Article XIII B, California Constitution
California Constitution |
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Preamble |
Articles |
I • II • III • IV • V • VI VII • VIII • IX • X • XA XB • XI • XII • XIII • XIII A XIII B • XIII C • XIII D • XIV • XV • XVI • XVIII • XIX • XIX A • XIX B • XIX C XX • XXI • XXII XXXIV • XXXV |
Article XIII B of the California Constitution is labeled Government Spending Limitation.
Section 1
Text of Section 1:
The total annual appropriations subject to limitation of the State and of each local government shall not exceed the appropriations limit of the entity of government for the prior year adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in population, except as otherwise provided in this article.[1] |
Amendments
Section 1.5
Text of Section 1.5:
The annual calculation of the appropriations limit under this article for each entity of local government shall be reviewed as part of an annual financial audit.[1] |
Amendments
Section 2
Text of Section 2:
(a) (1) Fifty percent of all revenues received by the State in a fiscal year and in the fiscal year immediately following it in excess of the amount which may be appropriated by the State in compliance with this article during that fiscal year and the fiscal year immediately following it shall be transferred and allocated, from a fund established for that purpose, pursuant to Section 8.5 of Article XVI.
(b) All revenues received by an entity of government, other than the State, in a fiscal year and in the fiscal year immediately following it in excess of the amount which may be appropriated by the entity in compliance with this article during that fiscal year and the fiscal year immediately following it shall be returned by a revision of tax rates or fee schedules within the next two subsequent fiscal years.[1] |
Amendments
Section 3
Text of Section 3:
The appropriations limit for any fiscal year pursuant to Sec. 1 shall be adjusted as follows:
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Amendments
Section 4
Text of Section 4:
The appropriations limit imposed on any new or existing entity of government by this Article may be established or changed by the electors of such entity, subject to and in conformity with constitutional and statutory voting requirements. The duration of any such change shall be as determined by said electors, but shall in no event exceed four years from the most recent vote of said electors creating or continuing such change.[1] |
Section 5
Text of Section 5:
Each entity of government may establish such contingency, emergency, unemployment, reserve, retirement, sinking fund, trust, or similar funds as it shall deem reasonable and proper. Contributions to any such fund, to the extent that such contributions are derived from the proceeds of taxes, shall for purposes of this Article constitute appropriations subject to limitation in the year of contribution. Neither withdrawals from any such fund, nor expenditures of (or authorizations to expend) such withdrawals, nor transfers between or among such funds, shall for purposes of this Article constitute appropriations subject to limitation.[1] |
Section 5.5
Text of Section 5.5:
Prudent State Reserve. The Legislature shall establish a prudent state reserve fund in such amount as it shall deem reasonable and necessary. Contributions to, and withdrawals from, the fund shall be subject to the provisions of Section 5 of this Article.[1] |
Amendments
Section 5.5 became part of Article III B with the passage of Proposition 98 in 1988.
Section 6
Text of Section 6:
(a) Whenever the Legislature or any state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local government, the State shall provide a subvention of funds to reimburse that local government for the costs of the program or increased level of service, except that the Legislature may, but need not, provide a subvention of funds for the following mandates:
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), for the 2005-06 fiscal year and every subsequent fiscal year, for a mandate for which the costs of a local government claimant have been determined in a preceding fiscal year to be payable by the State pursuant to law, the Legislature shall either appropriate, in the annual Budget Act, the full payable amount that has not been previously paid, or suspend the operation of the mandate for the fiscal year for which the annual Budget Act is applicable in a manner prescribed by law.
(c) A mandated new program or higher level of service includes a transfer by the Legislature from the State to cities, counties, cities and counties, or special districts of complete or partial financial responsibility for a required program for which the State previously had complete or partial financial responsibility.[1] |
Amendments
Approved:
Defeated:
Section 7
Text of Section 7:
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to impair the ability of the State or of any local government to meet its obligations with respect to existing or future bonded indebtedness.[1] |
Section 8
Text of Section 8:
As used in this article and except as otherwise expressly provided herein:
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Amendments
California Proposition 98 (1988)
California Proposition 111 (1990)
California Proposition 71 (1988)
Section 9
Text of Section 9:
"Appropriations subject to limitation" for each entity of government do not include:
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Amendments
Section 10
Text of Section 10:
This Article shall be effective commencing with the first day of the fiscal year following its adoption.[1] |
Section 10.5
Text of Section 10.5:
For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 1990, the appropriations limit of each entity of government shall be the appropriations limit for the 1986-87 fiscal year adjusted for the changes made from that fiscal year pursuant to this article, as amended by the measure adding this section, adjusted for the changes required by Section 3.[1] |
Amendments
Section 11
Text of Section 11:
If any appropriation category shall be added to or removed from appropriations subject to limitation, pursuant to final judgment of any court of competent jurisdiction and any appeal therefrom, the appropriations limit shall be adjusted accordingly. If any section, part, clause of phrase in this Article is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining portions of this Article shall not be affected but shall remain in full force and effect.[1] |
Section 12
Text of Section 12:
"Appropriations subject to limitation" of each entity of government shall not include appropriations of revenue from the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund created by the Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988. No adjustment in the appropriations limit of any entity of government shall be required pursuant to Section 3 as a result of revenue being deposited in or appropriated from the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund created by the Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988.[1] |
Section 13
Text of Section 13:
"Appropriations subject to limitation" of each entity of government shall not include appropriations of revenue from the California Children and Families First Trust Fund created by the California Children and Families First Act of 1998. No adjustment in the appropriations limit of any entity of government shall be required pursuant to Section 3 as a result of revenue being deposited in or appropriated from the California Children and Families First Trust Fund. The surtax created by the California Children and Families First Act of 1998 shall not be considered General Fund revenues for the purposes of Section 8 of Article XVI.[1] |
Amendments
Approved:
Section 13 was added by Proposition 10 (1998)
Section 14
Text of Section 14:
“Appropriations subject to limitation” of each entity of government shall not include appropriations of revenue from the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 Fund created by the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. No adjustment in the appropriations limit of any entity of government shall be required pursuant to Section 3 as a result of revenue being deposited in or appropriated from the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 Fund.[1] |
Amendments
- Added on November 8, 2016, via voter approval of Proposition 56.
Section 15
Text of Section 15:
“Appropriations subject to limitation” of each entity of government shall not include appropriations of revenues from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account created by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, or any other revenues deposited into any other funds pursuant to the act. No adjustment in the appropriations limit of any entity of government shall be required pursuant to Section 3 as a result of revenues being deposited in or appropriated from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account created by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 or any other account pursuant to the act.[1] |
Amendments
- Added on June 5, 2018, via voter approval of Proposition 69.
Amendments
Approved
- Proposition 4 (1979) (This is the proposition that added Article XIII B in its original entirety to the state constitution.)
- Proposition 98 (1998)
- Proposition 111 (1990)
- Proposition 10 (1998)
- Proposition 1A (2004)
- Proposition 56 (2016).
Defeated
- Proposition 71 (1988)
- Proposition 72 (1998)
- Proposition 126 (1990)
- Proposition 129 (1990)
- Proposition 134 (1990)
- Proposition 65 (2004)
- Proposition 67 (2004)
- Proposition 76 (2005)
- Proposition 82 (2006)
- Proposition 86 (2006)
- Proposition 87 (2006)
- Proposition 88 (2006)
See also
- State constitution
- Constitutional article
- Constitutional amendment
- Constitutional revision
- Constitutional convention
- Amendments
External links
- California Constitution
- California Secretary of State, "1849 California Constitution from the California State Archives"
- California Secretary of State, "1878–1879 Constitutional Convention Working Papers"
- The California Constitution Wiki, a wiki project to re-design the state's constitution
Additional reading
- Joseph R. Grodin, Calvin R. Massey, and Richard B. Cunningham (1993), The California State Constitution: A Reference Guide, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
- Treadwell, Edward (1902). The Constitution of the State of California, San Francisco, California: Bancroft-Whitney.
Footnotes
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