Focus Report, Volume 84, Number 1, December 2014 Page: Page2
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Page 2 House Research Organization
Funds for certain programs were exempted from these
baseline requirements, including amounts necessary to
maintain funding for the Foundation School Program and
to maintain current benefits and eligibility in Medicaid,
the Children's Health Insurance Program, the foster
care program, the adoption subsidies program, and the
permanency care assistance program, which provides
financial support under certain circumstances to relatives
and others who become foster parents.
Under the Texas constitutional spending cap, state
spending not constitutionally dedicated to particular
purposes cannot increase from one biennium to the next
beyond the rate of growth in statewide personal income
adopted by the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) unless
the cap is waived by a majority vote of both houses of the
Legislature. On December 1, the LBB adopted a projected
state personal income growth rate of 11.68 percent from
fiscal 2014-15 to fiscal 2016-17. Subject to revisions in the
revenue forecasts and subsequent appropriations, this limits
spending from non-dedicated tax revenue in fiscal 2016-17
to $94.3 billion, up from $84.4 billion in fiscal 2014-15.
Legislators may consider proposals to use the state's
Economic Stabilization Fund ("rainy day fund") for
the fiscal 2016-17 budget and for fiscal 2015 spending.
The Joint Select Committee to Study the Balance of the
Economic Stabilization Fund recently determined $7
billion to be a sufficient minimum balance for the fund.
Strategic fiscal review of certain agencies. In
August, Speaker Straus directed the House Appropriations
Committee to examine the responsibilities, costs, and
operating practices at 11 state agencies as part of a process
called Strategic Fiscal Review. The committee was charged
with reviewing the agencies' services and use of state funds
and whether they could fulfill their missions with fewer
employees and resources.
As part of the review, the LBB will collect detailed
data on each agency's programs and examine alternative
program funding, the relationship of programs to
each agency's mission and statutes, each agency's
implementation of directives, and the use of constitutional
and general revenue dedicated funds. The agencies, listed
below, represent all budget articles and received about 21
percent of the all-funds appropriations in fiscal 2014-15,
according to the LBB.- Trusteed programs within the Office of the
Governor;
- Department of Information Resources;
" General revenue-funded programs at the
Department ofAssistive and Rehabilitative
Services;
- Higher Education Coordinating Board;
- System offices of general academic institutions;
- Available University Fund;
- Texas State Law Library;
- Juvenile Justice Department;
- Department of Public Safety;
- Department of Transportation; and
- Public Utility Commission.
Lawmakers may consider legislation requiring certain
agencies, such as those under Sunset review, to undergo the
Strategic Fiscal Review.
Supplemental appropriations for fiscal
2015. The Legislature will consider additional spending
for fiscal 2015. General revenue funding for Medicaid-
related entitlement programs is expected to run out in
2015, requiring an estimated supplemental appropriation
of $971.2 million. Other supplemental needs also could be
considered.
Dedicated revenue. Lawmakers may discuss the
use of statutorily dedicated accounts in the state budget.
Government Code, sec. 403.095 requires the comptroller
to include in the estimate of funds available for general-
purpose spending the amounts in general revenue dedicated
accounts expected to exceed appropriations from those
accounts. Of $12.3 billion in total available general revenue
dedicated funds in fiscal 2014-15, the 83rd Legislature
appropriated $7.3 billion, leaving about $5 billion in these
funds unspent but counted toward budget certification,
according to the LBB's Fiscal Size Up, 2014-15 Biennium.
Lawmakers may consider proposals to stop using fees
and dedicated accounts for purposes other than those for
which they were originally intended. Other proposals could
include reducing revenue collection in these accounts by
lowering or suspending fees.
Spending limits. Legislators may consider
imposing limits on expenditure growth, including proposals
to limit the rate of expenditure growth to the rate of
inflation plus the rate of population growth or anotherPa'ge 2
House Research Organization
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 84, Number 1, December 2014, periodical, December 18, 2014; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth639785/m1/2/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.