BILL ANALYSIS Ó ACA 8 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 5, 2011 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUDGET Bob Blumenfield, Chair ACA 8 (Olsen) - As Amended: April 14, 2011 SUBJECT : State Budget SUMMARY : Requires that the Governor include in the January budget submission and projection for the following year and that if that projections anticipate a deficit that the Governor's budget include specific revenue or expenditure solutions to balance the budget in the following year. Specifically, this bill : 1)Requires, when submitting the budget to the Legislature, that the Governor's budget include a statement of intent for the following year that includes projections of expenditures and revenues; 2)Requires, that if the estimate for the following year anticipates a deficit, that the Governor's budget include specific revenue and/or expenditure proposals to address that deficit; and, 3)Makes conforming changes to the wording of existing Constitutional language. EXISTING LAW : Subdivision (a) of Section 12 of Article IV of the Constitution requires that, when the Governor submits the budget in January, if expenditures are projected to exceed revenues for the fiscal year the Governor must recommend sources for additional revenues and/or spending reductions necessary to balance the budget. FISCAL EFFECT : None. COMMENTS : This measure is intended to provide better long-term planning by expanding the requirement that Governor's proposed January budget balance in the fiscal year to include a requirement that the Governor submit a budget that is also balanced in year following the fiscal year. The measure does ACA 8 Page 2 not bind the Legislature to adopt solutions beyond the fiscal year. This measure mirrors current practice, as the January budget typically includes an assessment of the year following the fiscal year. The Governor's 2011-12 budget actually includes projects for three years following the fiscal year and articulates a plan to balance for all four future fiscal years. The requirements of this measure could have been included in a bill in lieu of a Constitutional Amendment. Many components of the budget process, such as the requirement for the May Revision, are contained in the Government Code. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association Opposition None on file. Analysis Prepared by : Christian Griffith / BUDGET / (916) 319-2099