77-4602. Actual General Fund net receipts; public statement by Tax Commissioner; Tax Commissioner; duties; transfer of funds; when.

(1) Within fifteen days after the end of each month, the Tax Commissioner shall provide a public statement of actual General Fund net receipts, a comparison of such actual net receipts to the monthly estimated net receipts from the most recent forecast provided by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board pursuant to section 77-27,158, and a comparison of such actual net receipts to the monthly actual net receipts for the same month of the previous fiscal year.

(2) Within fifteen days after the end of each fiscal year, the public statement shall also include (a) a summary of actual General Fund net receipts and estimated General Fund net receipts for the fiscal year as certified pursuant to sections 77-4601 and 77-4603 and (b) a comparison of the actual General Fund net receipts for the fiscal year to the actual General Fund net receipts for the previous fiscal year.

(3)(a) Within fifteen days after the end of fiscal year 2020-21 and each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year 2022-23, the Tax Commissioner shall determine the balance of the Cash Reserve Fund.

(b) If the balance of the Cash Reserve Fund is less than five hundred million dollars:

(i) The Tax Commissioner shall determine:

(A) Actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year minus estimated General Fund net receipts for such fiscal year as certified pursuant to sections 77-4601 and 77-4603; and

(B) Actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year minus one hundred three and one-half percent of actual General Fund net receipts for the prior fiscal year.

(ii) If the amounts calculated under subdivisions (3)(b)(i)(A) and (3)(b)(i)(B) of this section are both positive numbers, the Tax Commissioner shall certify (A) the amount determined under subdivision (3)(b)(i)(A) of this section and (B) fifty percent of the amount determined under subdivision (3)(b)(i)(B) of this section to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall transfer the difference between the two certified amounts to the Cash Reserve Fund.

(iii) If the amount calculated under subdivision (3)(b)(i)(A) of this section is a positive number but the amount calculated under subdivision (3)(b)(i)(B) of this section is a negative number, the Tax Commissioner shall certify the amount determined under subdivision (3)(b)(i)(A) of this section to the State Treasurer and the State Treasurer shall transfer such certified amount to the Cash Reserve Fund.

(c) If the balance of the Cash Reserve Fund is five hundred million dollars or more:

(i) The Tax Commissioner shall determine:

(A) Actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year minus estimated General Fund net receipts for such fiscal year as certified pursuant to sections 77-4601 and 77-4603; and

(B) Actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year minus one hundred three and one-half percent of actual General Fund net receipts for the prior fiscal year.

(ii) If the amounts calculated under subdivisions (3)(c)(i)(A) and (3)(c)(i)(B) of this section are both positive numbers, the Tax Commissioner shall certify (A) the amount determined under subdivision (3)(c)(i)(A) of this section and (B) the amount determined under subdivision (3)(c)(i)(B) of this section to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall transfer the difference between the two certified amounts to the Cash Reserve Fund.

(iii) If the amount calculated under subdivision (3)(c)(i)(A) of this section is a positive number but the amount calculated under subdivision (3)(c)(i)(B) of this section is a negative number, the Tax Commissioner shall certify the amount determined under subdivision (3)(c)(i)(A) of this section to the State Treasurer and the State Treasurer shall transfer such certified amount to the Cash Reserve Fund.

(4)(a) Within fifteen days after the end of fiscal year 2023-24 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Tax Commissioner shall determine the following:

(i) Actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year minus estimated General Fund net receipts for such fiscal year as certified pursuant to sections 77-4601 and 77-4603; and

(ii) Fifty percent of the product of actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year times the difference between the annual percentage increase in the actual General Fund net receipts for the most recently completed fiscal year and the average annual percentage increase in the actual General Fund net receipts over the twenty previous fiscal years, excluding the year in which the annual percentage change in actual General Fund net receipts is the lowest.

(b) If the number determined under subdivision (4)(a)(i) of this section is a positive number, the Tax Commissioner shall immediately certify the greater of the two numbers determined under subdivision (4)(a) of this section to the director. The State Treasurer shall transfer the certified amount from the General Fund to the Cash Reserve Fund upon certification by the director of such amount. The transfer shall be made according to the following schedule:

(i) An amount equal to the amount determined under subdivision (4)(a)(i) of this section shall be transferred immediately; and

(ii) The remainder, if any, shall be transferred by the end of the subsequent fiscal year.

(c) If the transfer required under subdivision (4)(b) of this section causes the balance in the Cash Reserve Fund to exceed sixteen percent of the total budgeted General Fund expenditures for the current fiscal year, such transfer shall be reduced so that the balance of the Cash Reserve Fund does not exceed such amount.

(d) Nothing in this subsection prohibits the balance in the Cash Reserve Fund from exceeding sixteen percent of the total budgeted General Fund expenditures each fiscal year if the Legislature determines it necessary to prepare for and respond to budgetary requirements which may include, but are not limited to, capital construction projects and responses to emergencies.

Source:Laws 1993, LB 38, § 2; Laws 1996, LB 1290, § 4; Laws 2019, LB638, § 1; Laws 2020, LB1107, § 137; Laws 2021, LB180, § 1.