S-1695.1

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8208


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2017 Regular Session

By Senators Fain, Braun, Rivers, Brown, Zeiger, Becker, Wilson, Angel, Bailey, Miloscia, Ericksen, Warnick, Schoesler, Honeyford, Walsh, King, Padden, Sheldon, O'Ban, Rossi, Baumgartner, Short, and Fortunato

Read first time 02/23/17. 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 VIII of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

(1) The legislature shall enact a balanced omnibus biennial operating appropriations bill that leaves, in total, a positive ending fund balance in the state general fund and related funds.

(2) The projected maintenance level necessary to maintain the continuing costs of state programs and services funded in the omnibus appropriations bill enacted by the legislature or required by state or federal law shall not exceed the available fiscal resources for the next ensuing fiscal biennium. This subsection (a)(2) does not apply in a fiscal biennium in which: (i) The employment growth forecast is estimated to be less than one percent; and (ii) money is appropriated from the budget stabilization account under Article VII, section 12(d)(ii) of this Constitution.

(b) The legislature may enact such laws necessary to carry out the provisions of this section and to facilitate its operation.

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