SB35 Alabama 2015 1st Special Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul Bussman

Republican

Session

First Special Session 2015

Title

General appropriations bill to include expenses for public education, Alabama Medicaid Agency appropriation limited to 15 percent of total of state funds under Legislature's control, Department of Corrections appropriation limited to four and one half percent, limits exceeded under certain conditions, Education Trust Fund Rolling Reserve Act, repealed, Section 71, Constitution of Alabama of 1901, am'd.; Secs 29-9-1 to 29-9-6, inclusive, repealed, const. amend.

Description

Under Section 71 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, the general appropriation bill is limited to appropriations for the ordinary expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state, for interest on the public debt, and for the public schools. The courts have construed this language to not allow appropriations for postsecondary education in the general appropriation bill.

This bill would amend Section 71 to provide that the general appropriation bill includes appropriations for ordinary expenses of public education rather than public schools, thereby allowing appropriations for postsecondary education in the general appropriation bill. The bill would also require at least 54 percent of the appropriation of all state funds in the general appropriation bill to be for public education and limit the appropriation to the Medicaid Program and the Department of Corrections to 15 and 4.5 percent, respectively, of the total appropriations of all state funds. The maximum limits could be exceeded by a three-fifths vote of the elected members of each house. The amendment would also repeal the Education Trust Fund Rolling Reserve Act.

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Subjects

Constitutional Amendments