2008 AMH TAYL FRAS 770

HB 2008 - H AMD 312

By Representative Taylor

WITHDRAWN 03/08/2017

On page 1, line 6, after "Sec. 1." strike "The" and insert "The legislature finds that appropriations for the state's constitutional K-12 education duty and for other core state services for children should take priority over appropriations for other purposes.  For this reason, the legislature intends to establish a priority order for enacting operating appropriations legislation.  In addition, the"

On page 1, after line 15, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.88 RCW to read as follows:

The legislature must enact appropriations for state operating expenditures in separate, prioritized appropriations bills as required by this section.

(1) Operating appropriations must be enacted in separate bills for the following purposes:

(a) First: For basic public education of children in grades kindergarten through twelve;

(b) Second: For child welfare services;

(c) Third:  For pre-kindergarten public education services; and

(d) Fourth:  For all other purposes. 

(2) Operating appropriations bills must be enacted in the priority order established in subsection (1) of this section. Before either house of the legislature may take a final vote on legislation that raises state taxes, it must first enact operating appropriations legislation that funds the maximum number of operating appropriations bills in priority order with revenues projected for collection under existing tax laws. 

(3) To implement the requirements of this section, the legislature must assign agencies to one of the priority categories in subsection (1) of this section. The legislature may divide the activities of an agency among multiple categories, but it is not required to do so. 

(4) For purposes of this section, "raises state taxes" means any action by the legislature that imposes a new tax, expands a tax base, or increases an existing rate of taxation, including modifications to any tax preference, where such action increases state tax revenue deposited in any state account appropriated in state operating budget legislation.

(5) For purposes of this section, revenue projections are made by the economic and revenue forecast council as established in law, or its successor entity."

Renumber remaining sections consecutively and correct internal references accordingly. 

Correct the title.

EFFECT:   Declares that the appropriations for the state's constitutional education duty and other core state services for children take priority over appropriations for other purposes.  Establishes a priority order by which the Legislature must enact separate operating appropriations bills, with K-12 public education first, child welfare second, pre-K public education third, and appropriations for all other purposes fourth.  Requires the Legislature to enact the appropriations in priority order with existing revenues before it may take a final vote to raise taxes.

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