Budget Act of 2011: Director of Finance: reductions.

(1) Existing law requires the Legislature to pass a Budget Bill making appropriations for the support of state government for the ensuing fiscal year. The Budget Act of 2011 requires the Director of Finance to forecast General Fund revenues for the 2011–12 fiscal year by December 15, 2011, and to determine whether that revenue forecast or the Legislative Analyst's November 2011 General Fund revenue forecast is higher. The Director of Finance is required to make reductions to specified items of appropriation if the higher revenue forecast is less than $87,452,500,000 and to make additional reductions to specified items of appropriation if the higher revenue forecast is less than $86,452,500,000. This bill would require the director to meet specified requirements if the director proposes to reduce an item of appropriation pursuant to these provisions. (2) Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to charge each student a fee, and sets that fee at $36 per unit per semester, effective with the fall term of the 2011–12 academic year. Existing law repeals these provisions January 1, 2012, as specified. This bill instead would repeal these provisions May 1, 2012, as specified. (3) Existing law requires this fee to be raised to $46 per unit per semester, effective with the winter term of the 2011–12 academic year, if the Director of Finance reduces specified appropriations as described above. These provisions become operative January 1, 2012, as specified. This bill would specify that the raising of this fee to $46 per unit per semester would occur effective with the summer term of the 2012 calendar year. This bill would make this provision operative May 1, 2012, as specified. The bill would provide a statement of legislative intent relating to this delay in the fee increase. (4) The bill would appropriate $1,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for general operation costs of the board. (5) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. Governor Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 6, 2010. Governor Brown issued a proclamation on January 20, 2011, declaring and reaffirming that a fiscal emergency exists and stating that his proclamation supersedes the earlier proclamation for purposes of that constitutional provision. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared and reaffirmed by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 20, 2011, pursuant to the California Constitution. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.