BILL REQ. #:  S-4083.2 

Read first time 01/12/2006.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to a rainy day reserve fund; amending RCW 43.135.045; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092, 43.135.045, and 43.135.045; adding a new section to chapter 43.79 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 82.33 RCW; repealing RCW 43.33A.220 and 43.135.051; providing contingent effective dates; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A rainy day reserve fund shall be established and maintained in the state treasury pursuant to Article VII, section . . . (2006 Senate Joint Resolution No. . . . ., S-3779/06).
     (2) The state investment board has the full power to invest, reinvest, manage, contract, sell, or exchange investment moneys in the rainy day reserve fund. All investment and operating costs associated with the investment of money shall be paid pursuant to RCW 43.33A.160 and 43.84.160. With the exception of these expenses, the earnings from the investment of the money shall be retained by the fund. All investments made by the state investment board shall be made with the exercise of that degree of judgment and care pursuant to RCW 43.33A.140 and the investment policies established by the state investment board. As deemed appropriate by the state investment board, moneys in the fund may be commingled for investment with other funds subject to investment by the board.
     (3) When the balance in the rainy day reserve fund, including investment earnings, equals more than ten percent of the estimated general state revenues in the prior fiscal year, the legislature may, at any time for any fiscal year, by the favorable of a majority of the members elected to each house, withdraw and appropriate amounts in the fund to the extent that the balance of the fund exceeds ten percent. If, as determined by the state actuary, unfunded liabilities exist in state retirement systems administered by the department of retirement systems, such appropriations may be made solely for the purpose of funding the liabilities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 82.33 RCW to read as follows:
     The economic and revenue forecast council shall perform the state employment growth and general state revenue forecasts and estimates required by Article VII, section . . . (2006 Senate Joint Resolution No. . . . ., S-3779/06).

Sec. 3   RCW 43.84.092 and 2005 c 514 s 1106, 2005 c 353 s 4, 2005 c 339 s 23, 2005 c 314 s 110, 2005 c 312 s 8, and 2005 c 94 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.
     (2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:
     (a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the common school construction fund, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the data processing building construction account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community trust account, the drinking water assistance account, the drinking water assistance administrative account, the drinking water assistance repayment account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, ((the emergency reserve fund,)) The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the federal forest revolving account, the freight mobility investment account, the health services account, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the personal health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway infrastructure account, the high-occupancy toll lanes operations account, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the multimodal transportation account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the oyster reserve land account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account beginning July 1, 2004, the public health supplemental account, the public works assistance account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the rainy day reserve fund, the real estate appraiser commission account, the regional transportation investment district account, the resource management cost account, the rural Washington loan fund, the site closure account, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington fruit express account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state health insurance pool account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts. All earnings to be distributed under this subsection (4)(a) shall first be reduced by the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW 43.08.190.
     (b) The following accounts and funds shall receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the county arterial preservation account, the department of licensing services account, the essential rail assistance account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the grade crossing protective fund, the high capacity transportation account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway safety account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the pilotage account, the public transportation systems account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the recreational vehicle account, the rural arterial trust account, the safety and education account, the special category C account, the state patrol highway account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, and the urban arterial trust account.
     (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

Sec. 4   RCW 43.135.045 and 2005 c 488 s 920 and 2005 c 314 s 401 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((The emergency reserve fund is established in the state treasury. During each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall deposit in the emergency reserve fund all general fund -- state revenues in excess of the state expenditure limit for that fiscal year. Deposits shall be made at the end of each fiscal quarter based on projections of state revenues and the state expenditure limit. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues and the expenditure limit for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter.
     (2) The legislature may appropriate moneys from the emergency reserve fund only with approval of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature, and then only if the appropriation does not cause total expenditures to exceed the state expenditure limit under this chapter.
     (3) The emergency reserve fund balance shall not exceed five percent of annual general fund -- state revenues as projected by the official state revenue forecast. Any balance in excess of five percent shall be transferred on a quarterly basis by the state treasurer as follows: Seventy-five percent to)) The student achievement fund is hereby created in the state treasury ((and twenty-five percent to the general fund balance. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter. When per-student state funding for the maintenance and operation of K-12 education meets a level of no less than ninety percent of the national average of total funding from all sources per student as determined by the most recent published data from the national center for education statistics of the United States department of education, as calculated by the office of financial management, further deposits to the student achievement fund shall be required only to the extent necessary to maintain the ninety-percent level. Remaining funds are part of the general fund balance and these funds are subject to the expenditure limits of this chapter)).
     (((4))) (2) The education construction fund is hereby created in the state treasury.
     (a) Funds may be appropriated from the education construction fund exclusively for common school construction or higher education construction. During the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2007, funds may also be used for higher education facilities preservation and maintenance.
     (b) Funds may be appropriated for any other purpose only if approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature and if approved by a vote of the people at the next general election. An appropriation approved by the people under this subsection shall result in an adjustment to the state expenditure limit only for the fiscal period for which the appropriation is made and shall not affect any subsequent fiscal period.
     (((5))) (3) Funds from the student achievement fund shall be appropriated to the superintendent of public instruction strictly for distribution to school districts to meet the provisions set out in the student achievement act. Allocations shall be made on an equal per full-time equivalent student basis to each school district.

Sec. 5   RCW 43.135.045 and 2005 c 518 s 931 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((The emergency reserve fund is established in the state treasury. During each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall deposit in the emergency reserve fund all general fund -- state revenues in excess of the state expenditure limit for that fiscal year. Deposits shall be made at the end of each fiscal quarter based on projections of state revenues and the state expenditure limit. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues and the expenditure limit for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter.
     (2) The legislature may appropriate moneys from the emergency reserve fund only with approval of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature, and then only if the appropriation does not cause total expenditures to exceed the state expenditure limit under this chapter.
     (3) The emergency reserve fund balance shall not exceed five percent of annual general fund -- state revenues as projected by the official state revenue forecast. Any balance in excess of five percent shall be transferred on a quarterly basis by the state treasurer as follows: Seventy-five percent to)) The student achievement fund is hereby created in the state treasury ((and twenty-five percent to the general fund balance. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter. When per-student state funding for the maintenance and operation of K-12 education meets a level of no less than ninety percent of the national average of total funding from all sources per student as determined by the most recent published data from the national center for education statistics of the United States department of education, as calculated by the office of financial management, further deposits to the student achievement fund shall be required only to the extent necessary to maintain the ninety-percent level. Remaining funds are part of the general fund balance and these funds are subject to the expenditure limits of this chapter)).
     (((4))) (2) The education construction fund is hereby created in the state treasury.
     (a) Funds may be appropriated from the education construction fund exclusively for common school construction or higher education construction.
     (b) Funds may be appropriated for any other purpose only if approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature and if approved by a vote of the people at the next general election. An appropriation approved by the people under this subsection shall result in an adjustment to the state expenditure limit only for the fiscal period for which the appropriation is made and shall not affect any subsequent fiscal period.
     (((5))) (3) Funds from the student achievement fund shall be appropriated to the superintendent of public instruction strictly for distribution to school districts to meet the provisions set out in the student achievement act. Allocations shall be made on an equal per full-time equivalent student basis to each school district.
     (((6) Earnings of the emergency reserve fund under RCW 43.84.092(4)(a) shall be transferred quarterly to the multimodal transportation account, except for those earnings that are in excess of thirty-five million dollars each fiscal year. Within thirty days following any fiscal year in which earnings transferred to the multimodal transportation account under this subsection did not total thirty-five million dollars, the state treasurer shall transfer from the emergency reserve fund an amount necessary to bring the total deposited in the multimodal transportation account under this subsection to thirty-five million dollars. The revenues to the multimodal transportation account reflected in this subsection provide ongoing support for the transportation programs of the state. However, it is the intent of the legislature that any new long-term financial support that may be subsequently provided for transportation programs will be used to replace and supplant the revenues reflected in this subsection, thereby allowing those revenues to be returned to the purposes to which they were previously dedicated. No transfers from the emergency reserve fund to the multimodal fund shall be made during the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium.))

Sec. 6   RCW 43.135.045 and 2005 c 314 s 401 and 2005 c 72 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((The emergency reserve fund is established in the state treasury. During each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall transfer an amount from the state general fund to the emergency reserve fund. The amount transferred shall equal the amount by which total state revenue for the general fund and related funds exceeds the state expenditure limit, multiplied by the percentage that general fund expenditures are of total expenditures from the general fund and related funds. Transfers shall be made at the end of each fiscal quarter based on projections of state revenues, expenditures, and the state expenditure limit. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues and the expenditure limit for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter.
     (2) The legislature may appropriate moneys from the emergency reserve fund only with approval of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature, and then only if the appropriation does not cause total expenditures to exceed the state expenditure limit under this chapter.
     (3) The emergency reserve fund balance shall not exceed five percent of annual general fund -- state revenues as projected by the official state revenue forecast. Any balance in excess of five percent shall be transferred on a quarterly basis by the state treasurer as follows: Seventy-five percent to)) The student achievement fund is hereby created in the state treasury ((and twenty-five percent to the general fund balance. The treasurer shall make transfers between these accounts as necessary to reconcile actual annual revenues for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter. When per-student state funding for the maintenance and operation of K-12 education meets a level of no less than ninety percent of the national average of total funding from all sources per student as determined by the most recent published data from the national center for education statistics of the United States department of education, as calculated by the office of financial management, further deposits to the student achievement fund shall be required only to the extent necessary to maintain the ninety-percent level. Remaining funds are part of the general fund balance and these funds are subject to the expenditure limits of this chapter)).
     (((4))) (2) The education construction fund is hereby created in the state treasury.
     (a) Funds may be appropriated from the education construction fund exclusively for common school construction or higher education construction.
     (b) Funds may be appropriated for any other purpose only if approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature and if approved by a vote of the people at the next general election. An appropriation approved by the people under this subsection shall result in an adjustment to the state expenditure limit only for the fiscal period for which the appropriation is made and shall not affect any subsequent fiscal period.
     (((5))) (3) Funds from the student achievement fund shall be appropriated to the superintendent of public instruction strictly for distribution to school districts to meet the provisions set out in the student achievement act. Allocations shall be made on an equal per full-time equivalent student basis to each school district.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   On the effective date of this act, all money remaining in the emergency reserve fund shall be transferred to the rainy day reserve fund.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 43.33A.220 (Emergency reserve fund -- Board's duties) and 1999 c 288 s 2; and
     (2) RCW 43.135.051 (Emergency reserve fund -- State investment board authority to invest or manage) and 1999 c 288 s 1.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   This act takes effect June 1, 2007, except section 6 of this act which takes effect July 1, 2007, if the proposed amendment to Article VII of the state Constitution (2006 Senate Joint Resolution No. . . . ., S-3779/06) is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by the voters at a general election held in November 2006. If the proposed amendment is not approved and ratified, this act is void in its entirety.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   Section 4 of this act expires June 30, 2007.