SCA 4

Bill Subjects

Abstract

The California Constitution provides that the Legislature meets in a biennial regular session, commencing with the first Monday in December in each even-numbered year, when each house is required to immediately organize, and concluding at midnight on November 30 of the next even-numbered year. The California Constitution requires the Governor to submit to the Legislature a budget for the ensuing fiscal year within the first 10 days of each calendar year and requires the Legislature to pass the Budget Bill by midnight on June 15 of each year. The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature or either house, by resolution, to provide for the selection of committees necessary for the conduct of its business. This measure would limit the Legislature, in the first year of the regular session, to considering or acting upon only the Budget Bill and related bills, and up to 5 bills introduced by each of the standing committees of the Legislature, as specified. The measure would require the Governor to submit to the Legislature a budget for the ensuing 2 fiscal years within the first 10 days of the first calendar year of the biennium of the legislative session, and would require the Legislature to adopt by June 15 of the first calendar year of the biennium of the legislative session a Budget Bill that appropriates funds to support state government for the next 2-year fiscal period commencing on July 1. The measure, in the second year of the regular session, would limit the Legislature to considering or acting upon only legislation other than the Budget Bill and related bills. The Legislature, by a 23 vote of each house, would be authorized, however, to amend an enacted Budget Bill and related bills in both calendar years of the biennium. This measure would require the Director of Finance in each odd-numbered year of the regular session to select three state agencies on a rotating basis for the purpose of developing a performance-based budget for each agency, as specified. The bill would require the Governor to take those performance based budgets into account when proposing a budget in subsequent fiscal periods. This measure would establish and specify the membership requirements for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and would authorize the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to approve proposals submitted by the Governor to amend an enacted Budget Bill. A proposed amendment approved by the committee would take immediate effect as a statute. The measure would also make numerous changes to conform to the adoption of a budget for a 2-year fiscal period. The measure provides that these changes would become operative on December 2, 2024, and that the constitutional provisions amended by the measure would continue in effect as they read prior to voter approval of the measure until December 2, 2024.