AI-assisted research summary: The commissioner may require departments and agencies to set aside a reserve from allotments, with the governor’s approval.
In order to provide some degree of flexibility to meet emergencies arising during each fiscal year in the expenditures for operation and maintenance of the various departments, offices and agencies of state government, the commissioner of finance and administration, with the approval of the governor, may require the head of each department, office, or agency, in making the original allotments, to set aside a reserve, the exact amount of which shall be determined by the commissioner of finance and administration, of the total amount appropriated to the department, office, or agency. At any time during the fiscal year, this reserve or any portion of it may be returned to the appropriation to which it belongs and may be added to any one (1) or more of the allotments; provided, that the commissioner deems such action necessary, and any unused portion thereof shall remain at the end of the fiscal year as an unexpended balance of appropriation. Any unexpended and unencumbered balance of allotments at the end of each quarter shall be credited to the reserve set up for the fiscal year. During fiscal year 2020-2021, before requiring each head to set aside a reserve pursuant to subsection (a) or otherwise reserving allotments pursuant to this section, the commissioner of finance and administration shall submit written notice of the proposed reserve allotment to the speakers of the senate and the house of representatives and to the chairs of the finance, ways and means committees of the senate and house of representatives. No such allotments shall be reserved until the speakers and chairs have acknowledged in writing receipt of such written notice. When submitted, a copy of the notice shall be provided to the fiscal review committee executive director and the office of legislative budget analysis directors for information purposes. A proposed reserve allotment shall not be acknowledged by the chairs during a time that the general assembly is in regular, annual session until each finance, ways and means committee has held a hearing on the proposed allotment, or the committees have held a joint hearing.