SF 1276

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public finance; making technical changes 
  1.3             to finance provisions and budget and forecast 
  1.4             procedures; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 
  1.5             3.3005, subdivision 2, and by adding a subdivision; 
  1.6             3.98, subdivision 2; 16A.10, subdivision 2; 16A.103, 
  1.7             subdivisions 1 and 1a; and 16A.152, subdivision 7. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.3005, 
  1.10  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 2.  [GOVERNOR'S REQUEST TO LEGISLATURE.] A state 
  1.12  agency shall not expend money received by it under federal law 
  1.13  for any purpose unless a request to spend federal money from 
  1.14  that source for that purpose in that fiscal year has been 
  1.15  submitted by the governor to the legislature as a part of a 
  1.16  budget request submitted during or within ten days before the 
  1.17  start of a regular legislative session, or unless specifically 
  1.18  authorized by law or as provided by this section.  A budget 
  1.19  request submitted to the legislature according to this 
  1.20  subdivision must be submitted at least 20 days before the 
  1.21  deadline set by the legislature for legislative budget 
  1.22  committees to act on finance bills.  
  1.23     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.3005, is 
  1.24  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.25     Subd. 3b.  [INCREASE IN AMOUNT.] If a request to spend 
  1.26  federal money is included in a governor's budget request and 
  2.1   approved according to subdivisions 2 and 2a or subdivision 5 and 
  2.2   the amount of money available increases after the request is 
  2.3   made and authorized, the additional amount may be allotted for 
  2.4   expenditure after a revised request is submitted according to 
  2.5   subdivision 2, or the requirements of subdivision 5 are met. 
  2.6      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.98, subdivision 
  2.7   2, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [CONTENTS.] (a) The fiscal note, where possible, 
  2.9   shall: 
  2.10     (1) cite the effect in dollar amounts; 
  2.11     (2) cite the statutory provisions affected; 
  2.12     (3) estimate the increase or decrease in revenues or 
  2.13  expenditures; 
  2.14     (4) include the costs which may be absorbed without 
  2.15  additional funds; and 
  2.16     (5) include the assumptions used in determining the cost 
  2.17  estimates; and 
  2.18     (6) specify any long-range implication. 
  2.19     (b) The fiscal note may comment on technical or mechanical 
  2.20  defects in the bill but shall express no opinions concerning the 
  2.21  merits of the proposal. 
  2.22     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 16A.10, 
  2.23  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.24     Subd. 2.  [BY OCTOBER 15 AND NOVEMBER 30 AGENCY BUDGET 
  2.25  INFORMATION.] (a) By October 15 of each even-numbered year, an 
  2.26  agency must file the following with the commissioner:  
  2.27     (1) budget estimates for the most recent and current fiscal 
  2.28  years; 
  2.29     (2) its upcoming biennial budget estimates; 
  2.30     (3) a comprehensive and integrated statement of agency 
  2.31  missions and outcome and performance measures; and 
  2.32     (4) a concise explanation of any planned changes in the 
  2.33  level of services or new activities. 
  2.34     The commissioner shall prepare and file the budget 
  2.35  estimates for an agency failing to file them.  
  2.36     (b) Between October 15 and November 30, the commissioner 
  3.1   must hold at least one open public meeting with each agency to 
  3.2   discuss that agency's budget information, agency performance 
  3.3   data, and any proposed changes in level of services and new 
  3.4   activities. 
  3.5      (c) By November 30, the commissioner shall send the final 
  3.6   budget format, agency budget estimates for the next biennium, 
  3.7   and copies of the filed material to the ways and means and 
  3.8   finance committees, except that the commissioner shall not be 
  3.9   required to transmit information that identifies executive 
  3.10  branch budget decision items.  At this time, a list of each 
  3.11  employee's name, title, and salary must be available to the 
  3.12  legislature, either on paper or through electronic retrieval. 
  3.13     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 16A.103, 
  3.14  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.15     Subdivision 1.  [STATE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES.] In 
  3.16  February and November each year, the commissioner shall prepare 
  3.17  a forecast of state revenue and expenditures.  The November 
  3.18  forecast must be delivered to the legislature and governor no 
  3.19  later than the end of the first week of December.  The February 
  3.20  forecast must be delivered to the legislature and governor by 
  3.21  the end of February.  Forecasts must be delivered to the 
  3.22  legislature and governor on the same day.  If requested by the 
  3.23  legislative commission on planning and fiscal policy, delivery 
  3.24  to the legislature must include a presentation to the 
  3.25  commission.  When forecasts are delivered to the legislature, 
  3.26  the commissioner shall reconcile the fund balance statement for 
  3.27  the general fund to the end of session legislative tracking 
  3.28  documents and detail any differences by omnibus budget bill 
  3.29  jurisdiction for the current and next biennium.  A written 
  3.30  explanation of differences must be provided to the chairs of the 
  3.31  senate finance committee and the house of representatives ways 
  3.32  and means committee and to legislative fiscal staff.  The 
  3.33  commissioner shall also deliver a general fund balance and 
  3.34  reconciliation within one week of the end of each legislative 
  3.35  session.  At least one week before delivery of a general fund 
  3.36  balance report, the commissioner shall notify the chairs of the 
  4.1   senate finance committee and house ways and means committee of 
  4.2   any ways in which the format of the fund balance or treatment of 
  4.3   similar items in the fund balance will differ from the previous 
  4.4   report. 
  4.5      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 16A.103, 
  4.6   subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  4.7      Subd. 1a.  [FORECAST PARAMETERS.] The forecast must assume 
  4.8   the continuation of current laws and reasonable estimates of 
  4.9   projected growth in the national and state economies and 
  4.10  affected populations.  Revenue must be estimated for all sources 
  4.11  provided for in current law.  Expenditures must be estimated for 
  4.12  all obligations imposed by law and those projected to occur as a 
  4.13  result of inflation and variables outside the control of the 
  4.14  legislature.  The forecast must include a set aside amount that 
  4.15  reflects cost increases as a result of inflation in delivering 
  4.16  the current-law level of services.  This amount must not exceed 
  4.17  the amount obtained by applying the Consumer Price Index to 
  4.18  those state expenditures that reflect payments for services at 
  4.19  the state or local level.  An amount to reflect increases in 
  4.20  providing services must not be applied to any appropriation for 
  4.21  which the law or process determining that current-law 
  4.22  appropriation amount already includes a factor to reflect those 
  4.23  cost increases. 
  4.24     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 16A.152, 
  4.25  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  4.26     Subd. 7.  [DELAY; REDUCTION.] The commissioner may delay 
  4.27  paying up to 15 percent of an appropriation to a special taxing 
  4.28  district or a system of higher education in that entity's fiscal 
  4.29  year for up to 60 days after the start of its next fiscal year.  
  4.30  The delayed amount is subject to allotment reduction under 
  4.31  subdivision 1 4.