Section 1. JR3-2-402 is amended to read:JR3-2-402. Executive appropriations -- Duties -- Base budgets.(1)(a)The Executive Appropriations Committee shall meet no later than the third Wednesday in December to:(i)direct staff as to what revenue estimate to use in preparing budget recommendations, to include a forecast for federal fund receipts;(ii)consider treating above-trend revenue growth as one-time revenue for major tax types and for federal funds;(iii)hear a report on the historical, current, and anticipated status of the following:(A)debt;(B)long term liabilities;(C)contingent liabilities;(D)General Fund borrowing;(E)reserves;(F)fund balances;(G)nonlapsing appropriation balances;(H)cash funded infrastructure investment; and(I)changes in federal funds paid to the state;(iv)hear a report on:(A)the next fiscal year base budget appropriation for Medicaid accountable care organizations according to Utah Code Section 26B-3-203;(B)an explanation of program funding needs;(C)estimates of overall medical inflation in the state; and(D)mandated program changes and their estimated cost impact on Medicaid accountable care organizations;(v)decide whether to set aside special allocations for the end of the session, including allocations:(A)to address any anticipated reduction in the amount of federal funds paid to the state; and(B)of one-time revenue to pay down debt and other liabilities;(vi)(A)hear a report on construction inflation and the ongoing operation and maintenance costs of any capital development project requested by an institution under Utah Code Section 53B-2a-11753H-9-504 or 53B-22-20453H-9-605; and(B)in response to the report described in Subsection (1)(a)(vi)(A), decide whether to adjust the next fiscal year base budget or set aside special allocations for the end of the session;(vii)decide whether to set aside special allocations for legislation that will reduce taxes, including legislation that will reduce one or more tax rates;(viii)subject to Subsection (1)(c), unless waived by majority vote, if the amortization rate as defined in Utah Code Section 49-11-102 for the new fiscal year is less than the amortization rate for the preceding fiscal year, set aside an amount equal to the value of the reduction in the amortization rate;(ix)approve the appropriate amount for each subcommittee to use in preparing its budget;(x)set a budget figure; and(xi)adopt a base budget in accordance with Subsection (1)(b) and direct the legislative fiscal analyst to prepare one or more appropriations acts appropriating one or more base budgets for the next fiscal year.(b)In a base budget adopted under Subsection (1)(a), the Executive Appropriations Committee shall set appropriations from the General Fund, the Income Tax Fund, and the Uniform School Fund as follows:(i)if the next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates set under Subsection (1)(a)(i) are equal to or greater than the current fiscal year ongoing appropriations, the new fiscal year base budget is not changed;(ii)if the next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates set under Subsection (1)(a)(i) are less than the current fiscal year ongoing appropriations, the new fiscal year base budget is reduced by the same percentage that projected next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates are lower than the total of current fiscal year ongoing appropriations;(iii)in making a reduction under Subsection (1)(b)(ii), appropriated debt service shall not be reduced, and other ongoing appropriations shall be reduced, in an amount sufficient to make the total ongoing appropriations, including the unadjusted debt service, equal to the percentage calculated under Subsection (1)(b)(ii); and(iv)the new fiscal year base budget shall include an appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services for Medicaid accountable care organizations in the amount required by Utah Code Section 26B-3-203.(c)(i)The Executive Appropriations Committee shall:(A)comply with the set aside requirement described in Subsection (1)(a)(vii) (1)(a)(viii) using money from the General Fund, Income Tax Fund, and Uniform School Fund;(B)accumulate money set aside under Subsection (1)(a)(vii) (1)(a)(viii) across fiscal years; and(C)when the total amount set aside under Subsection (1)(a)(vii), (1)(a)(viii), including any amount to be set aside in the new fiscal year, equals or exceeds the cost of a 0.50% increase in benefited state employee salaries for the new fiscal year, include in the base budget an increase in benefited state employee salaries equal to the total set aside amount.(ii)The Executive Appropriations Committee may waive or modify a requirement described in Subsection (1)(c)(i) by majority vote.(d)The chairs of each joint appropriations subcommittee are invited to attend the meeting described in this Subsection (1).(2)All proposed budget items shall be submitted to one of the subcommittees named in JR3-2-302 for consideration and recommendation.(3)(a)After receiving and reviewing subcommittee reports, the Executive Appropriations Committee may refer the report back to a joint appropriations subcommittee with any guidelines the Executive Appropriations Committee considers necessary to assist the subcommittee in producing a balanced budget.(b)The subcommittee shall meet to review the new guidelines and report the adjustments to the chairs of the Executive Appropriations Committee as soon as possible.(4)(a)After receiving the reports, the Executive Appropriations Committee chairs will report them to the Executive Appropriations Committee.(b)The Executive Appropriations Committee shall:(i)make any further adjustments necessary to balance the budget; and(ii)complete all decisions necessary to draft the final appropriations bills no later than the last Friday before the 45th day of the annual general session(ii)no later than the last Friday before the 45th day of the annual general session:(A)complete all decisions necessary to draft the final appropriations bills; and(B)report to each joint appropriations subcommittee the decisions under Subsection (4)(b)(ii)(A) that affect the subcommittee's adopted budget prioritization list.(c)After receipt of the Executive Appropriations Committee's report under Subsection (4)(b)(ii)(B), the chairs of a joint appropriations subcommittee may convene a subcommittee meeting and vote on whether to support the Executive Appropriations Committee's final appropriations decisions.(5)No later than December 1 of each calendar year, the Executive Appropriations Committee shall:(a)review the budget for the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, and the Office of Legislative Services; and(b)certify the Legislature's budget to the governor in accordance with Utah Code Section 63J-1-201.