Article XIXB of the California Constitution requires, commencing with the 2003–04 fiscal year, that sales taxes on motor vehicle fuel that are deposited into the General Fund be transferred to the Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) for allocation to various transportation purposes. Article XIXB authorizes this transfer to be suspended in whole or in part for a fiscal year during a fiscal emergency pursuant to a proclamation by the Governor and the enactment of a statute by a 23 vote in each house of the Legislature, subject to various restrictions. This measure would delete the provisions authorizing the transfer of revenues to the TIF to be suspended during a fiscal emergency. The measure would also prohibit a loan of TIF revenues under any circumstances, and would prohibit any statute that would reduce the extent to which these tax revenues are deposited into the General Fund for transfer to the TIF for transportation purposes.
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Article XIXB of the California Constitution requires, commencing with the 2003–04 fiscal year, that sales taxes on motor vehicle fuel that are deposited into the General Fund be transferred to the Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) for allocation to various transportation purposes. Article XIXB authorizes this transfer to be suspended in whole or in part for a fiscal year during a fiscal emergency pursuant to a proclamation by the Governor and the enactment of a statute by a 23 vote in each house of the Legislature, subject to various restrictions. This measure would delete the provisions authorizing the transfer of revenues to the TIF to be suspended during a fiscal emergency. The measure would also prohibit a loan of TIF revenues under any circumstances, and would prohibit any statute that would reduce the extent to which these tax revenues are deposited into the General Fund for transfer to the TIF for transportation purposes.
(1) Under existing law, the Bureau of State Audits has statutory audit and evaluation duties. This bill would require the State Auditor, on or before January 1, 2010, and every 2 years thereafter, to conduct a performance evaluation of every state government program and expenditure, and submit a report of the results of that evaluation to the Legislature. This bill would also require the State Auditor to make the report easily available to the public, and the Legislature to appropriate funds to the State Auditor sufficient to fulfill these duties. (2) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 1, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 1, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution.
(1) The California Constitution requires the Legislature to convene in regular biennial session at noon on the first Monday in December of each even‑numbered year to consider legislation and the Budget Bill. This measure would require the Legislature to convene in regular biennial session, but would require, commencing on December 6, 2010, that the sessions held in odd‑numbered years be budget sessions, and sessions held in even‑numbered years be general sessions. The measure would require the Legislature in the budget session to adopt Budget Bills for each of the 2 subsequent fiscal years. The measure would prohibit the Legislature, during a budget session, from considering legislation other than the Budget Bills and related revenue bills, except bills addressing a declared state of emergency or urgency statutes. Urgency statutes would require a 34 vote of the membership in each house for passage during a budget session. The measure would provide that at general sessions the Legislature may consider any legislation other than Budget Bills, except under specified conditions. (2) The California Constitution requires that a budget be submitted by the Governor, and that the Legislature pass a Budget Act on or before June 15. Funds may be expended from the State Treasury for support of the state government only through an appropriation made by the Legislature. This measure would require, in each odd‑numbered calendar year, commencing in 2011, that the Governor submit to the Legislature 2 proposed budgets for the 2 subsequent fiscal years, respectively. The measure would provide, commencing with the 2011–12 fiscal year, that if the Budget Act is not enacted by July 1, unspecified amounts are appropriated from the General Fund and other funds and sources to the Controller for allocation by the Director of Finance to pay the current expenses for critical services of the state government, excluding salaries and per diem of Members of the Legislature, not exceeding the amounts expended to fund those services for the preceding fiscal year. (3) The California Constitution authorizes each house of the Legislature to provide for the selection of committees necessary for the conduct of its business, including committees to ascertain facts and make recommendations to the Legislature on a subject within the scope of legislative control. This measure would require, during a budget session, that each standing policy committee of each house of the Legislature function as a budget subcommittee to make recommendations, to the standing committee of each house of the Legislature that considers the budget, proposed amendments to the pending Budget Bill, relative to the adoption or modification of Budget Bill matters within the subject area of the standing policy committee. The measure would, after each Budget Bill has been passed, require each standing policy committee to meet for purposes of oversight and review of programs within the subject area of the committee. (4) The California Constitution permits revenues from taxes imposed by the state on motor vehicle fuels and funds in the Public Transportation Account in the State Transportation Fund to be loaned to the General Fund. That loan is required to be repaid in full either during the same fiscal year in which the loan was made or within 3 fiscal years from the date on which the loan was made if specified conditions apply. If the loan is to be repaid in full during the same fiscal year, the repayment may be delayed until a date not more than 30 days after the date of enactment of the budget Bill for the subsequent fiscal year. The measure would provide that the repayment may be delayed until a date not more than 30 days after the date of enactment of the Budget Bill for the subsequent fiscal year, or July 31 of that subsequent fiscal year, whichever is later.