§ 9-2-1014.2 — Budget shortfall measures; expenditure reductions; use of contingent appropriations

Wyoming § 9-2-1014.2

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 09: Administration of the Government
• Ch. 2: AGENCIES, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND DEPARTMENTS
• Art. 10: STATE BUDGET DEPARTMENT

Text

(a) The governor shall periodically review agency budgets
and expenditures. If the governor determines during the review
that the probable receipts from taxes or other sources of
revenue for any fund or account will be less than were
anticipated, and if the governor determines that these receipts
plus existing revenues in the fund or account which are
available will be less than the amount appropriated, the
governor, after complying with the provisions of this section,
shall give notice to the state agencies concerned and reduce the
amount expended to prevent a deficit. In making any
determination under this subsection the governor may but need
not consider statutory authority to transfer appropriated funds
or use a contingent appropriation to address revenue shortfalls.
This subsection shall apply to all appropriations to state
agencies regardless of whether the appropriation is for a
specified project or purpose, including but not limited to
capital construction projects. This subsection shall apply
whether the appropriation is to be expended directly by an
agency or is made to an agency for distribution to another
entity.
(b) Before any expenditure is reduced pursuant to
subsection (a) of this section, or if the governor otherwise
determines that a shortfall in appropriated funds is likely at
any time in a fiscal biennium prior to the convening of the next
regular general or budget session of the legislature, the
following actions shall be taken:
(i) The governor shall notify the chairmen of the
joint appropriations committee, the management council of the
legislature and the chairmen of the consensus revenue estimating
group of any proposed expenditure reduction and any recommended
use of a contingent appropriation. The consensus revenue
estimating group shall meet as soon as feasible, review its
latest official revenue forecast and determine if adjustments
should be made to that forecast in light of existing economic
conditions;
(ii) The management council shall forward to the
legislature the proposals and recommendations of the governor
and assign review of the proposals and recommendations to
various standing committees of the legislature as the council
deems appropriate;
(iii) The joint appropriations committee shall
determine if it should recommend the use of a contingent
appropriation to offset any likely budget shortfall for the
remainder of the fiscal biennium. In making this determination
and any recommendation the committee shall consider:
(A) The expenditure reductions that would be
required without use of a contingent appropriation and the
impact on services provided. The joint appropriations committee
shall consider any comments received from any standing committee
of the legislature regarding the potential impact on services;
(B) The period of time any decline in revenues
resulting in the budget shortfall is forecasted to last;
(C) The availability of any other existing or
projected funds to offset any predicted shortfall;
(D) The amount of time before the next regular
general or budget legislative session;
(E) The percentage of the contingent
appropriation needed to be used to ensure a budget shortfall
will be alleviated until the end of either the fiscal biennium
or the convening of a regular legislative session, as the joint
appropriations committee deems in the best interests of the
state.
(c) The joint appropriations committee shall submit its
recommendations to the governor not more than thirty (30) days
after receiving notification under this section. After receiving
the recommendation the governor may authorize the transfer of
any contingent appropriation, subject to any condition placed on
the contingent appropriation in the law making the
appropriation, to any account or fund as he deems appropriate
and to prevent a budget shortfall. The governor shall report
all expenditure reductions and uses of contingent appropriations
to the joint appropriations committee not later than ten (10)
days after his action to implement the expenditure reduction or
transfer contingent appropriations.