Existing law creates the State Education Fund for the purpose of supporting the operation of the public schools in this State and identifies the sources of revenue for the Fund. (NRS 387.1212) Existing law requires the Governor, when preparing the proposed executive budget and to the extent practicable, to reserve an amount of money in the State General Fund for transfer to the State Education Fund which is sufficient to fully fund certain increases in the amount of money in the State Education Fund if the Economic Forum projects an increase in state revenue in the upcoming biennium. (NRS 387.12455) This bill revises this requirement to instead require the Governor, to the extent practicable, to ensure that the amount of money in the State Education Fund is at least equal to the amount of money in the State Education Fund for the immediately preceding biennium adjusted by either the rate of growth in revenue collected by the State for general, unrestricted uses projected by the Economic Forum or the combined rate of inflation and growth of enrollment in the public schools in this State in the immediately preceding biennium, whichever is less. This bill additionally requires that the amount of money transferred from the State General Fund to the State Education Fund in the proposed executive budget be not less than the amount of money transferred in the immediately preceding biennium, unless the Economic Forum projects a decrease in state revenues. Existing law: (1) requires the Governor to include in the proposed executive budget recommendations for the statewide base per pupil funding amount and the multiplier for each category of pupils; (2) requires the recommendation for the statewide base per pupil funding amount to, in general, increase at a rate equal to at least inflation and enrollment growth unless revenues decline; and (3) requires the recommendation for the multiplier for each category of pupils not to decrease, except in certain circumstances. (NRS 387.12455) This bill eliminates these requirements for the recommendations of the Governor for the statewide base per pupil funding amount and multiplier for each category of pupils as a part of the proposed executive budget. Existing law authorizes the Governor to include in the proposed executive budget a recommendation for such funding for the public schools in this State as the Governor determines to be appropriate if the Governor determines that preparing a proposed executive budget as required by existing law would be impracticable. If the Governor includes such a recommendation, the Governor must also recommend appropriate legislation to improve the method for determining funding for the public schools in this State. (NRS 387.12455) This bill eliminates this authority.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 387.12455
BDR: 387.12455