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Second Regular Session

Sixty-first General Assembly

LLS NO. R98­0618.01 ABA

STATE OF COLORADO

BY REPRESENTATIVES Agler, Grampsas, Owen, Romero, and Pfiffner;

also SENATORS Coffman, Lacy, Blickensderfer, and Rizzuto.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 98-1006

WHEREAS, The general assembly is required by section 24­75­201.3, Colorado Revised Statutes, to make an annual certification of its estimate of general fund revenues for the next fiscal year to the controller; and

WHEREAS, Gross general fund revenues for the 1998­99 fiscal year, as estimated in this resolution, have already been obligated by law as follows:

(1)  $50,316,635 for transfer to the capital construction fund pursuant to section 24­75­302 (2) (k), Colorado Revised Statutes;

(2)  Amounts required by statute to be used for: Payments to local governments based on state cigarette tax collections; property tax and heat or fuel expense grants; and payments to the fire and police members' benefit fund; and

WHEREAS, Under current law, general fund revenues must be used first to fund the obligations set forth above, second to fund appropriations for the executive, legislative, and judicial departments, and third to fund the reserve mandated by section 24­75­201.1 (1) (d), Colorado Revised Statutes; and

WHEREAS, The general assembly recognizes that new programs can be funded from the general fund only after these three priorities are satisfied; and

WHEREAS, If appropriate statutes are amended, additional general fund revenues could be realized; and

WHEREAS, The estimate of general fund revenues certified in this resolution does not include the balance carried forward from the 1997­98 fiscal year; and

WHEREAS, The general assembly intends to make an annual certification of its estimate of the allowable state fiscal year spending amount under section 20 of article X of the state constitution and its estimate of the total allowable state general fund appropriations under section 24­75­201.1, Colorado Revised Statutes; and

WHEREAS, In accordance with the provisions of article 77 of title 24, Colorado Revised Statutes, the estimate of the allowable state fiscal year spending amount for the 1998­99 fiscal year under said provisions will be based upon the following conclusions:

(1)  For the 1997­98 fiscal year, the state fiscal year spending is $6,866.6 million;

(2)  The percentage of allowable increase in state fiscal year spending for the 1998­99 fiscal year is estimated to be 5.4 %; and

WHEREAS, In accordance with the provisions of section 24­75­201.1, Colorado Revised Statutes, the estimate of the allowable state general fund appropriations for the 1998­99 fiscal year will be based upon the following conclusions:

(1)  State general fund appropriations for the 1997­98 fiscal year, prior to the enactment of any supplemental appropriations during the 1998 regular session, are $4,424.2 million;

(2)  The allowable increase in state general fund appropriations for the 1998­99 fiscal year is the cost of reappraisal of taxable property for property tax purposes as required by section 39­1­105.5, Colorado Revised Statutes, plus 6% of the 1997­98 state general fund appropriations; and

WHEREAS, The revenue estimate and the estimates of spending made pursuant to this resolution are made for the purpose of providing direction and guidance to the joint budget committee in the preparation of the 1998­99 general appropriation act and does not affect the ability of the general assembly to make spending decisions in the general appropriation act; and

WHEREAS, The revenue estimate and the estimates of spending made pursuant to this resolution may be adjusted if additional relevant information is received by the general assembly after the adoption thereof; and

WHEREAS, For purposes of section 39 of article V of the state constitution, this resolution relates solely to the transaction of business of the two houses of the general assembly; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­first General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That, in accordance with section 24­75­201.3, Colorado Revised Statutes, the general assembly hereby certifies to the controller of the state of Colorado that the estimate of gross general fund revenues for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, is $5,393.2 million. The general assembly further certifies that the estimate of the allowable state fiscal year spending amount for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, under section 20 of article X of the state constitution and article 77 of title 24, Colorado Revised Statutes, is $7,237.4 million and the estimate of the allowable state general fund appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, under section 24­75­201.1, Colorado Revised Statutes, is $4,689.7 million.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the controller of the state of Colorado, Clifford W. Hall.