SB198 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

General fund budget, appropriations for ordinary expenses of executive, legislative, and judicial departments

Summary

SB198 would set the FY2015 general and earmarked fund appropriations for Alabama state government, include a statewide 4% salary increase, and outline various funding, transfer, and reporting provisions for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

What This Bill Does

It allocates ordinary expenses, debt service, and capital outlay for the 2014-2015 fiscal year across many state agencies from the General Fund and earmarked funds. It provides for a maximum 4% salary increase for state employees (up to $22 million), with priority to General Fund payrolls, and requires Finance Director guidance and Governor approval. It reappropriates any unspent FY2014 funds to FY2015, allows conditional tobacco settlement funding, and sets rules for interagency transfers, reporting, and potential use of surplus General Fund money to cover salaries if needed.

Who It Affects

• State employees and legislators, who would receive an up-to-4% salary increase funded from the General Fund, with priority given to payrolls and Legislature salaries.
• State agencies and programs (including the Departments of Corrections, Public Health, Medicaid, Mental Health, Transportation, Revenue, and judiciary agencies, among many others), which receive specified appropriations and funding from General Fund and earmarked funds for their operations, debt service, and capital needs.

Key Provisions

• Section 2: This act appropriates funds from the General Fund and earmarked funds for the ordinary expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, other functions of government, debt service, and capital outlay for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015.
• Section 3: Establishes a 4% salary increase for state employees (up to $22,000,000 in General Fund appropriations) with first priority to General Fund payrolls, including legislative payrolls, and requires Finance Director recommendation and Governor approval.
• Section 4: Reappropriates unexpended FY2014 appropriations to the FY2015 fiscal year.
• Section 5: Adds a conditional appropriation of funds from the Senior Services Trust Fund to the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
• Section 6: Creates a conditional appropriation from tobacco settlement or litigation funds for FY2015, to be allocated under specified sections with Governor approval and Finance Director recommendation.
• Section 7: Sets that appropriations are maximums subject to the Budget Management Act and related sections, with exceptions (notably for ABC purchases) and general budget controls.
• Section 8: Allows the Governor to transfer any surplus in the State General Fund to other appropriations if salaries are insufficient to pay, to ensure payrolls
• Section 9: Appropriations for gifts, grants, insurance proceeds, and similar receipts, with reappropriation to fund audit costs as needed; Department of Examiners of Public Accounts to conduct recovery audits.
• Section 10-11: Provisions for the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts to examine appropriations for compliance and to fund court-ordered costs, including contingencies for federal orders and related payments.
• Section 12: Authorizes interest earned from certain funds to be allocated to the Governor's Contingency Fund, with other interest directed to the State General Fund; outlines how interest is treated.
• Section 15-16 and related sections: Various administrative, reporting, and organizational provisions, including reporting requirements to legislative committees and the Governor, and authority for interagency transfers and usage of funds.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Appropriations