HOUSE BILL NO. 645
INTRODUCED BY J. COBB, B. KASTEN, B. BARNHART, B. KEENAN, C. SWYSGOOD, M. WATERMAN
BY REQUEST OF THE HOUSE JOINT APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
ON HUMAN SERVICES AND AGING
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING FUND STRUCTURE LAWS TO INCLUDE INVESTMENT TRUST FUND TYPES WITHIN THE FIDUCIARY FUND CATEGORY; ALLOWING A FUND TYPE RATHER THAN AN ACCOUNTING ENTITY TO HAVE A NEGATIVE BALANCE AT ANY POINT IN A FISCAL YEAR; PROVIDING THAT, IF POSSIBLE, LONG-TERM LOANS MUST BE MADE FROM FUNDS OTHER THAN THE GENERAL FUND; AMENDING SECTIONS 17-2-102 AND 17-2-107, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 17-2-102, MCA, is amended to read:
"17-2-102. Fund structure. (1) For the purpose of ensuring strict accountability for all revenue received and spent, there are in the state treasury only the following fund categories and types:
(a) the governmental fund category, which includes:
(i) the general fund, which accounts for all financial resources except those required to be accounted for in another fund;
(ii) the special revenue fund type, which accounts for the proceeds of specific revenue sources (other than expendable trusts or major capital projects) that are legally restricted to expenditure for specified purposes. The financial activities of the special revenue fund type are subdivided, for operational purposes, into the following funds to serve the purpose indicated:
(A) The state special revenue fund consists of money from state and other nonfederal sources deposited in the state treasury that is earmarked for the purposes of defraying particular costs of an agency, program, or function of state government and money from other nonstate or nonfederal sources that is restricted by law or by the terms of an agreement, such as a contract, trust agreement, or donation.
(B) The federal special revenue fund consists of money deposited in the treasury from federal sources, including trust income, that is used for the operation of state government.
(iii) the capital projects fund type, which accounts for financial resources to be used for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities, other than those financed by proprietary funds or trust funds; and
(iv) the debt service fund type, which accounts for the accumulation of resources for and the payment of general long-term debt principal and interest;
(b) the proprietary fund category, which includes:
(i) the enterprise fund type, which accounts for operations:
(A) that are financed and operated in a manner similar to private business enterprises whenever the intent of the legislature is that costs (i.e., expenses, including depreciation) of providing goods or services to the general public on a continuing basis are to be financed or recovered primarily through user charges; or
(B) whenever the legislature has decided that periodic determination of revenue earned, expenses incurred, or net income is appropriate for capital maintenance, public policy, management control, accountability, or other purposes; and
(ii) the internal service fund type, which accounts for the financing of goods or services provided by one department or agency to other departments or agencies of state government or to other governmental entities on a cost-reimbursed basis;
(c) the fiduciary fund category, which includes trust and agency fund types used to account for assets held by state government in a trustee capacity or as an agent for individuals, private organizations, other governmental entities, or other funds. These include the:
(i) expendable trust fund type;
(ii) nonexpendable trust fund type;
(iii) investment trust fund type;
(iii)(iv) pension trust fund type; and
(iv)(v) agency fund type.
(d) the higher education funds, which include:
(i) the current fund, which accounts for money deposited in the state treasury that is used to pay current operating costs relating to instruction, research, public service, and allied support operations and programs conducted within the Montana university system. The financial activities of the current fund are subdivided, for operational purposes, into the four following subfunds to serve the purpose indicated:
(A) The unrestricted subfund segregates that portion of the current fund's financial resources that can be expended for general operations and is free of externally imposed restrictions, except those imposed by the legislature.
(B) The restricted subfund segregates that portion of the current fund's financial resources that can be expended for general operations but only for purposes imposed by sources external to the board of regents and the legislature.
(C) The designated subfund segregates that portion of the current fund's financial resources that is associated with general operations but is separately classified in order to accumulate costs that are to be recharged as allocated to other funds or subfunds, identifies financial activities related to special organized activities of educational departments in which the activity is fully supported by supplemental assessments, and identifies special supply and facility fees that are approved for collections beyond normal course fees and their disposition.
(D) The auxiliary subfund segregates that portion of the current fund's financial resources that is devoted to providing essential on-campus services primarily to students, faculty, or staff wherein a fee, which is directly related to but does not necessarily equal the cost of the service provided, is charged to the consumer.
(ii) the student loan fund, which accounts for money deposited in the state treasury that may be loaned to students, faculty, or staff for purposes related to education, organized research, or public services by the Montana university system;
(iii) the endowment fund, which accounts for money deposited in the state treasury by the Montana university system wherein the principal portion of the amount received is nonexpendable but is available for investment, thus producing consumable income. Expendable earnings on endowment funds are to be transferred to appropriate operating funds pursuant to prevailing administrative requirements.
(iv) the annuity and life income fund, which accounts for money deposited in the state treasury by the Montana university system under an agreement whereby the money is made available on condition that the receiving unit of the Montana university system binds itself to pay stipulated amounts periodically to the donor or others designated by the donor over a specified period of time;
(v) the plant fund, which accounts for those financial resources allocated to or received by the Montana university system for capital outlay purposes or to retire long-term debts associated with construction or acquisition of fixed assets and the net accumulative results of these activities; and
(vi) the agency fund, which accounts for money deposited in the state treasury wherein the Montana university system acts in the capacity of a custodian or fiscal agent for individual students, faculty, staff, and qualified organizations.
(2) In addition to the funds provided for in subsection (1), there are in the state treasury the following account groups:
(a) the fixed assets account group, which is a self-balancing group of accounts set up to establish accounting control and accountability for the state's general fixed assets, except those accounted for in proprietary funds, trust funds, and the higher education funds designated in subsections (1)(d)(i)(D), (1)(d)(iii), and (1)(d)(v); and
(b) the long-term debt account group, which is a self-balancing group of accounts set up to establish accounting control and accountability for the state's unmatured general long-term liabilities, except those accounted for in proprietary funds, trust funds, and the higher education funds designated in subsections (1)(d)(i)(D), (1)(d)(iii), and (1)(d)(v)."
Section 2. Section 17-2-107, MCA, is amended to read:
"17-2-107. Accurate accounting records and interentity loans. (1) The department of administration shall record receipts and disbursements for treasury funds and for accounting entities within treasury funds and shall maintain records in a manner that reflects the total cash and invested balance of each fund and each accounting entity. The department of administration shall adopt the necessary procedures to ensure that interdepartmental or intradepartmental transfers of money or loans do not result in inflation of figures reflecting total governmental costs and revenue.
(2) (a) When the expenditure of an appropriation from a fund designated in 17-2-102(1)(a) through (1)(c) is necessary and the cash balance in the accounting entity from which the appropriation was made is insufficient, the department of administration may authorize a temporary loan, bearing no interest, of unrestricted money from other accounting entities if there is reasonable evidence that the income will be sufficient to repay the loan within 1 calendar year and if the loan is recorded in the state accounting records. An accounting entity receiving a loan or an accounting entity from which a loan is made may not be so impaired that all proper demands on the accounting entity cannot be met even if the loan is extended.
(b) (i) When an expenditure from a fund or subfund designated in 17-2-102(1)(d) is necessary and the cash balance in the fund or subfund from which the expenditure is to be made is insufficient, the commissioner of higher education may authorize a temporary loan, bearing interest as provided in subsection (4), of money from the agency's other funds or subfunds if there is reasonable evidence that the income will be sufficient to repay the loan within 1 calendar year and if the loan is recorded in the state accounting records. A fund or subfund receiving a loan or from which a loan is made may not be so impaired that all proper demands on the fund or subfund cannot be met even if the loan is extended.
(ii) One accounting entity within each fund or subfund designated in 17-2-102(1)(d) must be established for the sole purpose of recording loans between the funds or subfunds. This accounting entity is the only accounting entity within each fund or subfund that may receive a loan or from which a loan may be made.
(c) A loan made under subsection (2)(a) or (2)(b) must be repaid within 1 calendar year of the date on which the loan is approved unless it is extended under subsection (3) or by specific legislative authorization.
(3) Under unusual circumstances, the director of the department of administration or the board of regents may grant one extension for up to 1 year for a loan made under subsection (2)(a) or (2)(b). The director or board shall prepare a written justification and proposed repayment plan for each loan extension authorized and shall furnish a copy of the written justification and proposed repayment plan to the house appropriations and senate finance and claims committees at the next legislative session.
(4) Any loan from the current unrestricted subfund to funds designated in 17-2-102(1)(d)(i)(D) and (1)(d)(ii) through (1)(d)(vi) must bear interest at a rate equivalent to the previous fiscal year's average rate of return on the board of investments' short-term investment pool.
(5) If for 2 consecutive fiscal yearends a loan or an extension of a loan has been authorized to the same accounting entity as provided in subsection (2) or (3), the department of administration or the commissioner of higher education shall submit to the legislative finance committee by September 1 of the following fiscal year a written report containing an explanation as to why the second loan or extension was made, an analysis of the solvency of the accounting entity or accounting entities within the university fund or subfund, and a plan for repaying the loans.
(6) If for 2 consecutive fiscal yearends an accounting entity in a fund or subfund designated in 17-2-102(1)(d) has a negative cash balance, the commissioner of higher education shall submit to the legislative finance committee by September 1 of the following fiscal year a written report containing an explanation as to why the accounting entity has a negative cash balance, an analysis of the solvency of the accounting entity, and a plan to address any problems concerning the accounting entity's negative cash balance or solvency.
(7) (a) An accounting entity in a fund designated in 17-2-102(1)(a) through (1)(c) may not have a negative cash balance
at fiscal yearend. The department of administration may, however, allow an accounting entity a fund type within each
agency to carry a negative balance at any point during the fiscal year if the negative cash balance does not exist for more
than 7 working days.
(b) (i) Except as provided in subsection (7)(b)(ii), a unit of the university system shall maintain a positive cash balance in the funds and subfunds designated in 17-2-102(1)(d).
(ii) If a fund or subfund inadvertently has a negative cash balance, the department of administration may allow the fund or subfund to carry the negative cash balance for no more than 7 working days. If the negative cash balance exists for more than 7 working days, a transaction may not be processed through the statewide accounting system for that fund or subfund.
(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (2) through (4), the department of administration may authorize loans to accounting entities in the federal and state special revenue funds with long-term repayment whenever necessary because of the timing of the receipt of agreed upon reimbursements from federal, private, or other governmental entity sources for disbursements made. If possible, the loans must be made from funds other than the general fund. The department of administration may approve the loans if the requesting agency can demonstrate that the total loan balance does not exceed total receivables from federal, private, or other governmental entity sources and receivables have been billed on a timely basis. The loan must be repaid under terms and conditions that may be determined by the department of administration or by specific legislative authorization."
Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 1999.
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Latest Version of HB 645 (HB0645.ENR)
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