S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5893
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 24, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Ways and Means
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the state finance law, in relation to establishing a
   spending cap
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new article 17
 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 17
                      ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP ACT
 SECTION 244. DEFINITIONS.
         245. ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP.
         246. PROVISIONS REGARDING DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY.
   § 244. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:
   1.  "ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP" SHALL MEAN A PERCENTAGE DETERMINED BY
 ADDING THE INFLATION RATES FROM EACH OF THE THREE CALENDAR  YEARS  IMME-
 DIATELY PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF A GIVEN FISCAL YEAR AND THEN DIVID-
 ING THAT SUM BY THREE OR TWO PERCENT, WHICHEVER IS LESS.
   2. "STATE OPERATING FUNDS SPENDING" SHALL MEAN ANNUAL DISBURSEMENTS OF
 ALL GOVERNMENTAL FUND TYPES INCLUDED IN THE CASH-BASIS FINANCIAL PLAN OF
 THE  STATE,  EXCLUDING  DISBURSEMENTS  FROM  FEDERAL  FUNDS  AND CAPITAL
 PROJECT FUNDS.
   3. "INFLATION RATE" SHALL MEAN THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE  IN  THE  TWELVE-
 MONTH  AVERAGE  OF  THE  CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ALL URBAN CONSUMERS AS
 PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR,  BUREAU  OF  LABOR
 STATISTICS OR ANY SUCCESSOR AGENCY FOR A GIVEN CALENDAR YEAR COMPARED TO
 THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEAR.
   4.  "EXECUTIVE BUDGET" SHALL MEAN THE BUDGET SUBMITTED ANNUALLY BY THE
 GOVERNOR  PURSUANT  TO SECTION ONE OF ARTICLE VII OF THE STATE CONSTITU-
 TION.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03491-01-3
              

 A. 5893                             2
 
   5.  "STATE BUDGET AS ENACTED" SHALL MEAN THE BUDGET ACTED UPON BY  THE
 LEGISLATURE  IN A GIVEN FISCAL YEAR, AS SUBJECT TO SECTION FOUR OF ARTI-
 CLE VII OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND SECTION SEVEN OF ARTICLE IV OF THE
 STATE CONSTITUTION.
   6.  "EMERGENCY" SHALL MEAN AN EXTRAORDINARY, UNFORESEEN, OR UNEXPECTED
 OCCURRENCE, OR COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED
 TO A NATURAL DISASTER, INVASION, TERRORIST ATTACK, OR ECONOMIC CALAMITY.
   § 245. ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP.  1. THERE IS HERE-
 BY ESTABLISHED AN ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP.
   2.  THE  GOVERNOR  SHALL NOT SUBMIT, AND THE LEGISLATURE SHALL NOT ACT
 UPON, A BUDGET THAT CONTAINS A PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR FISCAL
 YEAR IN STATE OPERATING FUNDS SPENDING WHICH EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL SPENDING
 GROWTH CAP.
   3. THE GOVERNOR SHALL CERTIFY IN WRITING THAT  STATE  OPERATING  FUNDS
 SPENDING  IN  THE  EXECUTIVE  BUDGET DOES NOT EXCEED THE ANNUAL SPENDING
 GROWTH CAP. IF FINAL INFLATION RATE DATA FOR THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEAR  IS
 NOT  YET AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THE GOVERNOR SUBMITS HIS OR HER EXECUTIVE
 BUDGET, HE OR SHE SHALL FURNISH A  REASONABLE  ESTIMATE  OF  SUCH  PRIOR
 CALENDAR YEAR INFLATION RATE.
   4.  THE  COMPTROLLER  SHALL PROVIDE, WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF ACTION BY THE
 LEGISLATURE UPON THE BUDGET, A DETERMINATION AS  TO  WHETHER  THE  STATE
 OPERATING  FUNDS  SPENDING  AS  SET FORTH IN THE STATE BUDGET AS ENACTED
 EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP.
   5. IF THE COMPTROLLER FINDS THAT STATE OPERATING FUNDS SPENDING AS SET
 FORTH IN THE STATE BUDGET AS ENACTED EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL SPENDING  GROWTH
 CAP, THE GOVERNOR SHALL TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO ENSURE THAT FUNDING IS
 LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT OF THE ANNUAL SPENDING CAP.
   § 246. PROVISIONS REGARDING DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY.  1. UPON A FIND-
 ING  OF AN EMERGENCY BY THE GOVERNOR, HE OR SHE MAY DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
 BY AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WHICH SHALL SET FORTH THE REASONS FOR SUCH  DECLA-
 RATION.
   2.  BASED  UPON  SUCH  DECLARATION,  THE  GOVERNOR MAY SUBMIT, AND THE
 LEGISLATURE MAY AUTHORIZE,  BY  A  TWO-THIRDS  SUPERMAJORITY,  A  BUDGET
 CONTAINING  A  PERCENTAGE  INCREASE  OVER THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR IN STATE
 OPERATING FUNDS SPENDING THAT EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL SPENDING GROWTH CAP.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.