Senate Bill No. proposes a constitutional amendment to amend Article VII, Sections 10(C) and (E) and 11(A) of the Louisiana Constitution, focusing on state financial management. The bill introduces a new "Government Growth Limit" that will restrict the appropriation of recurring revenue from the state general fund and dedicated funds for each fiscal year, starting with the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This limit will be established by the Revenue Estimating Conference and can only be exceeded for specific purposes. Additionally, if the calculated Government Growth Limit exceeds the expenditure limit for the same fiscal year, it will be adjusted to match the expenditure limit. The bill also allows for changes to the Government Growth Limit by a two-thirds vote of the legislature under certain conditions.
Furthermore, the proposed amendment retains existing provisions that prohibit appropriations from exceeding the official forecast at the time of appropriation. It mandates that appropriations of recurring revenue must comply with the new growth limit, and the governor's proposed budget must also adhere to these financial constraints. The amendment will be submitted to voters for approval in a statewide election scheduled for March 29, 2025.