Section 10.(A) Revenue Estimating Conference. The Revenue Estimating Conference shall be composed of four members: the governor, or his designee, the president of the senate, or his designee, the speaker of the house or his designee, and a faculty member of a university or college in Louisiana who has expertise in forecasting revenues. Changes to the membership beyond the four members shall be made by law enacted by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house.

            (B) Official Forecast. The conference shall prepare and publish initial and revised estimates of money to be received by the state general fund and dedicated funds for the current and next fiscal years which are available for appropriation. In each estimate, the conference shall designate the money in the estimate which is recurring and which is nonrecurring. All conference decisions to adopt these estimates shall be by unanimous vote of its members. Changes to the unanimous vote requirement shall be made by law enacted by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house. The most recently adopted estimate of money available for appropriation shall be the official forecast.

            (C) Expenditure Limit. (1) The legislature shall provide for the determination of an expenditure limit for each fiscal year to be established during the first quarter of the calendar year for the next fiscal year. However, the expenditure limit for the 1991-1992 Fiscal Year shall be the actual appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds for that year except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E). For subsequent fiscal years, the limit shall not exceed the expenditure limit for the current fiscal year plus an amount equal to that limit times a positive growth factor. The growth factor is the average annual percentage rate of change of personal income for Louisiana as defined and reported by the United States Department of Commerce for the three calendar years prior to the fiscal year for which the limit is calculated.

            (2) The expenditure limit may be changed in any fiscal year by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house. Any such change in the expenditure limit shall be approved by passage of a specific legislative instrument which clearly states the intent to change the limit.

            (3) Beginning with the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year, the expenditure limit shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (J) of this Section. The redetermination of the expenditure limit for each fiscal year from the 1991-1992 Fiscal Year through the 1994-1995 Fiscal Year shall only be used in computing the expenditure limit for the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year and shall not affect the expenditure limit already computed in accordance with this Paragraph for such fiscal years.

            (4) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to or affect funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E).

            (D) Appropriations. (1) Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, money shall be drawn from the state treasury only pursuant to an appropriation made in accordance with law. Appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E) shall not exceed the expenditure limit for the fiscal year.

            (2) Except as otherwise provided in this constitution, the appropriation or allocation of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring shall be made only for the following purposes:

            (a) Retiring or for the defeasance of bonds in advance or in addition to the existing amortization requirements of the state.

            (b)(i) Providing for payments against the unfunded accrued liability of the public retirement systems which are in addition to any payments required for the annual amortization of the unfunded accrued liability of the public retirement systems, as required by Article X, Section 29(E)(2)(c) of this constitution; however, any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems.

            (ii) For Fiscal Year 2015-2016 through Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the legislature shall appropriate no less than ten percent of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring to the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana for application to the balance of the unfunded accrued liability of such systems existing as of June 30, 1988, in proportion to the balance of such unfunded accrued liability of each such system. Any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems.

            (iii) For Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and each fiscal year thereafter, the legislature shall appropriate no less than twenty-five percent of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring to the state retirement systems for application to their unfunded accrued liability. Money appropriated pursuant to this Item shall be applied by the receiving system to its outstanding positive amortization bases in the order in which they were created, from oldest to newest. The legislature may provide by law for a formula to distribute the nonrecurring money between those state retirement systems that have unfunded accrued liability. If the legislature has not provided by law for a distribution formula, nonrecurring money shall be appropriated pursuant to this Item to each system in the proportion that the system’s total unfunded accrued liability bears to the total of all state system unfunded accrued liability, using the most recent system valuations adopted by the Public Retirement Systems’ Actuarial Committee or its successor. Any payment to a state retirement system made pursuant to the provisions of this Item shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such system.

            (c) Providing funding for capital outlay projects in the comprehensive state capital budget.

            (d) Providing for allocation or appropriation for deposit into the Budget Stabilization Fund established in Article VII, Section 10.3 of this constitution.

            (e) Providing for allocation or appropriation for deposit into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund established in Article VII, Section 10.2 of this constitution.

            (f) Providing for new highway construction for which federal matching funds are available, without excluding highway projects otherwise eligible as capital projects under other provisions of this constitution.

            (3)(a) The legislature shall provide by law for the payment by the state of supplements to the salaries of full-time local law enforcement and fire protection officers of the state. No law shall reduce any payments by the state provided as a supplement to the salaries of full-time local law enforcement and fire protection officers of the state. Beginning with the fiscal year which begins July 1, 2003, the legislature shall appropriate funds sufficient to fully fund the cost of such state supplement to the salaries of full-time law enforcement and fire protection officers.

            (b) For the purposes of this Subparagraph, local law enforcement and fire protection officers shall mean and include the same classes of officers which are eligible for such state salary supplements under the law as of July 1, 2003.

            (c) Full funding as required in Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph shall be equal to the amount which is required to meet the requirements of law.

            (d) Neither the governor nor the legislature may reduce an appropriation made pursuant to this Subparagraph except that the governor may reduce such appropriation using means provided in the Act containing the appropriation, provided that two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature consent to any such reduction in writing.

            (E) Balanced Budget. Appropriations by the legislature from the state general fund and dedicated funds for any fiscal year except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E) shall not exceed the official forecast in effect at the time the appropriations are made.

            (F) Projected Deficit. (1) The legislature by law shall establish a procedure to determine if appropriations will exceed the official forecast and an adequate method for adjusting appropriations in order to eliminate a projected deficit. Any law establishing a procedure to determine if appropriations will exceed the official forecast and methods for adjusting appropriations, including any constitutionally protected or mandated allocations or appropriations, once enacted, shall not be changed except by specific legislative instrument which receives a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article III, § 2 of this Constitution, such law may be introduced and considered in any regular session of the legislature.

            (2)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the contrary, adjustments to any constitutionally protected or mandated allocations or appropriations, and transfer of monies associated with such adjustments, are authorized when state general fund allocations or appropriations have been reduced in an aggregate amount equal to at least seven-tenths of one percent of the total of such allocations and appropriations for a fiscal year. Such adjustments may not exceed five percent of the total appropriation or allocation from a fund for the fiscal year. For purposes of this Subsubparagraph, reductions to expenditures required by Article VIII, Section 13(B) of this constitution shall not exceed one percent and such reductions shall not be applicable to instructional activities included within the meaning of instruction pursuant to the Minimum Foundation Program formula. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, monies transferred as a result of such budget adjustments are deemed available for appropriation and expenditure in the year of the transfer from one fund to another, but in no event shall the aggregate amount of any transfers exceed the amount of the deficit.

            (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the contrary, for the purposes of the budget estimate and enactment of the budget for the next fiscal year, when the official forecast of recurring revenues for the next fiscal year is at least one percent less than the official forecast for the current fiscal year, the following procedure may be employed to avoid a budget deficit in the next fiscal year. An amount not to exceed five percent of the total appropriations or allocations for the current fiscal year from any fund established by law or this constitution shall be available for expenditure in the next fiscal year for a purpose other than as specifically provided by law or this constitution. For the purposes of this Subsubparagraph, an amount not to exceed one percent of the current fiscal year appropriation for expenditures required by Article VIII, Section 13(B) of this constitution shall be available for expenditures for other purposes in the next fiscal year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, monies made available as authorized under this Subsubparagraph may be transferred to a fund for which revenues have been forecast to be less than the revenues in the current fiscal year for such fund. Monies transferred as a result of the budget actions authorized by this Subsubparagraph are deemed available for appropriation and expenditure, but in no event shall the aggregate amount of any such transfers exceed the amount of the difference between the official forecast for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year.

            (c) The legislature may provide by law for the implementation of the provisions of this Subparagraph.

            (3) If within thirty days of the determination that appropriations will exceed the official forecast the necessary adjustments in appropriations are not made to eliminate the projected deficit, the governor shall call a special session of the legislature for this purpose unless the legislature is in regular session. This special session shall commence as soon as possible as allowed by the provisions of this constitution, including but not limited to Article III, Section 2(B).

            (4) The provisions of Subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this Paragraph shall not be applicable to, nor affect:

            (a) The Bond Security and Redemption Fund or any bonds secured thereby, or any other funds pledged as security for bonds or other evidences of indebtedness.

            (b) The allocations provided for by Article VII, Section 4(D) and (E) of this constitution.

            (c) The contributions made in accordance with Article X, Section 29(E) of this constitution.

            (d) The Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund as defined in Article VII, Section 10.1(A)(1) of this constitution.

            (e) The Millennium Trust as provided in Article VII, Section 10.8 of this constitution, except for appropriations from the trust.

            (f) Any monies not required to be deposited in the state treasury as provided in Article VII, § 9 of this Constitution.

            (g) The Medicaid Trust Fund for the Elderly created under the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 46:2691 et seq.

            (h) The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, as provided in Article VII, Section 10.15 of this constitution.

            (i) The Louisiana Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund, as provided in Article VII, § 28 of this Constitution.

            (G) Year End Deficit. If a deficit exists in any fund at the end of a fiscal year, that deficit shall be eliminated no later than the end of the next fiscal year.

            (H) Publication. The legislature shall have published a regular statement of receipts and expenditures of all state money at intervals of not more than one year.

            (I) Public Purpose. No appropriation shall be made except for a public purpose.

            (J) Definition of Funds. For the purposes of this Article, the state general fund and dedicated funds shall be all money required to be deposited in the state treasury, except that money the origin of which is:

            (1) The federal government.

            (2) Self-generated collections by any entity subject to the policy and management authority established by Article VIII, Sections 5 through 7.

            (3) A transfer from another state agency, board, or commission.

            (4) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to or affect funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E).

            Amended by Acts 1990, No. 1096, §1, approved Oct. 6, 1990, eff. Nov. 8, 1990; Acts 1993, No. 1042, §1, approved, Oct. 16, 1993, eff. Nov. 18, 1993; Acts 1993, No. 1045, §1, approved Oct. 16, 1993, eff. Nov. 18, 1993; Acts 1997, No. 1501, §1, approved Oct. 3, 1998, eff. Nov. 5, 1998; Acts 2001, No. 1234, §1, approved Nov. 5, 2002, eff. Dec. 11, 2002; Acts 2001, No. 1236, §1, approved Nov. 5, 2002, eff. Dec. 11, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 1302, §1, approved Oct. 4, 2003, eff. Nov. 6, 2003; Acts 2005, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 69, §1, approved Sept. 30, 2006, eff. Oct. 31, 2006; Acts 2007, No. 483, §1, approved Oct. 20, 2007, eff. Nov. 19, 2007; Acts 2011, No. 422, §1, approved Oct. 22, 2011, eff. Nov. 21, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 873, §1, approved Nov. 6, 2012, eff. Dec. 10, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 679, approved Nov. 8, 2016, eff. Dec. 13, 2016; Acts 2020, No. 366, §1, Acts 2020 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 38, §1, approved Nov. 3, 2020; Acts 2023, No. 107, §1, approved Oct. 14, 2023, eff. Nov. 20, 2023.