216.292  Appropriations nontransferable; exceptions.--

(1)(a)  Funds provided in the General Appropriations Act or as otherwise expressly provided by law shall be expended only for the purpose for which appropriated, except that if deemed necessary such moneys may be transferred as provided in subsections (3), (4), and (5) when it is determined to be in the best interest of the state. Appropriations for fixed capital outlay may not be expended for any other purpose, and appropriations may not be transferred between state agencies, or between a state agency and the judicial branch, unless specifically authorized by law.

¹(b)  For the 1998-1999 fiscal year only, the Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for Health Care Administration may transfer general revenue funds as necessary to comply with any provision of the General Appropriations Act that requires or specifically authorizes the transfer of general revenue funds between these two agencies. This paragraph is repealed on July 1, 1999.

(2)  A lump sum appropriated for a performance-based program must be distributed by the Governor for state agencies or the Chief Justice for the judicial branch into the traditional expenditure categories in accordance with s. 216.181(5)(b). At any time during the year, the agency head or Chief Justice may transfer funds between those categories with no limit on the amount of the transfer. Authorized revisions of the original approved operating budget, together with related changes, if any, must be transmitted by the state agency or by the judicial branch to the Executive Office of the Governor or the Chief Justice, the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, and the Auditor General. Such authorized revisions shall be consistent with the intent of the approved operating budget, shall be consistent with legislative policy and intent, and shall not conflict with specific spending policies specified in the General Appropriations Act. The Executive Office of the Governor shall forward a copy of the revisions within 7 working days to the Comptroller for entry in his or her records in the manner and format prescribed by the Executive Office of the Governor in consultation with the Comptroller. Such authorized revisions shall be consistent with the intent of the approved operating budget, shall be consistent with legislative policy and intent, and shall not conflict with specific spending policies specified in the General Appropriations Act. Additionally, subsection (3) shall not apply to programs operating under performance-based program budgeting where a lump sum was appropriated.

(3)  The head of each department or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, whenever it is deemed necessary by reason of changed conditions, may transfer appropriations funded from identical funding sources, except appropriations for fixed capital outlay, and transfer the amounts included within the total original approved budget and releases as furnished pursuant to ss. 216.181 and 216.192, as follows:

(a)  Between categories of appropriations within a budget entity, if no category of appropriation is increased or decreased by more than 5 percent of the original approved budget or $25,000, whichever is greater, by all action taken under this subsection.

(b)  Additionally, between budget entities within identical categories of appropriations, if no category of appropriation is increased or decreased by more than 5 percent of the original approved budget or $25,000, whichever is greater, by all action taken under this subsection.

(c)  Such authorized revisions must be consistent with the intent of the approved operating budget, must be consistent with legislative policy and intent, and must not conflict with specific spending policies specified in the General Appropriations Act.

Such authorized revisions, together with related changes, if any, in the plan for release of appropriations, shall be transmitted by the state agency or by the judicial branch to the Comptroller for entry in the Comptroller's records in the manner and format prescribed by the Executive Office of the Governor in consultation with the Comptroller. A copy of such revision shall be furnished to the Executive Office of the Governor or the Chief Justice, the chairs of the legislative committees, and the Auditor General.

(4)  The head of each department or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, whenever it is deemed necessary by reason of changed conditions, may transfer funds, positions, and salary rate within and between program budget entities with performance-based program appropriations as defined in s. 216.011(1)(xx). Such transfers may include appropriations from any operating category, except appropriations for fixed capital outlay. However, the total program funds, positions, and salary rate shall not be increased or decreased by more than 5 percent by all action taken under this section. Authorized revisions of the original approved operating budget, together with related changes, if any, must be transmitted by the state agency or by the judicial branch to the Executive Office of the Governor or the Chief Justice, the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, and the Auditor General. Such authorized revisions shall be consistent with legislative policy and intent and shall not conflict with specific spending policies specified in the General Appropriations Act. The Executive Office of the Governor shall forward a copy of the revisions within 7 working days to the Comptroller for entry in his or her records in the manner and format prescribed by the Executive Office of the Governor in consultation with the Comptroller.

(5)(a)  Transfers of appropriations for operations from the General Revenue Fund in excess of those provided in subsections (3) and (4) but within a state agency or within the judicial branch may be authorized by the commission for the executive branch and the Chief Justice for the judicial branch, pursuant to the request of the agency filed with the Executive Office of the Governor, or pursuant to the request of an entity of the judicial branch filed with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, if deemed necessary and in the best interest of the state and consistent with legislative policy and intent. The provisions of this paragraph are subject to the notice, review, and objection procedures set forth in s. 216.177.

(b)  When an appropriation for a named fixed capital outlay project is found to be in excess of that needed to complete that project, at the request of the Executive Office of the Governor for state agencies or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the judicial branch the excess may be transferred, with the approval of the commission or the Chief Justice, to another project for which there has been an appropriation in the same fiscal year from the same fund and within the same department where a deficiency is found to exist. Further, a fixed capital outlay project may not be initiated without a specific legislative appropriation, nor may the scope of a fixed capital outlay project be changed by the transfer of funds. The provisions of this paragraph are subject to the notice, review, and objection procedures set forth in s. 216.177.

(6)  Upon request of a department to, and approval by, the Comptroller, funds appropriated may be transferred to accounts established for disbursement purposes upon release of such appropriation. Such transfer may only be made to the same appropriation category and the same funding source from which the funds are transferred.

(7)  Any transfers from the Working Capital Fund to the General Revenue Fund may be approved provided such transfers were identified or contemplated by the Legislature in the original approved budget.

(8)(a)  Should any state agency or the judicial branch become more than 90 days delinquent on reimbursements due to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, the Department of Labor and Employment Security shall certify to the Comptroller the amount due; and the Comptroller shall transfer the amount due to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund from any funds of the agency available.

(b)  Should any state agency or the judicial branch become more than 90 days delinquent in paying the Division of Risk Management of the Department of Insurance for insurance coverage, the Department of Insurance may certify to the Comptroller the amount due; and the Comptroller shall transfer the amount due to the Division of Risk Management from any funds of the agency or the judicial branch available.

(9)  Moneys appropriated in the General Appropriations Act for the purpose of paying for services provided by the state communications system in the Department of Management Services shall be paid by the user agencies, or the judicial branch, within 45 days after the billing date. Billed amounts not paid by the user agencies, or by the judicial branch, shall be transferred by the Comptroller from the user agencies to the Communications Working Capital Trust Fund.

(10)  The Comptroller shall report all such transfers and the reasons for such transfers to the legislative appropriations committees.

(11)  Where any reorganization has been authorized by the Legislature and the necessary adjustments of appropriations and positions have not been provided in the General Appropriations Act, the Administration Commission may approve, consistent with legislative policy and intent, the necessary transfers to accomplish the purposes of such reorganization within state agencies. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may approve such transfers for the judicial branch.

History.--s. 31, ch. 69-106; s. 18, ch. 71-354; s. 15, ch. 81-169; s. 21, ch. 83-49; ss. 7, 8, ch. 83-332; s. 7, ch. 87-137; s. 64, ch. 87-548; s. 7, ch. 88-557; s. 14, ch. 89-51; s. 72, ch. 92-142; s. 160, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 14, ch. 94-249; s. 1515, ch. 95-147; ss. 3, 24, ch. 95-430; s. 3, ch. 96-420; s. 21, ch. 97-94; s. 2, ch. 97-153; s. 8, ch. 97-259; ss. 3, 38, ch. 98-46; s. 9, ch. 98-73; s. 6, ch. 98-279.