BILL NUMBER: S4729

SPONSOR: GRIFFO
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to
requiring itemization, by school district, of proposed appropriations to
the education department for the support of school districts

 
PURPOSE:

Requires the budget submitted by the governor to include an itemization,
by each individual school district, of appropriations for the support of
school districts.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 24 of the state finance law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 6 to read as follows: In each budget bill submitted
annually by the governor, and in every amendment thereof submitted by
the governor, which appropriates moneys to the education department for
the support of school districts, there shall be included for each such
appropriation, the apportionment thereof to each individual school
              

district in the state. Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Prospective school aid runs are vitally important to the formulation of
school budgets. Unfortunately, the release of these projections is not
mandated by law. Their release as a part of the Executive Budget
Proposal has served as an acknowledgment of the complex and time-consum-
ing nature of school budgets. Due to the fact that they are not mandated
by law, the governor has the ability to unfairly withhold them from
his/her budget proposal and subject schools to a shorter amount of time
in which to formulate a budget to be presented and voted upon by their
district's voters. This bill would mandate the release of school aid run
projections as a part of the executive's budget proposal. This would
assure superintendents, school boards, teachers and parents of the
projections that they rely on the state to provide to them to develop
their school's budget.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18 - S. 2281 Passed Senate/A. 2631 Way and Means
2016 - S. 4603 Passed Senate/A. 6964 - Ways and Means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.