuant to s. 252.36, or declared by law. Such a

27  transfer must be made pursuant to s. 252.37, subject to the

28  conditions in that section, or pursuant to an appropriation by

29  law.

30         (3)  Providing temporary loans to the General Revenue

31  Fund pursuant to s. 215.18.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

    574-187-01C






  1         Section 2.  Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (2) of

  2  section 215.32, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

  3         215.32  State funds; segregation.--

  4         (2)  The source and use of each of these funds shall be

  5  as follows:

  6         (c)1.  The Budget Stabilization Fund shall consist of

  7  amounts equal to at least 5 percent of net revenue collections

  8  for the General Revenue Fund during the last completed fiscal

  9  year. The Budget Stabilization Fund's principal balance shall

10  not exceed an amount equal to 10 percent of the last completed

11  fiscal year's net revenue collections for the General Revenue

12  Fund. As used in this paragraph, the term "last completed

13  fiscal year" means the most recently completed fiscal year

14  prior to the regular legislative session at which the

15  Legislature considers the General Appropriations Act for the

16  year in which the transfer to the Budget Stabilization Fund

17  must be made under this paragraph.

18         2.  By September 15 of each year, the Governor shall

19  authorize the Comptroller to transfer, and the Comptroller

20  shall transfer pursuant to appropriations made by law, to the

21  Budget Stabilization Fund the amount of money needed for the

22  balance of that fund to equal the amount specified in

23  subparagraph 1., less any amounts expended and not restored.

24  The moneys needed for this transfer may be appropriated by the

25  Legislature from any funds.

26         3.  Unless otherwise provided in this subparagraph, an

27  expenditure from the Budget Stabilization Fund must be

28  restored pursuant to a restoration schedule that provides for

29  making five equal annual transfers from the General Revenue

30  Fund, beginning in the fiscal year following that in which the

31  expenditure was made. For any Budget Stabilization Fund

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

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  1  expenditure, the Legislature may establish by law a different

  2  restoration schedule and such change may be made at any time

  3  during the restoration period. Moneys are hereby appropriated

  4  for transfers pursuant to this subparagraph.

  5         4.  The Budget Stabilization Fund and the Working

  6  Capital Fund may be used as a revolving fund funds for

  7  transfers as provided in s. 18.125; however, any interest

  8  earned must be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.

  9         5.  The Comptroller and the Department of Management

10  Services shall transfer funds to water management districts to

11  pay eligible water management district employees for all

12  benefits due under s. 373.6065, as long as funds remain

13  available for the program described under s. 100.152.

14         (d)1.  The Working Capital Fund shall consist of moneys

15  in the General Revenue Fund which are in excess of the amount

16  needed to meet General Revenue Fund appropriations for the

17  current fiscal year. Each year, no later than the publishing

18  date of the annual financial statements for the state by the

19  Comptroller under s. 216.102, funds shall be transferred

20  between the Working Capital Fund and the General Revenue Fund

21  to establish the balance of the Working Capital Fund for that

22  fiscal year at the amount determined pursuant to this

23  paragraph.

24         2.  The Working Capital Fund may be used as a revolving

25  fund for transfers as provided in s. 18.125; however, any

26  interest earned must be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.

27  The Working Capital Fund may also be used to provide temporary

28  loans to the General Revenue Fund pursuant to s. 215.18.

29         Section 3.  Section 215.18, Florida Statutes, is

30  amended to read:

31         215.18  Transfers between funds; limitation.--

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

    574-187-01C






  1         (1)  Whenever there exists in any fund provided for by

  2  s. 215.32 a deficiency which would render such fund

  3  insufficient to meet its just requirements, and there shall

  4  exist in the other funds in the State Treasury moneys which

  5  are for the time being or otherwise in excess of the amounts

  6  necessary to meet the just requirements of such last-mentioned

  7  funds, the Governor may order a temporary transfer of moneys

  8  from one fund to another in order to meet temporary

  9  deficiencies in a particular fund without resorting to the

10  necessity of borrowing money and paying interest thereon.

11  Except as otherwise provided in s. 216.222(1)(b), the fund

12  from which any money is temporarily transferred shall be

13  repaid the amount transferred from it not later than the end

14  of the fiscal year in which such transfer is made, the date of

15  repayment to be specified in the order of the Governor.

16         (2)  The Budget Stabilization Fund and the Working

17  Capital Fund may be used as sources for loans to the General

18  Revenue Fund.  The Comptroller may request loan authority,

19  pursuant to the notice and review procedures in s. 216.177(2),

20  for the unencumbered funds available in the Budget

21  Stabilization Fund and the Working Capital Fund as shown on

22  the most recent financial outlook statement.

23         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

24  law.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 27-C

    574-187-01C






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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Authorizes the Comptroller to use funds of the Budget
  4    Stabilization Fund to offset a projected deficit in the
      General Revenue Fund and provides conditions and
  5    requirements for such transfer of funds and for repayment
      of the amount transferred.  Authorizes use of the Budget
  6    Stabilization Fund and the Working Capital Fund as
      sources for loans to the General Revenue Fund and
  7    provides conditions and requirements for such loans.

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