Strategic investments and projects.

2015
STATE OF WYOMING
15LSO-0281
Numbered
2.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0116

Strategic investments and projects.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Zwonitzer, Dv., Madden and Zwonitzer, Dn. and Senator(s) Von Flatern

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; codifying the legislative stabilization reserve account; providing a limit on the amount of funds which may be deposited in the legislative stabilization reserve account; codifying the strategic investments and projects account; providing purposes for the accounts; providing for authorized expenditures from the accounts; creating the select committee on strategic investments and projects; providing for membership; providing duties; providing for a transfer of funds; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 9
‑
4
‑
219,
9
‑
4
‑
220
and 28
‑
11
‑
601
are created to read:

9
‑
4
‑
219
.

Legislative stabilization reserve account created; purposes.

(a)

The legislative stabilization reserve account created in 2005 Wyoming session laws,
c
hapter 191,
s
ection 4,
s
ection
301(d) is
hereby
continued and codified. Funds within the account
shall
only be expended
upon
legislative appropriation.

All investment earnings from
the account shall be
credit
ed to
the general fund.

(b)

As soon as possible after
June 30, 2016
and June 30 of
every
even
‑
numbered
year thereafter, u
nappropriated funds
in excess of five percent (5%) of the estimated general fund receipts as computed under W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1012(
e)
remaining in the budget res
erve account
shall be transferred to the legislative stabilization reserve account.

(c)

The maximum legislative stabilization reserve account balance shall be computed as follows:

(
i
)

Not later than July 1 of each
even
‑
numbered
year, the state auditor’s office shall compute the average
general fund
appropriations for purposes of
state, county or municipal government operations
, over the prior three (3) biennia.

(d)

Not later than October 15 of each
even
‑
numbered
year, the state auditor’s office shall calculate the unobligated fund balance within the legislative stabilization reserve account after all reasonable efforts to execute fiscal period ending transfers as specified by law have been made and credit any amounts in excess of the maximum legislative stabilization reserve account balance as defined in subsection (c) of this section as follows:

(
i
)

Twenty
‑
five percent (25%) to the
strategic investments and projects
account;

(ii)

Twenty
‑
five percent (25%) to the budget reserve account; and

(iii)

Fifty percent (50%) to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund.

9
‑
4
‑
220
.

Strategic investments and projects account created; purposes.

(a)

The creation of the strategic investments and projects account in
2013 Wyoming session laws, chapter 73, section 4,
s
ection
300(e) is
hereby
continued and codified. Funds within the account may only be expended
upon
legislative appropriation.
E
xcept as provided herein, e
xpenditure of funds from the account shall not be included or considered within the general appropriation bill or bills as recommended by the joint appropriations committee.
The governor may incl
ude appropriation requests for an amount not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the
funds available within the strategic investments and projects account within his biennial budget request for
one
‑
time
expe
nditures as he deems necessary.
The joint appropriations committee shall consider whether to include the governor's appropriation requests from the strategic investments and projects account in the general appropriation bill or bills.
The select committee on
strategic investments and projects shall sponsor legislation during each budget session of the legislature
, separate and distinct from the general appropriation bill or bills,
for
one
‑
time
expenditures from the account in an amount not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the funds available within the strategic investments and projects account as provided in W.S. 28
‑
11
‑
601.
All funds within the account shall be invested by the state treasurer and all investment earnings from the account shall be credited into the general fund.

(b)

The state auditor shall transfer t
hirty
percent (
3
0%) of any amounts deposited to the legislative stabilization reserve account pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
4
‑
219(
b) to the strategic investments and projects account as soon as possible after June 30 of each
even
‑
numbered
year.

ARTICLE 6
SELECT COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AND PROJECTS

28
‑
11
‑
601
.

Appointment of members; powers and duties.

(a)

Not later than
April
1 following each general election, a select committee on strategic investments and projects shall be appointed subject to the following:

(
i
)

Select committee membership shall include:

(A)

One (1) member of the joint judiciary interim committee;

(B)

One (1) member of the joint appropriations committee;

(C)

One (1) member of the joint revenue interim committee;

(D)

One (1) member of the joint education interim committee;

(E)

One (1) member of the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources
interim
committee;

(F)

One (1) member of the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee;

(G)

One (1) member of the joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee;

(H)

One (1) member of the joint
transportation, highways and military affairs interim committee;

(
J
)

One (1) member of the joint minerals, business and economic development
interim
committee; and

(K)

One (1) member of the joint labor,
health and social services
interim committee.

(i
i
)

The president of the senate shall appoint
five
(
5
) members of the senate
to the select committee
apportioned as nearly as possible to reflect the percentage of the elected membership of the majority and minority parties of the senate, provided not more than
eight
(
8
) of
the members of the select committee shall be
from the same political party;

(iii)

The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint
five
(
5
) members of the house apportioned
to the select committee
as nearly as possible to reflect the percentage of the elected membership of the majority and minority parties of the house, provided not more than
eight
(
8
) of the members of the select committee shall be from the same politica
l party;

(iv)

The president of the senate and the speaker of the
house of representatives
shall alternate between the appointment
s
of members
to the select committee,
with the president of the senate making the first appointment
following the 201
4
general election
.

(b)

The select committee shall:

(
i
)

Select from among its members one (1) senator and one (1) member of the house to serve as cochairmen;

(
i
i
)

Meet no later than
December
15
of the
year
prior to the budget session
to consider requests from
current
legislators for
one
‑
time
expenditures from the strategic investment and projects account created by W.S. 9
‑
4
‑
220
. Requests may be submitted by members of the select committee
;

(i
i
i
)

Meet again as necessary
at the discretion of the chairman
to d
evelop and introduce legislation
as n
ecessary for appropriations of funds not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the available funds in
the
strategic investments and projects
account. Any
appropriations within legislation sponsored pursuant to this section shall only be
:

(
A
)

F
or
one
‑
time
expenditures for which there is no anticipated ongoing obligation or liability of the state other than capital maintenance; and

(
B
)

P
roposed by a current, duly elected member of the Wyoming legislature and presented to the
select committee
.

Section 2
.

There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative service office fifteen thousand
dollars ($15,000.00) for the purposes of this act. Unexpended and unobligated funds in this appropriation shall revert to the general fund on June 30, 2016.

Section
3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0116