BILL REQ. #:  S-0384.1 

Read first time 01/16/13.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:
     THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article VII of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

     Article VII, section . . .. (1) For the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium or any subsequent fiscal biennium, the legislature may not present to the governor for consideration, nor may the governor sign into law, an appropriations bill that would appropriate from the general fund for that fiscal biennium a total amount that, when combined with all appropriations from the general fund for that fiscal biennium made as of the date of the appropriation bill's passage and the amount of any general fund moneys to be transferred to the budget stabilization account pursuant to Article VII, section 12 of this Constitution, exceeds the prior fund balance and any general fund revenues for that fiscal biennium as estimated by the economic and revenue forecast council or successor entity as of the date of the budget bill's passage.
     (2) For the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium or any subsequent fiscal biennium, the legislature may not present to the governor for consideration, nor may the governor sign into law, an appropriations bill that would require for the subsequent fiscal biennium general fund appropriations necessary to maintain estimated program and service levels either funded in that appropriations bill or mandated by other state law, of a total amount that, when combined with all projected appropriations from the general fund for that fiscal biennium and the amount of any general fund moneys projected to be transferred to the budget stabilization account pursuant to Article VII, section 12 of this Constitution, exceeds prior fund balances and general fund revenues for that fiscal biennium as estimated by the economic and revenue forecast council or successor entity as of the date of the budget bill's passage.
     (3) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply to an appropriations bill that makes net reductions in general fund appropriations and is enacted between July 1st and February 15th of any fiscal year.
     (4) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply to an appropriations bill that is enacted by a favorable vote of three-fifths of the members of each house of the legislature.
     (5) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply in a fiscal year in which money is withdrawn and appropriated from the budget stabilization account.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.